Barcelona Player Ratings vs. Atlético Madrid: Self-Inflicted Wounds Dash Comeback Dreams

Barcelona secured a 2–1 victory over Atlético Madrid on Tuesday night in the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinals, but in the end, it wasn’t enough for a place in the semifinals.

The Catalans came into the tie down 2–0 after playing the first leg at the Camp Nou with 10 men for the entire second half. They got off to a dream start at the Metropolitano, though, when Lamine Yamal got on the scoresheet inside of four minutes.

Ferran Torres doubled his side’s lead shortly after, fueling dreams of a comeback for the defending Spanish champions. Except Atlético Madrid struck next after Ademola Lookman punished the visitors on the counter attack in the 31st minute.

Now trailing 3–2 on aggregate, Barcelona needed another goal to stay alive and force extra time, but they could not get past Diego Simeone’s disciplined defense—especially when they went down to 10 men again, this time after an Eric García red card.

In the end, Hansi Flick’s men were eliminated from Europe’s premier club competition, extending Barcelona’s exile from the Champions League final to 11 years.

Heroes and Villains

Heroes

Before this weekend, Ferran Torres had not found the back of the net in his last 13 matches. But then the Spaniard bagged a brace against Espanyol on Saturday and then followed it up with a goal and an assist against Atlético Madrid on Tuesday. He even had a second goal wiped away for offside in what was an admirable effort in Barcelona’s biggest game of the season. Flick couldn’t ask for more from his starting striker.

Lamine Yamal had been kept off the scoresheet by Atlético Madrid in the teams’ last five matches this season, but he chose the most important one to come alive. The teenager opened the scoring just four minutes into the second leg and didn’t stop there. He danced past the multiple defenders tracking his every move like it was routine, creating chance after chance that his teammates failed to bury.

Villains

Eric García will have nightmares for weeks about his performance on Tuesday. Not only did Marcos Llorente torch him on the counter attack to set up Atlético Madrid’s only goal on the night, but he then left his team down a man in the dying stages. The Spaniard saw red for the denial of a goalscoring opportunity after bringing down Alexander Sørloth, who was through on goal.

Jules Koundé has been a liability all season long in defense and he did little to redeem himself in Barcelona’s biggest game of the season. The Frenchman was chasing ghosts trying to mark Lookman in transition and his inability to hang with the Atlético Madrid star ultimately cost his side a place in the semifinals.

Barcelona Player Ratings vs. Atlético Madrid (4-2-3-1)

Ferran Torres was involved in both of Barcelona’s goals. | Oscar J. Barroso/Europa Press/Getty Images

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Joan García—7.4: Didn’t have a whole lot to do for prolonged spells, but came up huge against Robin Le Normand in the dying stages to keep Barcelona in the game. Ended the night with four saves.

RB: Jules Koundé—7.3: Completely caught out on Atlético Madrid’s goal. Stood ball watching on the halfway line while Lookman was already off to the races. Unsteady all night long.

CB: Eric García—5.9: Beaten for pace by Llorente on the counter attack in the build-up to Lookman’s goal. Received his marching orders for the denial of a goalscoring opportunity after bundling Alexander Sørloth over.

CB: Gerard Martín—7.7: His poor positioning on Lookman’s goal marred what was an otherwise solid outing. Lapses in judgment are becoming too common for the 24-year-old.

LB: João Cancelo—7.2: Missed Rashford playing in front of him. Lacked chemistry with Fermín and therefore wasn’t nearly as involved in the attack as he was in the first leg.

DM: Gavi—7.7: Did his job with little fanfare. Used his physicality to compliment Pedri and was tidy in possession.

DM: Pedri—7.4: At the center of it all for Barcelona, as usual. There was no better midfielder on the pitch, and he showed it with his 103 completed passes.

RW: Lamine Yamal—9.0: Ready for the moment from the opening whistle. Punished Clément Lenglet for his mistake and finished off the play with a calm finish to give his team life.

AM: Dani Olmo—7.9: Threaded a splendid ball to Torres to set up his team’s second. Needed to get more activated in the second half with two defenders marking Yamal.

LW: Fermín López—6.8: Less effective than usual in what was a rare start out wide. Took a horrific boot to the face from Juan Musso and valiantly carried on.

ST: Ferran Torres—8.7: Picked up where he left off at the weekend. Set up Yamal’s opener and then got on the scoresheet himself all in the span of 20 minutes. What a time to get back to his best form.

SUB: Robert Lewandowski (68’ for Torres)—6.2: Only took four touches. Unacceptable.

SUB: Marcus Rashford (68’ for Fermín)—6.2: Could have made something happen in stoppage time, but he rushed his cut back. Otherwise, failed to get involved.

SUB: Frenkie de Jong (81’ for Gavi)—N/A: Looked at home next to Pedri. Stabilized his undermanned team.

SUB: Ronald Araújo (89’ for Cancelo)—N/A: Had the chance in stoppage time to force extra time, but couldn’t keep his header down.

SUB: Roony Bardghji (90’ for Olmo)—N/A: Created a decent chance despite his limited minutes.

Subs not used: Diego Kochen (GK), Wojciech Szczęsny (GK), Alejandro Balde, Álvaro Cortés, Marc Casadó, Tommy Marqués, Xavi Espart.

What the Ratings Tell Us

Ferran Torres only played 17 minutes in the first leg, but he got the nod on Tuesday and put on a show. Involved in his side’s two goals, the Spaniard once again looked like a player capable of leading Barcelona’s line on the biggest stage. Still, his strong night might not be enough for the Catalans to abandon their pursuit of a big-name replacement for Lewandowski.
Flick’s decision to omit Marcus Rashford from his XI in favor of Fermín paints a worrying picture for the winger’s future in Catalonia. He is already second-fiddle to Raphinha, and now he was overlooked in the Brazilian’s absence for a natural No. 10. The snub could hint at Barcelona’s summer transfer plans—plans that might not include the Man Utd loanee.
Barcelona’s lack of discipline cost them dearly in the quarterfinal tie. Pau Cubarsí saw red in the first leg and then Eric García was sent packing in the second leg. The Catalans will be left thinking how things could have turned out differently had they had 11 men for 180 minutes.

The Numbers That Explain Barcelona’s Frustrating Night

Barcelona completed 628 passes on the night—over triple the amount Atlético Madrid completed—all for naught, because one lapse in judgment in transition carved them apart.
The Catalans created seven big chances on the night, but only two came in the second half. They started out incredibly dangerous, but saw their attempts fizzled by Simeone’s defense as the game went on.
For all their defensive woes this season, Flick’s men held the hosts to just one goal despite Atlético Madrid rallying 15 shots and tallying a 1.71xG.

Statistic	Atlético Madrid	Barcelona
Possession	29%	71%
Expected Goals (xG)	1.71	2.28
Total Shots	15	15
Shots on Target	5	8
Big Chances	4	7
Passing Accuracy	71%	90%
Fouls Committed	15	8
Corners	2	4

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