Atletico Madrid reach CL semi-finals after nine-year wait

Atletico Madrid booked their first UEFA Champions League (CL) semi-final berth in nine years on Tuesday, edging past Barcelona 3-2 on aggregate despite a tense 2-1 defeat here at the Metropolitano Stadium.

Holding a 2-0 advantage from the first leg at the Camp Nou, Diego Simeone’s side saw their cushion erased early as Barcelona surged forward.

Teenage forward Lamine Yamal capitalised on a defensive lapse by Clement Lenglet to open the scoring in the fourth minute, calmly finishing past goalkeeper Juan Musso after being set up by Ferran Torres.

Barcelona doubled their lead in the 24th minute when Torres latched onto a precise pass from Dani Olmo and fired into the top corner, levelling the tie on aggregate.

However, Atletico responded before the interval. Marcos Llorente drove down the right flank and delivered a low cross that Ademola Lookman converted at the far post, restoring the hosts’ aggregate lead.

Barcelona dominated possession after the break, with Pedri and Gavi controlling midfield, and had a third goal disallowed for offside. Their hopes suffered a further setback when Eric García was sent off following a last-man challenge.

Atletico held firm to progress and will face either Arsenal or Sporting CP in the semi-finals.

After the match, Musso highlighted the squad’s unity and ambition, stating that the team had long believed in reaching this stage and remained determined to fulfil their aspirations.

“We’ve been dreaming big for a long time,” Musso said. “We wanted to get through this stage and we knew we could do it. We remain true to our dreams. It’s a close-knit and lovely group. We deserve great things. The team will give it their all.”