04/14/26 04:29:00
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04/14 16:27 CDT Atletico Madrid withstands Barcelona's early blitz to reach the
Champions League semifinals
Atletico Madrid withstands Barcelona's early blitz to reach the Champions
League semifinals
By TALES AZZONI
AP Sports Writer
MADRID (AP) --- Atletico Madrid held on after an early charge by Barcelona to
reach the Champions League semifinals for the first time in nearly a decade on
Tuesday.
Atletico advanced 3-2 on aggregate despite a 2-1 loss to the Catalan club.
Diego Simeone's team had won the first leg 2-0 in Barcelona last week.
Barcelona, trying to return to the last four for the second season in a row,
scored twice in the first 24 minutes to even the series, with Lamine Yamal and
Ferran Torres finding the net.
Atletico struck back still in the first half with a goal by Ademola Lookman.
The Catalan club played a man down from the 79th after defender Eric Garca was
shown a red card for fouling Alexander Sorloth to stop a breakaway.
Atletico had last made it to the semifinals in 2017. Barcelona lost to Inter
Milan in last year's last four.
Atletico will face either Arsenal or Sporting Lisbon in the semifinals. Arsenal
won the first leg 1-0 in Lisbon last week. Their second leg in England is on
Wednesday.
In the other quarterfinal on Tuesday, defending champion Paris Saint-Germain
advanced past Liverpool, winning 2-0 for an aggregate score of 4-0.
Atletico, seeking its first Champions League title, lost in the 2017 semifinals
to Real Madrid. It also lost to Madrid in both finals it played against the
city rival in the Champions League, in 2014 and 2016.
The game was stopped for several moments near the 70th minute because Atletico
defender Matteo Ruggieri sustained a cut on his forehead after being elbowed by
Barcelona midfielder Gavi during a dispute for the ball.
Yamal opened the scoring four minutes into the match at Metropolitano stadium,
entering the area free from defenders after Atletico lost possession on a
passing mistake by defender Clment Lenglet.
With his goal, Yamal became the top Champions League scorer under the age of 19
with 11, one more than Kylian Mbapp.
The visitors added to the lead on the night --- evening the tie at 2-2 --- in
the 24th, with Torres picking up a through ball by Dani Olmo and finding the
top corner by the far post.
Fermn Lpez nearly added the third a minute later but his close-range header
was saved by Atletico goalkeeper Juan Musso.
The hosts struck back in the 31st with Lookman scoring from inside the area in
a breakaway after a low cross by Marcos Llorente.
Barcelona thought it had equalized the series again, but Torres' 57th-minute
goal was disallowed for offside.
Defender Ronald Araujo had Barcelona's last chance but his close-range header
in stoppage time went over the crossbar.
Dembele scores twice for PSG
PSG kept its title defense on track with a 2-0 win over Liverpool at Anfield.
Ousmane Dembele's two second-half goals sealed a 4-0 aggregate victory.
Dembele's first goal killed off Liverpool's fight as the Premier League club
went in search of another famous Champions League comeback. The Ballon d'Or
winner swept a low left-footed shot from the edge of the area past goalkeeper
Giorgi Mamardashvili to quieten the home crowd.
His second came at the end of a sweeping move in stoppage time.
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