Barcelona Falls 0-2 to Atletico Madrid: Ten-Man Team Shocked at Nou Camp as Alvarez Capitalizes on Rashford's Miss

MARCUS RASHFORD was upstaged by Atletico Madrid’s two Premier League ex-pats.

Julian Alvarez, another who swapped Manchester for Spain, struck a first half free-kick to set Atletico on course for a Champions League upset.

Marcus Rashford was upstaged at the Nou CampCredit: Getty Julian Alvarez opened the scoring with a sumptuous free-kickCredit: EPA

Alexander Sorloth, the former Crystal Palace flop, then made certain of the first leg advantage against 10-man Barcelona, who played the whole second half a man down after Pau Cubarsi’s dismissal.

All that after Rashford, in a rampant first half, looked to be the main attraction.

This was the fifth meeting between these two this season, coming just five days after a LaLiga win for Barcelona in Madrid.

Alvarez was rested there, but made up for it here – with Atletico primed to repeat the 2016 upset when they last met Barcelona at this stage and dumped them out a decade ago.

They did not even win here back then.

With Raphinha nursing a hamstring injury, Rashford was handed his first Champions League start since November by Hansi Flick.

And the England winger looked primed to grab it with both hands.

After just four minutes he had twice tested Juan Musso in goal.

It was an end-to-end start, with Alvarez and Giuliano Simeone both having a sniff, though with Rashford and Lamine Yamal – Barca were far more dangerous.

Rashford was the more constant threat, sending one wide and drawing another save from Musso before sending a volley past the far post.

Amid Rashford’s chances he had one in the back of the net, tapping in from Yamal’s cross but the winger was offside before squaring.

Keen not to be overshadowed by Rashford, the Spanish sensation looked to put on a show of his own, dancing between three Atletico defenders before seeing two shots blocked in quick succession.

Atletico were not simply sitting in. Ademola Lookman was a danger down the left, but their goal came thanks to a run from Simeone in off the right.

Played in behind by Alvarez, he was wiped out from behind by Cubarsi.

It was nothing other than an obvious goalscoring chance, but for some reason referee Istvan Kovacs needed a prod from VAR to reach the right call and upgrade his yellow to red.

This stadium has been treated to more magical moments from a little Argentine than any other in football, though they were all celebrated by the fans watching on.

But where better for Alvarez to step up and bend a superb free-kick into the top corner than the same end where Lionel Messi rattled in his stunner against Liverpool in 2019.

It was two minutes on the brink of the break which transformed this into a bitter night of frustration for Barca.

The home fans, who had smashed the window of Atletico’s team bus on arrival, spewed at Kovacs following the whistle for half-time.

They were even more incensed after the break when Marc Pubill appeared to put his hand on the ball after Russo had rolled it his way from what looked like a short goal kick to restart play.

Alexander Sorloth doubled Atletico’s advantage in the second halfCredit: AFP Pau Cubarsi’s red card left Barca with an uphill battleCredit: EPA

Despite their disadvantage, Rashford and Yamal were still playing as if they would turn this tie in their favour whether there were ten men out there or just the pair of them.

Yamal fed Rashford to hit the side-netting before the Manchester United loanee saw his free-kick, won by his teen teammate, tipped onto the crossbar.

But Atletico survived. Their attacking threat had been limited since the break, even with their man advantage.

But it did not stay hidden forever. Sorloth, sent on after 60 minutes, struck 10 minutes later.

Antoine Griezmann, claiming victory against his former club on his last visit to this ground before departing for Major League Soccer, fed Matteo Ruggeri down the left, the Italian swinging a low cross for Sorloth to divert in having stepped ahead of Gerard Martin.

Rashford was hooked and Barca’s belief faded.