Intense controversy in Barcelona's defeat against Atletico Madrid

Barcelona experienced a significant setback in the Champions League as Eric Garcia was dismissed from the match, leading them to forfeit their edge and witness Atletico Madrid clinch a semifinal berth in a painful manner.

Early morning on April 15 (Vietnam time), the clash between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona at the Metropolitano stadium in the quarter-final second leg UEFA Champions League unfolded with high drama, marked by a pivotal and controversial red card issued to Eric Garcia.

In the 79th minute, the Spanish defender was sent off after referee Clement Turpin consulted VAR. Garcia was judged to have fouled Alexander Sorloth by pulling him down as the Atletico striker broke through into a dangerous position. Despite Jules Kounde being nearby, the officiating team deemed Garcia the last defensive player, thus issuing a direct red card. This decision provoked fierce reactions from Barcelona players and placed them at a disadvantage with only 10 men on the field during the decisive period.

Notably, this was not the first time Barcelona faced a similar situation in this matchup. In the first leg, Pau Cubarsi was also ejected from the pitch in the 42nd minute after a tactical foul, allowing Julian Alvarez to score from the penalty spot, contributing to Atletico's 2-0 victory.

The red card incident involving Garcia sparked further debate as VAR had to check for a prior offside violation. On Spanish television, referee expert Iturralde Gonzalez stated: "If there was no offside, this was a clear enough situation for a red card rather than just a warning."

Before losing a player, Barcelona had delivered an impressive performance. Lamine Yamal opened the scoring in the 4th minute following a mistake by Clement Lenglet, before Ferran Torres doubled the lead with a beautiful left-footed shot in the 24th minute, bringing the aggregate score to level. However, Atletico quickly responded as Marcos Llorente assisted Ademola Lookman to score, restoring the advantage for the home team.

Ultimately, Atletico Madrid secured a place in the semifinals with an aggregate score of 3-2 over the two legs. Their next opponent will be the winner of the match between Arsenal and Sporting CP.

For Barcelona, this defeat represents a major blow to their European ambitions. Nevertheless, the Catalan club still leads La Liga with a 9-point gap and is expected to regain morale in the remaining phase of the season.