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Atletico Madrid Oust Barcelona to Reach Champions League Semifinals

UEFA’s rejection of Barcelona’s handball protest highlights a tie defined by red cards and officiating rancor.

Overview

  • Atletico Madrid, which lost 2-1 in Tuesday’s return leg in Madrid, advanced 3-2 on aggregate after a 2-0 first-leg win at Camp Nou.
  • The tie turned on discipline as Barcelona saw Pau Cubarsí sent off in the first leg and Eric Garcia shown a straight red near the 79th minute in the return.
  • UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body ruled Barcelona’s first-leg handball complaint inadmissible before the second match.
  • After the exit, Raphinha called it a “robbed” result and criticized referee Clément Turpin, while Atletico’s Juan Musso and captain Koke rejected that claim and Diego Simeone mocked Barca fans with a “sleep” gesture.
  • Atletico now await the ArsenalSporting winner in the semifinal, as PSG’s 2-0 win at Anfield leaves the holders well placed in their quarterfinal tie.