Julian Alvarez has shown Barcelona exactly what they are missing, when Atletico Madrid ended 20 years of waiting with a 2-0 victory right at Camp Nou, thereby moving closer to a ticket to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals.
Alvarez opened the score in the 45th minute with a classy free kick, after Pau Cubarsi was sent off for fouling Giuliano Simeone. In the 70th minute, Alexander Sorloth sealed the victory, helping Diego Simeone's team take a big advantage before the second leg at Metropolitano.
This result ended Atletico's prolonged craving for victory at Camp Nou, and they also became the first away team to win at a refurbished stadium in November last year. The last time Atletico won here was in 2006.
The unbeaten streak lasted 25 matches, starting 5 years ago when Diego Simeone was appointed as coach. Now, Simeone finally has a victory at Camp Nou - largely thanks to his Argentine compatriot.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Alvarez took a perfect free kick from a distance of 25m, sending the ball straight into the top corner of the goal, making tens of thousands of away team fans burst into tears. Meanwhile, the home fans only knew to ask themselves, what would the match be different from if the Argentine striker had stood on their side?
Barcelona is looking for a new center forward in the summer transfer window. Robert Lewandowski has stepped over the curve of his career, and Ferran Torres is preparing to end his contract. Alvarez - despite the price of over 100 million Euros - is clearly Blaugrana's dream target.
Alvarez is in great form. He has special qualities and can take us to the final" - Antoine Griezmann shared.
This is Alvarez's 9th goal in the Champions League this season, along with 4 assists (totaling 13 goals), only behind Kylian Mbappe (15).
Not only the numbers, what makes Alvarez stand out is also the non-stop energy - something that Barcelona's attack is missing, especially in the first half when Raphinha was injured. Marcus Rashford was active but ineffective, while Lewandowski almost disappeared.
On the opposite side, Barcelona still created many opportunities. Rashford had two dangerous situations but were both rejected by Juan Musso. Lamine Yamal had moments of brilliance, but not enough to make a difference.
The match became tense as home fans continuously reacted to the referee's decision. Koke escaped red cards in many foul situations, further increasing outrage. The climax was the controversial situation when Barcelona was not awarded a penalty after the Atletico defender's hand touch and VAR did not intervene.
In the second half, coach Hansi Flick brought Gavi and Fermin Lopez onto the field, helping the team improve their game. However, while putting pressure to find an equalizer, Barcelona received a fatal blow.
Matteo Ruggeri had space on the left wing before assisting Sorloth to score to increase the score to 2-0. Although Barcelona then launched 18 shots (compared to 5 from Atletico), they still could not penetrate the away team's defense.
We tried our best even though we played with fewer players, but today we were not lucky. Everything is not over. We still have a chance" - Flick admitted.
The second leg in Madrid will decide everything. However, with a two-goal advantage, Atletico is holding the right to self-determination and Alvarez is the one who opened that door.
