How brave they are with some: the hot notes from Barça - Atlético de Madrid (II)

BarcelonaBarça's defeat in the first leg of the Champions quarter-finals against Atlético de Madrid (0-2). Here are some immediate thoughts.

Everything is possible. Flick is right when he praises his players' effort with ten men for the entire second half in search of a goal they deserved. He is also right when he complains about what would have been the silliest penalty in history for Pubill's handball with the ball in play when the Catalan centre-back thought it wasn't. Equally, he has arguments to opine that Cubarsí's sending off was harsh. But now we must reset the count and try to lift the players' spirits before Tuesday's return leg, where there will surely be chances for a comeback. Lamine Yamal is on the up, Simeone tends to be conservative, and this Barça is designed for nights like the one at the Metropolitano. We must believe.

A referee of terrible memory. The direct red card to Cubarsí before halftime for a foul on Simeone Júnior as the last defender marked the match –and will mark the entire tie because he will not play the second leg–. Kovács's first decision was to book the Estanyol player, but the VAR recommended an expulsion for a supposed promising play. How easy. It did not matter that the attacker did not have the ball under control towards goal. Red and off he went. How brave. To top it off, Julián scored a screamer from the spot of the infringement. Kovács, by the way, was the one who sent off Araujo two years ago in that unfortunate tie with PSG that ended Xavi's credit. Luckily, both the team and the environment have matured.

Planning. On the fly, once Cubarsí's red card was confirmed, Flick sent Araujo to warm up to restructure the defense, but at halftime he reconsidered and filled the midfield with Fermín and Gavi to push back Eric García. He also rested Pedri with the return leg in mind, a measure that added intensity while reducing control. Not only did Atlético de Madrid withstand the azulgrana's emergency plan, but they also extended their lead to go into the return leg with more room for error. While the tie is still alive because this Barça is capable of anything, the first defeat at the new Camp Nou hurts and confirms once again that to win the Champions League you have to reach spring with fewer injured players and a deeper squad.

Whoever comes, they will have to be very good. The first defeat at the new Camp Nou is also the first for Gerard Martín since Flick has trusted him as a center-back. After 19 starts, the Barcelonan tasted defeat in a role that was not his specialty, but which he demonstrates he masters better, at least when applied to Barça, than Araujo and Christensen, two internationals who earn considerably more than him. Gerard Martín cannot be held responsible for the 0-2, and it is precisely at this low point that we must highlight the enormous merit of seeing him performing so well in a risky position. He is tenacious in marking, strong in aerial duels, physically reliable, and, furthermore, he has improved tremendously in ball progression. If Bastoni arrives in the summer, he will have to prove a lot.