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MADRID, SPAIN - APRIL 13: Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona reacts as he fails to score during the UEFA Champions League quarter final, second leg match between Club Atletico de Madrid and FC Barcelona at the Vincente Calderon on April 13, 2016 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)
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Barcelona's campaign to become the first team to repeat as winners of the Champions League is over.
For the second time in three seasons, Barca was bested by a savvier Atletico Madrid in the quarterfinals. Luis Suarez's two goals had given the Catalans a 2-1, come-from-behind victory in the first leg at home last week. But on Wednesday, Antoine Griezmann's first-half header and late penalty undid all that and shattered Barcelona's hopes of repeating its Champions League-La Liga-Copa del Rey treble. In late dramatics, Barca was denied a penalty that might have tied up the whole affair.
For the second time in this two-game series, Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi was anonymous, his room to operate utterly stifled by Diego Simeone's deft tactical plan. His Atletico packed its ranks into banks so tight it looked as though they were chained to one another, or perhaps his players were wearing electric shock collars with the finger of their black-clad Argentine manager forever hovering over the button on his remote.
The Mattress-Makers, so nicknamed, effortlessly absorbed pressure and made it five games in a row without a goal for Messi, who remains on the cusp of his 500th career goal.
Barca, meanwhile, has not just let its European chances slip away, but allowed its commanding lead in La Liga to be whittled down to three points after consecutive losses and a tie before that. The first of those losses, horror of horrors, came to archrival Real Madrid – at home, no less.
All Luis Enrique and his men needed on Wednesday was a tie, or a one-goal loss with at least two goals scored by them. But they nevertheless took the game to Atletico, true to their unshakable belief that soccer is to be played exclusively in the pursuit of beauty and goals. Atleti, as ever, were prepared for this. They set their traps and hurtled forward when they won the ball.
That's how Gabi got a first look for the home team, roared on by its raucous crowd. But he smashed his effort high. Yannick Ferreira Carrasco then had a shot, and Griezmann followed with a header. This was all within the first seven minutes.
While Barcelona had some three-quarters of possession, Atletico had the shots and the chances. The Barca players, meanwhile, spent much time gesticulating and pointing and directing one another. It was the rarest of sights: a Barcelona team struggling to unlock an opposing midfield – let alone its defense.
Atletico's go-ahead goal was coming. Just before the half hour, Gerard Pique fell onto the leg of Ferreira Carrasco in his own box and put his hand on the ball. Either of those things might have been called a penalty kick. Neither was.
But then, in the 36th minute, Griezmann redirected a divine, outside-booted cross from Saul with an immaculate header that left goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen without a hope of saving it.
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How's that for a ball? Saúl swings it in to Griezmann, who heads home to put Atletico in front. @HeinekenSoccer #UCL snpy.tv/1qpA0PY
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Just before halftime, Ferreira Carrasco almost doubled the score with a long run, but Ter Stegen managed to parry his shot. And after the intermission, Atletico remained the more dangerous side. Saul's looping header pinged off the crossbar behind the beaten Ter Stegen.
That's when Barca were finally jolted from its slumber, pushing forward for the goal that would see it through to the semifinals. But other than a clear shot from Luis Suarez after an hour after a clever move, which he put right at goalkeeper Jan Oblak, the Catalans mustered little.
The game soon turned acrimonious. But counter to type and script, it was Barca who broke out the dirty tricks in its growing frustration and swelling rage. Suarez elbowed Diego Godin in the eye on a challenge for a header, leaving the center back with a swollen brow, and got a yellow card – which should probably have been a red.
Neymar got the same punishment for kicking out at Juanfran, and he too was spared.
Atletico played a dangerous game, allowing Barcelona to attack in rolling waves late on. But Atleti held firm in their conviction that their sea wall would not be breached. And indeed it wouldn't. Because if this Barca team is the best attacking team ever, its foes across the field have built one of the best defensive units of all time.
Finally, in the 86th minute, Filipe Luis countered when Barca committed too far forward. Andres Iniesta, in an act of defensive desperation handled the ball in the box and Atletico was rightly awarded a penalty. Griezmann converted, only just sneaking his shot past Ter Stegen.
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Cool as a cucumber! Antoine Griezmann seals his brace from the penalty spot. @HeinekenSoccer #UCL snpy.tv/1S7AeCn
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But in injury time, Barca was denied a penalty when Gabi blocked Iniesta's shot with his arm a few inches inside the box. The referee, however, adjudged the infraction to have occurred outside the box. And Messi's free kick sailed high, to the cheers of the partisans in the stands.
As the final whistle rang out, a frantic Simeone, who had whipped the crowd into a frenzy all game long, was cool for the first time as his players celebrated.
Barcelona looked despondent, stumbling off the field, realizing that its season has come apart.
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