BARCELONA, Spain -- Julián Álvarez gave Barcelona a glimpse of exactly what they are missing on Wednesday as Atlético Madrid ended a 20-year wait for a win at Camp Nou with a 2-0 victory which moved them within sight of a UEFA Champions League semifinal.
Álvarez opened the scoring in the 45th minute with a stunning free kick after Pau Cubarsí had been sent off for a last-man challenge on Giuliano Simeone outside the box. Substitute Alexander Sørloth added the second with 20 minutes to play to leave Atlético in a commanding position going into next Tuesday's second leg at the Metropolitano.
The result brought Atlético's long wait for a win at Camp Nou to an end, while they also became the first away team to win at the refurbished stadium since Barça returned last November. 2006 was the last time Atlético won here. The run since, which had stretched 25 games, began five years before Diego Simeone was appointed as coach. Now Simeone finally has his Camp Nou win -- in no small part thanks to his fellow Argentine.
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It was Álvarez's wonder-strike which did the damage, not least because it came immediately after Cubarsí's dismissal, handing Barça a double punishment they will feel unfair given the lightness of the center-back's touch on the darting Simeone. The referee had initially shown Cubarsí a yellow card, but it was upgraded to red after a VAR review.
What came next was special. Álvarez found the top corner from 25 yards, peeling away to celebrate beneath the thousands of Atlético fans shielded by glass in the second tier of Camp Nou. As those in red-and-white celebrated, the home fans would be forgiven for wondering how this game may have panned out if Álvarez was on their side.
Barça are in the market for a No. 9 this summer. Robert Lewandowski is ageing and Ferran Torres is moving into the final year of his contract. Álvarez may well prove too expensive -- Atlético would want well over €100 million for him -- but he is the Blaugrana's dream target.
"Julián is in great form," Atlético teammate Antoine Griezmann said after the game. "He's got that something extra -- and I hope he can take us all the way to the final."
His goal here was his ninth in the Champions League this season. He also has four assists for a total of 13 goal contributions. Only Kylian Mbappé, with 15, has more in the competition.