At a glance
- FC Barcelona looked set for a remontada by going 2-0 ahead at the Metropolitano and tying an aggregate score against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League quarterfinals.
- In the end, however, Ademola Lookman’s consolation goal granted a 3-2 overall win for Diego Simeone’s men.
- Atletico Madrid will play against Arsenal or Sporting CP in the semifinals.
FC Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick believes his team deserved to qualify for the Champions League semifinals after falling to Atletico Madrid in the last eight on Wednesday.
The Catalans were already up against it after losing the first leg 2-0 at the Spotify Camp Nou. There had been talk all week of a “remontada” at the Metropolitano, and that looked set to become a reality when Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres both scored inside 24 minutes.
Around the half hour mark, however, Ademola Lookman pulled one back on the evening and put Atleti ahead. With Eric Garcia red-carded near the death, Barca weren’t able to find an equaliser and therefore the quest to lift a first UCL crown since 2015 continues.
Reacting post-match, Flick said he and his team are “very disappointed with the result”.
“We had a lot of chances. We could have scored the third goal but we conceded one. We played a fantastic game. I appreciate what I’ve seen. We haven’t been lucky. We have to accept it. They are small details. We have to do better things but the team has given everything,” the German added.
Flick felt Barcelona should have gone home with more
Flick felt that his men played a “fantastic first half” and above all “deserved to be in the semi-finals”.
“We showed the mentality on the pitch. We are proud,” he added, while now turning focus to La Liga where the Blaugrana are currently nine points clear.
“Now we have to win the league, we are on the way to achieve it but it is not done. I want to see this mentality that we had today,” Flick demanded.
After licking their wounds, the Catalans will return to action next Tuesday when they host Celta Vigo at home in the Spanish top flight.
