Sid Lowe was there for us. That’s it from me, thanks for reading and emailing in. Vamos! And good night.

“We were not lucky today,” says Flick. “We did a good match in the first half … second half we played well with one player less, they scored … they have high quality in the offence.

“We have to move forward, we are positive, we have the quality to win there.

“Our goal seems far away today – but we have the quality.”

Flick is asked about the potential penalty after the goal-kick.

“This is unbelievable,” he says. “For me, it’s unbelievable. Also the VAR, why didn’t he “call”? Also the fourth official … I cannot understand that. It was a clear start of the game. Yellow card and penalty. It’s clear. At the end we have to accept it, but it’s not a nice feeling.

“We have the quality to come back. This is our goal. We have to be positive. I’m proud of my team … it’s like that, we have to accept it, and go on.”

Lookman adds that his time in Madrid has been “great” since arriving in February. “Long may it continue.”

“Good result,” says Lookman on TNT Sports. “Good performance, especially not to concede. That shows the work that everyone’s been doing.

“I think scoring after they had a man sent off, I think that was key – brilliant free-kick from Julian …

“They’re a top team. The situations they put you in. Difficult moments. But you’ve got to dig in, be together, and take your moments … and we did that today.

“It’s going to be a massive game [the second leg]. Calm heads for sure. We’ll take each game as it comes. Good victory today – but on to the next game.”

Regarding Richard’s email about Arteta and playing with 10 men at 90+1min, Steve writes:

“Find this a bit of a weird observation from Richard considering Arsenal aren’t playing in this match, they’ve yet to play a game with ten men this season, and Barça lost. But all the best regardless.”

I just work here, mate.

Diego Simeone will be very happy with that second goal by Sorloth. It was so simply worked, but smart with it.

And the free-kick by Alvarez was stunning. That was a cracking evening of footie all round, really.

Should Barcelona have had a penalty for a handball at that goal kick? Joe Cole thinks so. So does Karen Carney.

And it would have been a red card too for a second bookable offence, so they say.

Watching the sending off again, I think it’s an absolutely clear red card. The ball is bouncing through in favour of Simeone, even if he doesn’t have it under total control at the time.

The visiting fans are loving life. In contrast, there are some dark expressions on the faces of the Barcelona players – and up in the directors’ box. The agony and the ecstasy.

Barcelona players look a bit nonplussed, as if they can’t quite work out how they lost that 2-0.

They had 56% possession, and 21 attempts to Atléti’s five. Barça completed 553 passes to 380 for the visitors. They had seven attempts on target, and eight off target. Atlético had five shots on target, and scored twice. That’s football, folks.

Hansi Flick, in his worryingly casual attire, goes to have a whinge to the referee.

Yamal, crouching down after the final whistle, looks gutted. He looks tired too which is understandable: he ran all night. Olmo has a consolatory word with the youngster as they trudge off.

90 +2: Yamal’s been lively but has also done exactly what Atlético wanted him to do. He’s run down a few blind alleys at times and in truth they’ve dealt with him comfortably.

90 min +1: “Barça are showing Arteta how to play big teams when down a man,” writes Richard. “Everyone, especially Yamal, is pushing relentlessly.”

90 min: Yamal tries again with a driving run. He is crowded out on the edge, so feeds the ball left. A cross is floated to the far post but no one in a Barcelona jersey can get on the end of it.

This has, as hoped for, been a magnifcent defensive effort from Atlético. They’ve worked extremely hard and executed a plan to perfection … but Barcelona have three minutes of stoppage time to find something.

88 min: Strong, strong tackling from Atlético. Barça are still trying little feints, shimmies and dummies on the edge of the area but being unceremoniously stopped before they can do any damage.

87 min: Another Barcelona change: Alejandro Balde is on for Cancelo.

85 min: Yamal, yet again, dribbles through a gaggle of visiting defenders with ridiculous pace and control, weaving his way around the penalty area and eventually bearing down on the goal. Yet again, thought, the last defender is the one to stop him. He’s battled to make an impact – but Atlético’s last-ditch defending has been exemplary.

84 min: It’s not, because it’s seemingly a goal-kick, not a corner. The officials changed their minds.

83 min: Sorloth threatens to escape on the Atlético right wing … Eric Garcia produces a textbook sliding tackle and gets it out for a throw. Next up, Sorloth does well to win a corner … is this 3-0?

83 min: Le Normand of Atlético goes down under a niggly challenge from Phil Foden’s nemesis, Araujo. There are a few words after.

82 min: Again, Atlético lose it in a potentially dangerous area but no matter: Llorente is there to launch the ball in Row Z, stopping Barcelona in their tracks as they try to work it down the left wing.

81 min: Cancelo crosses from the Barcelona left. Bodies in the box, but it’s overhit, and sails out for a throw-in on the other side.

80 min: Barca have now had 20 attempts on goal to five for the visitors. It’s dangerously close to smash-and-grab territory, this.

78 min: It’s all slowed and settled somewhat. Naturally, the visitors are happy to hold on to what they have … but then Simeone loses it in a dangerous area, and Cancelo is able to stride into the penalty area and force a corner with a shot from an angle, Musso making a save.

Yamal then has a crack after the corner, straight at Musso, who saves again.

75 min: Atlético beat Barça 4-0 at home not so long ago. If they could leave here with a 3-0 win they would truly be in Champions League dreamland. Their defending has been so good, I wouldn’t put it past them to stand firm and nick another one.

74 min: “Hi Luke,” writes Steve.

“Is the term ‘prawn sandwich brigade’ still relevant now that the sandwich can be part of a meal deal at Sainsbury’s (other meal deal purveyors are available)?

“Maybe it’s time to upgrade the brigade with a prawn vol-au-vent at least?

“Regards, Steve in Salisbury.”

Fair Steve, very fair.

73 min: Kounde and Rashford off. Araujo and Ferran Torres on.

Araujo, the Uruguay international, immediately has a chance from a corner – but cannot nod his effort at the far post on target.

70 min: Ruggeri escapes down the left and cracks over an excellent early cross. Sorloth gets there ahead of his marker and tucks a straightforward finish beyond Garcia from six yards. Atlético haven’t won here since 2006! And they are 2-0 up!

It felt like Simeone had told his players to pick their moments in the second half, and there was their moment …

68 min: It’s getting more niggly, too. Barcelona trundle downfield (well, it’s Yamal with it at the end, so maybe trundle is harsh), but there seem to be fouls flying in all over the place, and finally Yamal is decisively brought down, and Barcelona have a free-kick in a handy advanced area. It’s whipped to the far post and again Atlético’s defending is solid.

Then Olmo goes crashing to the turf inside the penalty area, the fans roar for a penalty, but the referee is well placed and waves play on.

65 min: This is more cagey than the first half. Atlético haven’t used the ball so well, so far in this half, but also look generally happy to soak up pressure and hit on the break.

63 min: Atletico are still snapping into tackles and holding their defensive shape well, which is the least you’d expect … you fancy they need another goal to take a lead back to Madrid.

Yamal wants a foul in an advanced area after touching the ball past his marker but nothing doing … then Gavi, who’s not been on long, goes in the book for a semi-rugby tackle on Griezmann in midfield.

62 min: The Barcelona percussion section continues to tap out a persistent beat. The noise is still … noisy. Despite Reuven’s email below about the international prawn sandwich brigade, it looks and sounds like an excellent atmosphere.

59 min: Diego Simeone makes changes: Koke off for Alex Baena, Lookman off for Alexander Sorloth.

Rashford, who is full of beans, bears down on the visiting goal again. Atlético are seriously stretched, but again manage to deal with the danger.

Odds on Atlético soaking up another ton of pressure and winning 2-0?

57 min: Barça continue on the front foot. They look just as dominant as they were in the latter part of the second half, albeit with 10 men now.

Barcelona have had 15 attempts to four. And 36 attacks to 10. And six attempts on target to two.

A Barcelona corner is flashed across the six-yard box! It needs a head, or a toe, but gets neither and flies out for a goal kick.

56 min: The home fans fancy a penalty for what they are claiming is a handball at a goal-kick by a visiting defender. Tyrone Mings is mentioned in commentary. Seems like the ref was looking the other way (or just didn’t see it the same way as the fans …)

54 min: Changes afoot for Atlético. First Simeone tries to get on the end of a ball down the Atlético right wing. Barcelona tidy up.

52 min: Rashford hits the crossbar with a stonking, curling free-kick! It’s touched on to the frame of the goal by Musso but probably would have come off the bar anyway. Then from the corner, Atlético are forced into more desperate defending. The 10 men of Barcelona have started very strongly in the second half.

50 min: “Lewandowski is quiet in marquee games?” emails Calvin. “He’s the only player alongside Messi to score four goals in Champions League knockout game and has the most goals in Champions League knockout games after Messi and Ronaldo. If he’s not a big game player in that sense I’d argue who is?”

I’ve seen him go missing for Poland plenty of times, but you make a fair point. Thank you.

50 min: Yamal threads a stunning pass through to Rashford with the outside of a boot. Rashford takes the ball wide and stabs an attempted finish towards goal. Atlético survive.

48 min: “I was at Camp Nou for Newcastle’s destruction by the home side and am thus cheering Atletico’s every touch,” emails Reuven. “Not because they beat us but because it was so depressingly touristy. Been before with NUFC, first time in 97, but was struck by the sheer number of people flying in to watch the home side.

“We left at 5-2 to avoid police hold back and every bar around the ground was chocka with locals watching the game desperate to see it, but seemingly priced out. We chatted to Danes, Hungarians, Belgians, all who had flown in and paid fortunes to get into the stadium. It’s a real shame this has happened on such scale, it’s the death of football really. VAMOS ATLÉTICO! (And yes, they’re probably not far behind).”

47 min: Was that a smash-and-grab first half? I’d say it was given Barcelona’s dominance in the latter part of it. Diego Simeone might finally get that win at Camp Nou …

46 min: Joe Cole pointed out that it will be 11 against 11 in the second leg. That’s why he’s in the side.

The titans of Paris are one up on the giants of Liverpool, Desire Doue with the goal. Rob Smyth has the details:

As for the penalty, I’d say it was a clumsy challenge by Cubarsi, and he would have been extremely fortunate to get away without being sent off even if Simeone didn’t have the ball completely under his spell. Or at all under his spell.

In my view a fair red card for the clumsiness and arguably cynical nature of the challenge.

Alexander emails: “I didn’t know it was possible to deny a goalscoring opportunity for an attacker who didn’t have control of the ball, and when in fact the ball was completely behind him. Live and learn?”

In a similar vein, Chris in Barcelona (but not a Barça fan, it says here) emails: “At first viewing I thought that was a clear red, on watching the replay I thought the Atlético player wasn’t in control of the ball (it was behind him and bounced off his arse). Thought a yellow was fair. No?”

And in a complete departure from those #TalkingPoints on the penalty, Kári Tulinius has written this, in his inimitable style:

“I realize it’s hard to be neutral about Atlético Marmite, but I neither wish them ill nor well. But, it would be lovely if Griezmann’s final match for the club would be the Champions League final. He’s such an imaginative and aesthetically pleasing footballer, one of the underrated greats of the modern game.”

45 min+2: Lewandowski, who has been quiet – as he so often seems to be in these marquee matches – has a deflected shot saved from inside the area.

40 min: Corner for Barça. It’s whipped in but more excellent defending from the visitors clears the danger. Barcelona come again, Yamal trying to work his way through a forest of bodies. He is crowded out.

Atlético counter quickly, Simeone charges down the middle, and is brought down on the edge by Cubarsi! It’s a yellow card for Cubarsi but they want a red card! … Diego Simeone is making a scene on the touchline. There is a red card check under way … and the ref is going to the monitor! This is going to be a red card! (I suspect.)

38 min: Now Koke fouls Yamal as he skips away, a blatant hack into his opponent’s shin with little hope of making any contact with the white, round thing. He’s already been booked. The crowd roar for an early bath. Steady on, old boy.

36 min: Barcelona stroke a few passes around in midfield, the pace dropping momentarily. But Simeone’s side win it back and off they go again. Llorente makes an excellent driving run down the left wing. Giuliano Simeone clubs a poor cross from the right wing that flies straight out for a goal kick. His manager looks far from gruntled by the dugout. That was a handy position and it was wasted.

34 min: Now Rashford storms down the left wing and tries to cross. It’s cut out. The Atlético defence is working overtime here. It feels like they are creaking and you might think it is inevitable that Barcelona score. But as I was taught in history class, nothing is inevitable.

33 min: This is relentless. Yamal does brilliantly to fashion a chance, skipping away from several defenders inside the penalty area, and has a rasping shot blocked. Gerard Martin then hits a screamer from distance that flies wide.

31 min: Koke is booked for a clumsy foul on Olmo. Hancko is off injured (sorry for doubting you) and Marc Pubill is on.

30 min: Now Olmo hits a cultured, searching cross from right to left looking for Rashford at the far post. The Manchester United alumni manages to stab it goalwards despite a tight angle, and Musso does well to save, even if the ball nearly squirts under his body.

29 min: Hancko is down injured after that cross by Kounde. He’s gone off the pitch for treatment, behind the goal. There was a stoppage of a couple of minutes, a cynic might suggest it was a good time for a breather for the visiting defence.

27 min: Kounde bends a cross over looking for Lewandowski after receiving an intricate little ball to feet on the edge of the box. Molina does well to flick it clear with his head, with the Poland international lurking.

Pedri of Barcelona has been booked, for what, I am not sure.

25 min: Atléti enjoy a spell of possession, pinging passes around impressively, starving Barcelona of the ball and probing for an opening themselves. Cancelo hauls Simeone to the deck around halfway. Simeone demands a card. Amazingly, he doesn’t change the ref’s mind. There are some robust challenges flying around, it’s physical as well as skilful.

24 min: Atletico were advertised playing 4-4-2, but it looked more like a back five just then. Still no bus-parking mind you.

21 min: Llorente plays a poor pass from a position in central defensive midfield, trying to spray it out left, but overhits it. He wants a free-kick, but the officials aren’t having it.

20 min: The noise from the fans is deafening. They are seeing both teams play some impressively progressive football here, both going for it every time they get the ball. Tim’s pre-match prediction, that the visitors will not park the bus, was quite correct.

17 min: Atléti want a penalty for handball. Nothing doing.

In the next installment of this end-to-end thriller, Pedri slides a fantastic defence-splitting pass for Yamal on the Barça right, who wastes no time in squaring for Rashford, who tucks it into the gaping net! But the flag is up. Yamal was offside from Pedri’s fine pass. No goal.

15 min: Lookman and Griezmann link for Atléti, but Barca snuff out the danger. Needless to say, Barcelona immediately go for the jugular again. Rashford uses his exceptional pace and has Molina on toast down the left wing. He tries to cut back from the byline for Lewandowski, but his attempted low cross is blocked.

14 min: There’s a beautiful tempo to this. High, high quality stuff. Now Eric Garcia builds down the Barcelona right. He floats a cross to Rashford in space at the far post, inside the area but a little way out. The England international hits a businesslike volley that bounces wide of a post. It was close enough to draw a gasp from the crowd with Musso scrambling across his goal.

10 min: No one has had a shot for at least a minute, which is unusual. Here comes Lookman for Atlético, though! He finds Simeone with a fantastic pass out wide after coming up against a well-positioned Barcelona backline. Simeone cracks one powerfully but it’s neither on target nor in reach of a teammate.

9 min: Now Cancelo, looking like a footballing Rolls-Royce as per usual, cuts in and hammers a low shot at Musso from an angle. The goalie makes a tidy save.

8 min: Koke cynically takes out Olmo with Barça ready to break at pace. The ref has a strong word. But no card.

7 min: This is more open than a school-playground lunchtime kickabout at 1.58pm.

Yamal looks for Rashford, in space on the left, but gets it wrong. Then the visitors stream down to the other end and Lookman has a shot blocked. Corner.

5 min: The pace is hot! Hot! Hot! The visitors fashion one chance at the other end after Rashford’s early opening, with Griezmann being crowded out near the six-yard box … then seconds later, Alvarez powers in from the right wing, along the byline, cuts back and hits a shot straight at Garcia. He should have scored! It should be 1-1!

4 min: Huge chance for Rashford! Atlético’s Molina gives it away in a defensive area with a pass inside, a horrible error, and Rashford is suddenly one-on-one. He hits an unconvincing effort at Musso and the keeper is able to save with a foot. That should be 1-0.

2 min: A niggly little foul by Griezmann early doors, on Pedri. The crowd wails before Gerard Martín takes the free-kick.

Flick paces the touchline in a comfy-looking black jumper and Nike trainers.

Rashford has an early go, cutting in from the Barcelona left and hitting a shot straight at Musso.

A moment to honour the memory of Mircea Lucescu.

I hereby designate Dani Olmo, playing in the middle of a forward three behind Lewandowski and with pace either side, in the “schemer” role.

Marcus Rashford appears from the tunnel, and raises both hands to the heavens.

It feels like there’s a special energy to this tie already.

We are literally less than five minutes away from kick-off!

The atmosphere in the stadium looks sensational. FC Barcelona flags are held aloft everywhere. The players are assembled in the tunnel.

Vamos!

Rob Smyth has Paris Saint-Germain v crisis club Liverpool over on Channel 1:

“What he’s done for that club is absolutely astronomical,” Cole says of Griezmann, soon to depart Atletico for Orlando City FC. There’s a decent Nasa link in there somewhere.

“I don’t think Atlético will do a smash and grab etc.,” opines Tim on email.

“They are an excellent team on the break and will outplay Barca in my opinion for significant stretches.”

Was it really May 2024 when Lookman banged in that hat-trick for Atalanta in the Europa League final v Leverkusen?

You bet it was:

Lookman signed for the Spanish club in February, a piece of transfer news that had hitherto escaped me.

Luis Garcia is on duty in the stadium, evoking those days when it seemed like Chelsea and Liverpool played each other every three minutes.

Atlético and Barça will play thrice in the space of nine days, starting with the match on Saturday, when Lewandowski won it. This is their fifth meeting of the current season, to boot.

“Diego Simeone has never won at Camp Nou,” says Karen Carney, alongside Cole on pundit duty. And there you have it. No time like the present, that’s what I say.

“It’s beauty and the beast,” says Joe Cole on TNT Sports of the contest that awaits. “We know what Atlético are going to do tonight, they’ll “bank in”, make it nasty, they’ll be aggressive, and there’ll be all sorts of shenenigans going on.”

Alvarez, leading the line for the visitors, has scored 14 goals in his last 17 Champions League matches. #Prolific

“A smash and grab would be great,” emails Andres. “But look up Simeone’s record at Barcelona.”

Would you mind doing it? Much appreciated.

I’d also take a sparkling attacking masterclass from Flick’s side as well of course. I’m pretty flexible on the issue.

Barça may be favourites and deservedly so but personally I’d like to see a classic European smash-and-grab by Simeone’s side tonight, with a healthy dose of naughty defending and shithousery in the mix.

Araujo stuck in one hell of a reducer on Phil Foden the other week at Wembley during England 1-1 Uruguay. I saw it with my own eyes and it was the most violent tackle in a top-level game I’ve seen for a good while.

And how good is the weather, by the way? Answer: very. With another seemingly interminable league phase (and winter) out the way we can now enjoy some decent knockout ties. Sunshine + meaningful Champions League encounters (beyond the recent round of 16): it’s a heady mix.

Team news will be coming up soon, meanwhile, why not send me an email?