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For some time, it appeared the comeback could be on. Lamine Yamal (4’) and Ferran Torres (24’) scored to give Barcelona a 2-0 lead in Madrid, equalizing the 2-0 deficit against Atlético from the first leg. The comeback was on, and Barça kept on pressing with Yamal almost scoring his team’s third, which would have seen Barcelona go ahead on aggregate. But instead, it was Ademola Lookman (34’) and Atleti, who would score next. The Nigerian forward made it 2-1 on the night, and 3-2 for his club on aggregate.

Plus, in the 80th minute, Eric García was sent off as he brought down Atlético forward Alexander Sørloth in what the referee deemed to be a clear goalscoring opportunity. A player down, Barcelona kept on pushing, but Diego Simeone’s team was able to hang on and secure passage to the semifinal of the tournament, where they will now meet the winner of Arsenal or Sporting. Without a doubt, a massive success for Atlético Madrid and Simeone.

But what are the lessons for Barcelona? The Catalans under Hansi Flick are a free-flowing attacking side under Hansi Flick. In 26 Champions League games since the start of last season, Barcelona have scored 75 goals; only PSG have scored more often, 76. But while PSG managed their 76 goals in 31 games, Barcelona scored their 75 goals in just 26 games. That’s 2.88 goals per game. An incredible number. Unfortunately, Barcelona also concede frequently, and their 44 goals against over the last two seasons are the most by any team in the Champions League. Only Club Brugge (43) and tonight’s opponent, Atlético (42), come close.

Can’t defend – Hansi Flick needs to fix Barcelona’s defense

The inability to defend has always been the Achilles heel of Flick’s football. While Flick led Bayern to the treble in 2019/20, with his side conceding just eight goals in 11 Champions League games, the next season told a different story. The following season, Bayern still scored for fun, netting 139 goals in 50 games, but also conceded 59. Defensive problems were also an issue during Flick’s brief time with the German national team. There is no doubt that Flick has proven his critics wrong at Barça by building one of the best teams in European football. But while he has won LaLiga and the Spanish Cup twice, the club’s ambitions are to win the Champions League, and that won’t happen until Flick fixes his leaky defense.