Crestfallen Lamine Yamal needs help, Hansi Flick fumes at handball call and Marcus Rashford can write name into Barcelona history in Atleti second leg

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It was an extraordinary night of UEFA Champions League football at Camp Nou, with Atletico Madrid finally putting to bed an astonishing hex after 20 years of hurt at the hands of Barcelona. Lamine Yamal's reaction at the final whistle was intriguing, while Marcus Rashford will be eyeing next week's return leg at the Metropolitano to write his name into Barcelona's European history.

‘Barcelona were very unlucky’ – Cole has say on controversial handball decision

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Electric Yamal left looking for help

For a good few minutes at the end of Wednesday's UEFA Champions League clash between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, Lamine Yamal sunk on his haunches on the Camp Nou turf, unmoved, away from his team-mates.

The 18-year-old was electric during the game, dribbling past players at will, escaping from tight situations when there seemed nowhere to go and almost scoring two contenders for goal of the season.

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But he ended up on the losing side - and it clearly hurt him. He hammered the turf in fury after being denied a goal after his second superlative dribble and walked off the pitch at full-time burying his head in his shirt.

As Barca boss Hansi Flick has said, Yamal can't do everything himself and shoulder the burden of the club's huge expectations, especially in Europe, at the age of 18.

He needs help from his team-mates and, though Marcus Rashford provided a fine foil during this encounter, the missing Raphinha was notable by his absence, with the injured Brazilian - a Ballon d'Or candidate last year, lest we forget - one of those who is able to not only shoulder some of the goalscoring and creativity burden, but also take away the eyes of defenders so Yamal has more space.

With Raphinha not likely to be back until May, it remains to be seen how Flick sets up his team next week to aid Yamal and prise a way back into the tie.

‘This is unbelievable!’ – Flick critical of officials for missing ‘clear’ handball

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Refereeing display leaves Barca with huge uphill task

Barcelona had this game under control until one ball over the top in the 44th minute changed everything.

All of a sudden, the breezy tempo and the slick early combinations came to nought, as Atleti went a man up - with Pau Cubarsi sent off - and a goal up, via Julian Alvarez's stunning free kick.

'Perfection' from Alvarez as Barca stunned by 'outstanding' free-kick

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The red card was subject to a VAR check and, as such, could at least have been said to have had a rigorous review but it was the litany of other refereeing decisions that turned Camp Nou into a cauldron of anger.

A second yellow for Koke that wasn't given for a first-half hack on Yamal. A yellow that wasn't when Yamal was scythed down again, this time early in the second half. A handball from an Atleti restart that wasn't given, with Flick calling it a "clear red card" afterwards in his press conference. Yamal was also brought down cynically by Alvarez in the 68th minute, with no yellow for the Argentinian. And other incidents besides.

It could be said, at the very least, that referee Istvan Kovacs was struggling to show consistency in some of his decisions, and the Barcelona frustration - among the players and the crowd - was growing greater by the minute.

And when Alexander Sorloth hit Atleti's second with 20 minutes to go, the night turned from bad to worse, with a huge uphill task on the Catalans' hands next week.

Highlights: Atleti claim famous Camp Nou win leaving Barca with work to do

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Can Rashford write name into Barca history?

The first five minutes of the encounter could have seen Rashford score twice as he and Yamal dovetailed exceptionally in the early stages.

But the chances went by and, after their electric start, Atleti were able to get some sort of foothold in the game and more than capitalised with their salvo on the brink of half-time.

With Robert Lewandowski playing curiously deep (No. 9 in the below graphic), Rashford and Yamal had already been operating like split strikers in the first half and fulfilled much the same role in the second half after the Pole's withdrawal.

Lewandowski average position v Atletico Madrid
Image credit: Opta

Rashford looked fired up to make a difference in the second half, and had another presentable opportunity when he went round the keeper after escaping in behind but was unable to locate the back of the net with his left-foot finish.

The England winger has 24 goal involvements in 41 games in all competitions for Barcelona this term - a strong return - but he will no doubt be looking at the biggest nights, such as next Tuesday in Madrid, to make the difference, with another remontada story desperately needing to be written.

Barcelona down to 10 men on stroke of half-time as Cubarsi sees red

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Simeone relief after remarkable record ends

2006. It was all the way back 20 years ago that Barcelona last lost at Camp Nou to Atletico Madrid, an astonishing period of Blaugrana dominance that was finally broken on Wednesday night.

Diego Simeone, having been at the Atleti helm since 2011, has been part of 14 of those years of hurt himself, and - when asked about it in the post-match press conference - seemed relieved to have finally put it to bed.

There have been questions among some of the Atleti fanbase around Simeone's tenure, and what comes next for the Argentinian after leading the club for so long.

Could he, maybe, bring up 15 years in charge with a first Champions League crown having come within seconds of it in 2014?

His side have a big advantage going into the second leg and, with a top-four spot sewn up, there may be a temptation to throw all the eggs in the European basket.

With Julian Alvarez one of the continent's most lethal frontmen and Antoine Griezmann looking for a fitting farewell, there are reasons for Los Rojiblancos to dream.

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