Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth’s goals earned Atletico Madrid a commanding 2-0 lead over 10-man Barcelona in a tense Champions League quarterfinal first-leg clash.The La Liga leaders were on top in the all-Spanish tie at Camp Nou on Wednesday before Pau Cubarsi was sent off for bringing down Atletico’s Giuliano Simeone, who was through on goal.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listAlvarez whipped home the free kick, and Sorloth doubled their advantage with 20 minutes remaining to give Atletico a strong chance of reaching the semifinals.Diego Simeone’s side, who have never won the competition, reached the 2014 and 2016 finals but were beaten by rivals Real Madrid on both occasions.Barca, semifinalists last season, need to make a huge comeback next Tuesday in Madrid if they are to stand a chance of lifting the trophy they last won in 2015.Atletico knocked Barca out of the Copa del Rey in the semifinals in March, and this was the second of three meetings between the sides in a space of two weeks.Barcelona started well, with Marcus Rashford, on loan from Manchester United, their main threat down the left.On the right flank, Atletico tried to suffocate teenage star Lamine Yamal with defensive numbers, allowing Rashford more room.The first chances fell to the England international, who scored against Atletico in La Liga on Saturday, but goalkeeper Juan Musso denied him.At the other end, Alvarez, who has been linked with a switch to Barcelona in recent months, tested Joan Garcia.The busy Rashford, constantly …
