In the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final, FC Barcelona suffered a 0-2 home defeat to Atlético Madrid, in a match heavily influenced by a controversial red card decision.

Cubarsí Sent Off After VAR Review

The turning point came in the 44th minute when Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsí was sent off by referee István Kovács.

Initially, Kovács showed a yellow card for the foul. However, following advice from VAR official Christian Dingert, the referee reviewed the incident on the pitchside monitor and upgraded the decision to a straight red card.

This decision forced Barcelona to play the remainder of the match with 10 men, significantly impacting the balance of the game.

Screen Incident Adds to Controversy

According to Sport, Cubarsí attempted to watch the replay on the sideline monitor as he left the pitch to understand the decision.

However, just as he approached the screen, the signal was reportedly cut, with only a UEFA logo displayed. As a result, the defender was unable to see the replay of the incident, further fueling controversy around the decision.

Barcelona fell 0-2 to Atlético Madrid after a controversial VAR decision saw Pau Cubarsí sent off. Full match analysis and stats on Nowgoal.net