Giuliano Simeone explains his version of controversial Cubarsi dismissal: ‘I knew he was the last man’

Madrid – Atletico Madrid’s 2-0 win over Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final was tilted by a flashpoint that Giuliano Simeone believes he read perfectly in real time. The Argentine forward, whose pressure forced the 40th-minute red card shown to Barça defender Pau Cubarsi, said he instantly recognised the jeopardy facing the 17-year-old centre-back when he chased Julian Alvarez’s threaded pass.

“Julian kicked the ball at my back. I knew he was the last man,” Simeone told reporters after the final whistle at the Metropolitano. “I haven’t watched the incident back, but I got in his way and went through on goal, and I felt the contact. The referee initially showed a yellow card, but then, after consulting VAR, he showed a red.”

The upgraded decision left the visitors a man short for the remainder of the contest and, according to Simeone, “shifted the entire momentum” toward the home side, who struck twice in the second half to seize a commanding advantage ahead of next week’s return leg.

Barcelona have since contested the dismissal, arguing Cubarsi’s challenge did not constitute a clear goal-scoring opportunity, yet Simeone insists the officials reached the correct verdict. “I felt the contact,” he reiterated. “When you’re the last defender and you make that foul, you know the risk.”

Down to ten, Barcelona still tried to impose their familiar rhythm, a reality that demanded constant vigilance from Diego Simeone’s squad. “Whether they’re a man down or a man up, they play the same way,” Giuliano noted. “So the approach is the same. Try to play, press, and defend. Adapt to what the game demands in different situations, and adapt to that. That’s what makes us a better team.”

The result gives Atletico a two-goal cushion, but the 19-year-old warned against complacency. “Against Barcelona, few results are decisive. They are a great team. They have some outstanding players. We put in a huge effort to try and get this result. We have to keep working and focus on our own game. Keep improving things; I believe that as a team we can do it. Get to where we want to be.”

Atletico now carry both the lead and the psychological edge into the Camp Nou, mindful that the tie, and the narrative surrounding Cubarsi’s early exit, still has another chapter to write.