Barca midfielder bleeds after being kicked in the face

Midfielder Fermin Lopez bled profusely after being accidentally kicked in the face by goalkeeper Juan Musso during Barca's 2-1 victory over Atletico in the Champions League quarter-final second leg.

Conversely, Atletico also believed Gavi deserved a red card for an elbow on Matteo Ruggeri. Despite the Italian defender bleeding profusely, the referee only issued a yellow card, and VAR did not intervene.

The Champions League quarter-final second leg at Metropolitano Stadium on 14/4 was marked by several controversial incidents, including a significant injury to Barca midfielder Fermin Lopez. In the 25th minute, with Barca leading 2-0, Lamine Yamal dribbled down the right wing before delivering an outside-of-the-foot pass into the box for Lopez to head in unmarked. Atletico goalkeeper Juan Musso rushed out to block the ball with his hands, making a save. However, due to inertia, his boot accidentally struck Lopez's face, leaving the Spanish player in pain on the ground.

Barca lost the first leg 0-2, won the second leg 2-1, and were eliminated with an aggregate score of 2-3. Barca players were unhappy with this outcome, citing a series of controversial incidents in both legs. Raphinha even declared that "Barca was robbed of a spot in the Champions League semi-finals".

Lopez bled heavily and had to use his shirt to cover his nose to stop the bleeding as medical staff attended to him. His teammates appeared concerned by the incident, with Yamal even taking the ball to the corner flag, avoiding the scene on the field. After several minutes of treatment and having the bleeding stopped by medical personnel, the Spanish midfielder returned to play, earning praise from many fans on social media for his fighting spirit. Atletico was not penalized with a penalty kick because Musso's collision with Lopez was deemed accidental, resulting from inertia rather than an intentional foul.

Beyond Lopez's injury, the second leg featured other contentious moments. In the 40th minute, with Barca leading 2-1, Dani Olmo dribbled across the goal. Marcos Llorente closed in and appeared to push him from behind, causing the Spanish midfielder to fall in the penalty area. Referee Clement Turpin, who was directly behind and had a clear view, did not award a foul. The VAR team, led by French referee Jerome Brisard, also determined that the contact was not clear enough for a penalty. However, another direct camera angle showed that Koke, Atletico's captain, also seemed to foul Olmo by impeding him, prompting strong reactions from the visiting players.

A pivotal moment occurred in the 77th minute. Alexander Sorloth had a one-on-one opportunity with the goalkeeper but was pushed down by Eric Garcia. Initially, the linesman flagged for offside, but after consulting VAR, Turpin reviewed the incident. He determined that the Atletico forward was not offside, resulting in a direct red card for Garcia for denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity. This decision sparked considerable debate, with some arguing that Jules Kounde was tracking back and could have covered for Garcia. The Spanish defender also expressed his displeasure, throwing his shirt forcefully as he walked down the tunnel.

The first leg at Camp Nou a week ago also featured many controversial incidents. In the 43rd minute, with the score at 0-0, center-back Pau Cubarsi fouled Giuliano Simeone just outside the penalty area and received a yellow card. However, after reviewing the footage on the sideline, the referee issued a direct red card, determining that the Barca center-back had denied a clear goal-scoring opportunity. Legendary Thierry Henry believed the referee made a mistake in sending off Cubarsi. "I understand the last man rule for denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity, but you have to consider the circumstances", he analyzed. "The Atletico player had not controlled the ball, the shooting angle was not favorable, and there was still a distance to the goal. Are we sure Simeone would have scored? I'm not so sure".

Even more controversial was an incident in the 54th minute, with Barca trailing 0-1. Defender Marc Pubill, having already received a yellow card, handled the ball after goalkeeper Juan Musso of Atletico took a goal kick. Despite indications of a foul by the visiting player inside the penalty area, referee Istvan Kovacs did not award a penalty, and VAR, overseen by Christian Dingert, also did not intervene. Barca subsequently lodged a complaint with UEFA. However, after reviewing the arguments, the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) concluded there was no basis to pursue the matter.