Despite Messi's goalless performance, Barca still beat Atletico.

The striker wearing the number 9 shirt became a hero when he scored two goals to help Barca beat Atletico Madrid 2-1 in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals.

Luis Suarez regained his top form immediately after the defeat against Real Madrid. Photo: Reuters

Goals: Suarez 63', 74' - Torres 25'

Facing Atletico in the first leg of the quarter-finals, Barca once again caused anxiety among their fans when they fell behind in the 25th minute. It wasn't until the middle of the second half that Catalan supporters breathed a sigh of relief after a lightning-fast comeback. Following a disappointing performance in El Clasico, Luis Suarez shone again with two one-touch finishes, marking the resurgence of the MSN trio in a Barca shirt.

With a 2-1 victory in the first leg of the quarter-finals, Barca have a slight advantage going into the second leg. In the return match next week, the reigning Champions League champions only need a draw to secure a place in the semi-finals. Meanwhile, Atletico also have a considerable advantage, needing only a minimal 1-0 win to advance based on the away goals rule.

Following their defeat to Real Madrid last weekend, as Thierry Henry predicted, Barca started the match looking somewhat disheartened. The home team's attack quickly produced inaccurate shots, while their defense appeared unfocused against Atletico's disruptive style of play. As a result, the visitors opened the scoring in the 25th minute with a simple counter-attack: Koke played a through pass to Torres, who comfortably shot between two defenders to beat goalkeeper Ter Stegen.

Had things not gone much worse for Barca, things could have taken a very bad turn. In a counter-attack in the 32nd minute, Atletico nearly scored a second goal from Griezmann's run. Goalkeeper Ter Stegen became the hero in this save, making a fingertip-based save.

Atletico surprised everyone before paying the price for a series of fouls.

Had they not played so roughly, Atletico could have even finished the match with at least a draw. Within 10 minutes of scoring, Torres went from hero to villain with two consecutive yellow cards. Both cards came for blatant fouls on Neymar and Busquets. These were also just two of the eight cards Atletico received throughout the match, while Barca only received three.

Playing with ten men, Atletico couldn't work miracles against Barca. The home team controlled possession for 71%, forcing the visitors into defense for most of the second half. Under constant pressure from the MSN trio, Atletico eventually conceded, not just once, but twice. The first came from a quick shot by Jordi Alba that Suarez easily tapped into the net, while the second was a beautiful combination between Suarez, Messi, and Dani Alves culminating in a header that left goalkeeper Jan Oblak helpless.

Suarez's brace against Atletico once again demonstrated how valuable his finishing is to Barca. In crucial situations, the number 9 striker is always in the right place and delivers a shot with enough precision to put the ball into the net. This quality complements the technical performances of Neymar and Messi, two players strong in creating chances and drawing opposing defenses.

Goalkeeper Oblak was unable to stop Suarez's powerful header.

If Atletico hadn't deliberately wasted time at the end of the match, Barca could have settled the quarter-final in the first leg. The most notable incident was Messi's fall in the penalty area in the 85th minute, which resulted in no penalty being awarded.

The victory in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals marked the third consecutive time Barca have beaten Atletico since the start of the 2015-2016 season. Prior to that, Luis Enrique's team won 1-0 at the Vicente Calderon and 2-1 at home at Camp Nou in La Liga.

According to VNE