Barca stunned by Atletico, Bayern returns to semis

MADRID (Reuters) – Barcelona remained mired in a slump after exiting the Champions League in shocking fashion at the hands of Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night.

Last season’s treble winner was a firm favorite to become the first team to retain the trophy and traveled to the Spanish capital with a 2-1 advantage from the first leg, but the Catalans were outwitted and outfought by Diego Simeone’s side in a 2-0 loss.

Barca set a new Spanish record of 39 games without defeat over all competitions this season, producing some of their best soccer under Luis Enrique to thrash Valencia 7-0 in a King’s Cup semi-final and hammer Celta Vigo 6-1 in February.

A 2-1 defeat by Real Madrid this month, however, sent the team into a downward spiral and it has lost three of its last four games overall.

“It’s evident that we are in a hole, we aren’t at our best at the moment nor our most effective, especially if we take into account other moments of the season,” said Luis Enrique.

“There’s still a lot left of the season and important things to play for. The thought of winning the Champions League again excited all Barca fans, but it wasn’t to be.”

Bayern Munich, meanwhile, was rewarded for keeping cool heads in a 2-2 draw against Benfica on Wednesday that sent it into the semifinals even when the game looked to be tipping in the Portuguese side’s favor.

The Bavarians, chasing a treble of titles, will face Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid or Manchester City in their fifth consecutive semifinal of Europe’s premier club competition.

The draw to determine the semifinal opponents will take place on Friday in Switzerland.