Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid Review
Atlético Madrid broke a streak of five consecutive defeats against Barcelona in La Liga with a dramatic 2-1 win, temporarily taking the top spot in the league. After suffering an unexpected home loss to Leganés the previous weekend, Barcelona needed a strong response against their in-form opponents. Hansi Flick’s team started aggressively, with Robert Lewandowski missing an early header and Iñigo Martínez having a weak shot easily saved by Jan Oblak.
As the first half went on, Barcelona continued to assert their dominance and were rewarded in the 30th minute when Gavi’s clever turn set up Pedri, who calmly finished into the far corner. With the momentum on their side, Barcelona sought a quick second goal before halftime, but Raphinha’s long-range attempt was blocked, keeping Atlético within just one goal.
The initial moments of the second half mirrored the first, with Fermín López’s sharp low shot expertly saved by Oblak. The one-sided action continued as Raphinha struck a powerful shot from the edge of the box that hit the crossbar. Taking advantage of this let-off, the visitors equalized in the 60th minute when Rodrigo de Paul seized a loose ball from 20 yards out and curled a perfectly placed shot into the bottom corner past Iñaki Peña.
With the match delicately balanced as it approached the final 20 minutes, both teams sought a crucial winning goal. Pablo Barrios had a low shot skillfully saved by Peña, while Oblak came to the visitors’ aid by denying Raphinha and Pedri in quick succession. These missed opportunities proved costly, as Atlético snatched a dramatic winner in the sixth minute of stoppage time, with substitute Sørloth finishing brilliantly from Nahuel Molina’s cross, giving Simeone his first away league victory against Barça and putting the visitors three points ahead at the top of the table.
