Atletico snatch late win at Barcelona to top La Liga

Pedri sent the Catalans ahead but second-half goals from Rodrigo De Paul and Alexander Sorloth helped Diego Simeone's side move three points clear at the top of the table, having played one match fewer than Barcelona.

Hansi Flick's side dominated at the Olympic stadium but Atletico clung on before claiming a 12th consecutive victory across all competitions with Sorloth's stoppage-time strike.

Barcelona started the season in superb form but have stumbled in recent weeks and have now won just one of their last seven league games. This was their third consecutive home league defeat, their worst such run since 1987, while it was also Simeone's first ever away triumph against Barcelona in La Liga.

"It's inexplicable... we had the game in our hands and we didn't take advantage," said Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsi. Champions Real Madrid face Sevilla on Sunday and can also move ahead of Barcelona with a victory.

"It's truly a tough defeat to take, when you don't finish a game, this is what can happen," Pedri told Movistar. "We have the break now to reset mentally and physically." Barcelona, missing injured teenage star Lamine Yamal, controlled the first half and suffocated Atletico with their press.

"We will fight for everything, we will fight for every point to win this (league)," insisted Flick, who said he was pleased with the performance despite the result. "This is how we want to play in the future, so we will take this and bring it with us to next year."

Barcelona took the lead after 30 minutes with Pedri both the architect and scorer of the goal. The Spain midfielder burst forward with the ball and fed Gavi, who tried to turn and inadvertently nudged the ball back to the surging Pedri, who entered the box and slotted past Oblak.

 

December 21, 2024

'We resisted'

Barcelona should have doubled their lead early in the second half, with Fermin Lopez denied by Oblak's legs before Raphinha hit the crossbar. Pedri played in the Brazilian winger with a fine pass over the top and Raphinha lofted the ball over the goalkeeper but it struck the woodwork on its way down.

Moments later Atletico were level, with Marc Casado's misguided backheel clearance falling to De Paul on the edge of the area. The in-form Argentine midfielder finished with a firm low effort into the bottom corner for his third goal in his last four league games.

In the final stages both teams tried to snatch a winner, with La Liga's top goalscorer Robert Lewandowski missing from point-blank range, although Ferran Torres appeared offside in the build-up.

At the other end Inaki Pena made a fine save to keep Pablo Barrios at bay, while Oblak saved from Raphinha after another superb Pedri ball. The outstanding Canarian midfielder had a chance to score himself but Oblak again proved too hard to beat, and his efforts did not go unrewarded.

Deep in stoppage time Nahuel Molina crossed for regular super-sub Sorloth to blast home and ensure Atletico will be top of the pile at Christmas.

"We'd never won at Barcelona since I arrived, at last we've done it," Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak told Movistar. "We suffered a lot, we started badly... but we are in very good form, we resisted, and after going a goal down we knew how to bear it out without letting in the second."

This season, Atletico have scored in the 90th minute or beyond in 13 games across all competitions, with their substitutes and squad depth key.Sorloth has started just seven league games for Atletico but is the team's top goalscorer with eight strikes.

"I spoke to (Sorloth) three or four weeks ago, explaining the idea that I had... his 20, 30 or 40 minutes are extraordinary," said Simeone. Earlier Athletic Bilbao beat Osasuna 2-1 to tighten their fourth-place grip.

 

December 21, 2024