Barcelona 1 – 2 Atletico Madrid
For the first time since 2006, Atletico Madrid secured a league victory on Barcelona’s home turf.
It was deep into added time, with the score tied and the game heading for a draw. Suddenly, Atletico Madrid found the net in dramatic fashion, snatching an unbelievable win. Diego Simeone’s side climbed to the top of the La Liga table with this stunning result.
Atletico triumphed 2-1 over Barcelona at the Olympic Stadium on Saturday night. This victory ended an 18-match winless streak for Atletico in league games at Barcelona’s home ground (5 draws, 13 losses).
Barcelona dominated the first half, taking the lead through Pedri. But Rodrigo De Paul equalized after the break, and in the 96th minute, substitute Alexander Sørloth scored the decisive goal to seal Atletico’s incredible win.
At the start of November, Atletico trailed Barcelona by 10 points in the league standings. Now, they end the year three points ahead of the Catalan side.
Atletico now has 41 points from 18 matches with 12 wins and 5 draws. Barcelona, on the other hand, drops to second place with 38 points from 19 matches.
The poor run of form continues for Xavi’s side in La Liga. After winning 11 of their first 12 matches, they have now dropped points in 6 of their last 7 games, including 4 losses, 2 draws, and only 1 win. Barcelona also suffered three consecutive home defeats in the league.
Meanwhile, Atletico ends the year on a high note, with seven straight league wins and a 12-match winning streak across all competitions.
Barcelona, missing Lamine Yamal, started confidently. Their first chance came in the 4th minute when Raphinha’s shot was blocked by an Atletico defender. Moments later, Ferrán López’s cross found Robert Lewandowski, but his header sailed over the bar.
Barcelona dominated possession, with 70% in the first 15 minutes and 13 touches inside Atletico’s box, while Atletico failed to even enter Barcelona’s penalty area during this time.
In the 21st minute, Barcelona appealed for a penalty after the ball struck Giuliano Simeone’s hand in Atletico’s box. However, the referee and VAR dismissed the claim.
Barcelona’s persistence paid off in the 30th minute. Gavi found Pedri inside the box, who calmly slotted the ball into the net with his right foot. It was Pedri’s fourth league goal of the season.
Barcelona took five shots in the first 30 minutes, with two on target, while Atletico failed to register a single attempt in the first half.
Early in the second half, Barcelona missed a golden opportunity to double their lead. Pedri set up Fermín López, but his shot was saved by Jan Oblak.
In the 57th minute, Barcelona came close again as Raphinha’s chipped shot hit the crossbar.
Two minutes later, Atletico struck back. Julián Álvarez’s backheel pass was poorly cleared by Barcelona’s Marc Casadó, allowing Rodrigo De Paul to fire a stunning shot from outside the box to equalize.
In the 76th minute, Lewandowski missed a glorious chance to restore Barcelona’s lead. Ferran Torres found him near the six-yard box, but the Polish striker failed to connect properly.
Atletico then had their own chance in the 77th minute, but Pablo’s close-range shot was saved by Iñaki Peña. Barcelona had one last attempt in the 86th minute, but Raphinha’s tight-angle shot was again denied by Oblak.
In the 96th minute, Sørloth silenced the Barcelona crowd. Nahuel Molina’s low cross slipped past two Barcelona defenders, and Sørloth, with his first touch, buried the ball into the net. Atletico’s players erupted in joy as they celebrated a hard-fought and memorable victory.
