They had been in a battle, they had been behind and they had been on edge, but Barcelona found a way through, holding on to their place at the top of the table and holding the doubts at bay for another day. A fortnight in which they were defeated by PSG and Real Madrid, in which they might have wondered if something was not quite right, ended with a 2-1 win at Atlético Madrid. This was a proper test, first place awaiting the winner, and in the end that was Hansi Flick’s side.
At a noisy, intense Metropolitano, against an even more intense Atlético, they had gone behind to a Giuliano Simeone goal and for a while in a frantic first half it looked like there may be no way back. But they found it, two goals from Fermín López either side of half-time leading them to the kind of victory that brings a reward beyond just the points. It had been a long night, but they had made it.
Atlético had flown into this, fuelled by the noise. They had done more inside three minutes than in ninety against Bayern Munich in midweek. A superb clearance from Pau Cubarsí kept them at bay in the first minute. Álex Baena curled wide in the second. And they forced a corner in the third. Barcelona were overwhelmed and exposed, unable to settle, and Diego Simeone’s side could sense it.
They could see it too, all that space behind the Catalan defence there for them to run into, and soon Koke released Julián Alvarez into it. He had a long way to run and a long time to think. Was this the moment for the man who had wanted to join Barcelona in the summer but been forced to stay redemption and forgiveness laid before him? As he dashed into the area he opted to go round Joan García but the goalkeeper stretched and just about reached out a finger to force him wide. Forced to turn back by the time Alvarez was facing the goal again, sufficient Barcelona players had recovered to clear.
Not for long. From the corner Marc Pubill thudded a header against the bar and although Barcelona did the same at the other end when Lamine Yamal and Pedri combined for the latter to shoot, Atlético soon had the lead. It started with a superb cross-field ball to open up the right wing again where Marcos Llorente and Lee Kang-in worked the space for the Korean to guide a pass to Alvarez on the other side. The Argentinian immediately returned it across the face of the box where Giuliano Simeone, head back, breathing hard, was running in at top speed, which is the speed he always runs at. From seven yards, without breaking his frantic stride, he scored.
The Metropolitano erupted. This was no more than Atlético deserved and so they kept on coming back for more and more. Every time they changed the direction of play, space yawned before them. Baena was going at Barcelona on the left, Alejandro Grimaldo joining him. Lee did the same on the right, Llorente with him. Pablo Barrios was taking a grip in the middle. As for Giuliano Simeone, he was everywhere, screeching about the pitch like a cartoon whirlwind, arms and legs occasionally visible sticking out of a thunderous dust cloud. Alvarez moved smartly through the chaos and chances came.
Alvarez might have added a goal to his assist, his shot escaping under Garcia and almost over the line. He also set up a wonderful opportunity for David Hancko, alone in front of goal, but his touch slipped just wide. Then Lee’s shot was stopped by García.
Barcelona could be grateful the lead was only one still. Would be, in fact. They were almost level on half an hour, when Lamine Yamal, almost the only outlet, slipped in – the angle was tight and from close range he hit the side-netting – and on 45, they were level. The momentum still felt like it was against them, the vulnerability still there when Atlético leapt out, but they had begun to get a grip of the ball, edging their way into the game, and equalising it too. Pedri ran at the defence, neat footwork taking him through a tight space to find Fermín. There was fortune in the deflection off Pubill but the finish was superb.
Half-time came as a reset; with the storm seen out and Frenkie De Jong introduced Barcelona began the second half better. Pushing Atlético back, the press better applied now, the ball was moved with more precision and more comfort too. Twice Lamine Yamal let fly. Twice Pubill had to intercept.
And yet the best opportunity in those opening minutes would fall to Alvarez on 55 minutes. Running through, he lifted his shot over García and over the bar. Baena would be played in by Alvarez too but, as if shocked to find the ball landing at his feet all alone by the far post, he hesitated and his attempt at scooping the ball up to Alexander Sørloth didn’t come off.
The game was opening up, tiredness affording a little more time and space. And when Fermín made yet another sharp, darting run, Lamine Yamal played a clever, perfectly weight pass into the area for him to cut the shot past Jan Oblak for his second of the night, his eighth of the season. It wasn’t over, the feeling that the oles from the Barcelona fans were premature and a little foolish, tempting fate, reinforced when Pubill ran through and found Alvarez, whose deflected shot looped over. For Barcelona, the priority now was control; they had been in a fight but they were still standing at the end.
