MADRID, March 17 — Barcelona battled back from two goals down to beat Atletico Madrid 4-2 and land an important blow in the Spanish title race yesterday.
Lamine Yamal struck in the 92nd minute and Ferran Torres in the 98th to help take the Catalans back top of the table after Real Madrid beat Villarreal on Saturday to briefly claim pole position.
Barcelona have a game in hand on the champions with both sides level on 60 points, while Atletico trail the top two by four after they crumbled at home against Hansi Flick’s side to end a disastrous week following their Champions League elimination.
“How we play, the confidence we have, it’s really good to see,” said Flick, whose team are fighting for a potential treble.
“We will try everything to win trophies, the match today gives us more confidence.”
Having twice been caught out late by Atletico this season, this time it was Barcelona’s turn to provide the sting in the tail, extending their unbeaten streak to 18 matches across all competitions.
Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth put Atletico ahead before Robert Lewandowski and Torres hit back for Barca, who went on to win in stoppage time.
“I think that after the anger, the feeling of impotence, not being comfortable in the game, we put our best foot forward and gave the best that we have,” Yamal told DAZN.
“It was a very important game to win in the end, beating Atletico was a statement win, we put ourselves back as leaders having played a game fewer and we’re very happy.”
Flick had warned his players to stay focussed after they conceded a 96th minute goal in December to surrender the lead at the top of the table to Atletico in a 2-1 home defeat.
Barcelona also conceded two late goals in the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg to draw 4-4 against Diego Simeone’s side in February.
Barcelona’s best chance of the first half came towards the end of it, when Pedri played in Lewandowski, who hit the top of the crossbar with a powerful drive. From the resulting goal kick, Atletico found the opener.
The hosts worked the ball to Antoine Griezmann, who threaded a brilliant pass across the area to Giuliano Simeone, with Alvarez finishing from his cut-back.
It provided a moment of joy for the former Manchester City striker who felt deep frustration in midweek when his penalty against Real Madrid was controversially disallowed for a supposed double touch on the ball, as Atletico were eliminated in the Champions League last 16.
‘That bit of luck’
Simeone turned to his bench to freshen up his side after the draining Champions League defeat. The coach introduced Sorloth and Conor Gallagher and they combined for Atletico’s second goal.
Atletico put together another fine team move with Griezmann heavily involved, before Gallagher squared to perennial super-sub Sorloth to net his 11th league goal of the season, despite just nine starts.
Barcelona had complaints about a Rodrigo De Paul handball in the build-up dismissed and they turned their anger into an instant response.
Martinez drove forward with the ball and slung it into the box for Lewandowski, who controlled well and powered a low finish past Oblak to spark the comeback.
Substitute Torres soon netted the equaliser when Raphinha crossed from the right.
With Atletico shaken, Barcelona took full advantage, with Yamal’s deflected shot from distance sending them ahead in stoppage time.
“We have to congratulate our opponent, they had a good game and in the end were very effective with their chances,” said Simeone.
“They had that bit of luck which you have to have, in the deflection for Yamal’s goal for 3-2.”
Torres bagged his second late on to round off a win which could prove decisive come the end of the season.
“It was a strange game because we did well in the first half, we had them under control and scored two goals… it’s true the 120 minutes in the Champions League weighed on us, and in the end the team fell apart,” said Atletico’s Llorente.
“We will fight to the end (for La Liga), we have seen many times how things change, you have a good month and someone else has a bad one, and you turn it all around.” — AFP
