La Liga appears to be heading towards an unfortunate finish for Barca fans, as the club sits miles behind a surging Real Madrid.
But that didn’t make tonight’s match any less important, as a win would catapult the club into second place. It wouldn’t be a walk in the park though, as their opponent has been one of the league’s best home sides in this season.
Barca, Atletico Madrid, who would walk away with all 3 points?
Let’s find out.
First half
The opening 30 minutes of the first half was a bit of a struggle.
Due to Barca not having Andreas Christensen — was taken out of the starting eleven minutes before the match due to achilles discomfort — the midfield was missing the pivot that at least allowed Barca to play a more fluid brand of football within their midfield.
Atletico was able to pressure Barca’s remnant midfield as a result, forcing Xavi’s men to focus more on accurate vertical passes to create chances, instead of the build up the club has become so known for.
However, after the 30th minute, Barca began to build pressure with their build up play instead of verticality. They were able to sustain some pressure in the attack, ultimately leading to their first goal of the match.
Joao Felix, who else could it be?
For starters, it was some brilliant play by Ilkay Gundogan, who controlled the ball with maximum excellence to settle control and give this attack a chance at succeeding.
He then laid it off to a wider Robert Lewandowski, who then softly passed to Joao Felix, who finally finished off the move by tapping the ball into the back of the net.
1-0 Barca, an early surprise after Atleti’s pressure to start the match. But it was a welcome suprirse, as Barca could now focus on finding control and defending their slim lead.
Adding on to the lead however, would have to wait until the second half, as Barca took a 1-0 lead into the break.
They found a bit of their stride during the latter portions of the first half, but Atleti kept putting on pressure as well, reminding Barca that their lead was by no means safe.
How did the second half pan out? I can only say it was an interesting half to say the least.
Second half
The second half was a flurry.
Atleti continued to put on pressure, but it was Barca to continued to make things worse for Diego Simeone.
Lewandowski makes it 2-0, assists for the third
This was perhaps the cleanest goal of the night, from a pure aesthetic standpoint. You know those classic striker goals that leave you amazed and maybe a little astonished at the same time?
Robert Lewandowski has piled a hilarious number of these throughout his career and he added another today, in a primetime match at one of the most iconic stadiums in modern football.
Raphinha with the chipped pass that somehow made it past two Atletico defenders, then Lewandowski with the skill to create his own space, and fire off a disgusting looking shot that slid past Jan Oblak.
This is a classic striker’s goal, but more importantly, it was another bout of elegant play from Barca’s forward line.
2-0 to Barca and they were looking for more.
It wouldn’t be easy though. Atleti continued to pile on pressure and create opportunities, specifically via Memphis Depay, who put on a hold up play clinic as soon as he was brought on after halftime.
But Barca fared well and found a way to find a their third goal. This time via another Lewandowski assist and a Fermin Lopez header to make it 3-0.
With a failed knee slide to boot.
This goal seemingly spelled game over for Atleti, as a 3-0 deficit was far too difficult for them to overcome in a short amount of time. They didn’t stop trying though, as they came close to scoring a few times after Barca’s third, signifying that they weren’t totally dead.
But it was all for naught, as Barca won 3-0, keeping a clean sheet and getting 3 points.
Final word
This wasn’t the most crucial match, as the La Liga race appears to be over, barring some sort of collapse from Real Madrid. But the result was importanrt nonetheless, as it adds to the flaming form Barca has been on recently, a big weapon as Barca marches on in the Champions League.
Now with the international break here, it’s all about some key players recovering, while praying the healthy ones don’t get hurt during international duty.
Barca’s next match
Barca’s next match won’t be until March 30th due to the international break. It’ll be against Las Palmas at the Montjuic.
See you all then!
I’ve been a big time Barca fan since I was 14 years old. I love the club, the history, and the tradition that the club has built over its prestigious history. Forca Barca!
Discover more from Barça Buzz
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
