Barca and Atleti have faced off against each other twice this season and if you’re new around here, none of those matches have been boring by any means.
First was Atleti’s metaphorical robbery against Barca earlier this season in the league, when Barca forgot how to finish and Atleti stole three points very late in the game. Second was their exciting 4-4 draw earlier this year, when Atleti went up 2-0 early, Barca stormed back to make it 4-2 late, before Atleti scored two more goals to make it a 4-4 rollercoaster finish.
We weren’t expecting anything different for their third match, however the stakes were a bit different this time. If Barca won this match, they’d go four points clear of Atleti with a game in hand. If they lost or drew, the the La Liga title race would remain a three horse race instead of a two horse one.
So let’s see how this match turned out.
First half
The first half was, for the most part, a snoozefest.
That isn’t something you usually say about this year’s Barca, but for once, they were boring and lacked their usual impact going forward. Atleti’s defensive shape didn’t help either, as Atleti swallowed up every bit of space in their own third and made Barca work very hard just to create a single half chance.
This stalemate went on for a while, until the 45th minute when Atleti found a breakthrough courtesy of Julian Alvarez. It was a simple counter, in which Barca looked disorganized and in a daze defensively, all of which led to the game’s first breakthrough.
Surprisingly enough, this was the only bit of action in the first half, but we had another half for some more action, and more importantly a potential Barca comeback.
Second half
This second half was absolutely mental, more so the last 20+ minutes of the match.
For starters, Sorloth scored another goal against Barca, extending Atleti’s lead to 2-0 and putting Barca’s outlook in serious doubt. However, this is when Barca decided to put their heads down and deliver one of the more notable comebacks of the entire season.
To start, Robert Lewandowski sparked the comeback, after he used his strength to shield off an Atleti defender, before firing a low shot past Oblak to make it 1-2.
6 minutes later the game was tied, courtesy of a beautiful assist from Raphinha and a nice finish from Ferran Torres, who subbed on in the second half. At this point, we were buzzing, as Barca had somehow come back from the dead to fire some juice into this game.
But thoughts lingered in our heads about more, more goals and a potential win. Well, as the game went into extra time, Barca had control and were buzzing for another goal.
As the clock ticked, we wondered whether Barca would find just one more chance, one more opportunity to cause some chaos. Eventually we found our answer, as it was Lamine Yamal, then Ferran Torres who lifted Barca to a win.
First it was Yamal, whose long distance effort was deflected into the back of the net, a moment that feels like one of the best we’ve seen this season. Finally it was Torres who finished the game off for good, as he stole the ball in Atleti’s own third and found his second goal of the game to finish with an all important brace.
Boring first half, chaotic second half, all leading to a win.
Final word
I don’t have much to say.
I’m sure based on the first half and the second half before the comeback, we didn’t think Barca would find the breakthrough needed to score a goal, let alone four to completely obliterate the narrative that was set previously.
But they did, which is credited to their mental capacity and ability to keep pushing until a breakthrough is found. What a match, what a moment.
Barca’s next match
Barca’s next match won’t come until March 30th against Girona. This is due to the upcoming international break.
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!
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