Barcelona and Atletico Madrid settle for a draw

Goals by Diego Costa and Ousmane Dembélé highlighted a dull match between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.

Just as it seemed like Diego Costa’s goal was going to cap off a win for Atletico Madrid, Ousmane Dembélé’s goal in the 90th minute saved Barcelona, and Ernesto Valverde, from a second consecutive loss.

For the neutral, it was far from an entertaining game where both sides tried to feel each other out. Unfortunately, that feeling out process took up the entire first half where neither team had a shot on target. It was the first game this season where that has occurred.

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Part of that can be attributed to Barcelona setting up in a 4-4-2 with Messi and Suarez up top and Sergi Roberto making up that extra midfielder alongside Arthur, Busquets, and Arturo Vidal. All in an attempt to shore up defensively after the loss to Real Betis.

In the first 45 minutes, the game was played in a crowded midfield with both teams unable to string passes together and where the creative players were dispossessed almost immediately.

The second half started out a bit better with Barcelona bringing on Rafinha for an injured Sergi Roberto. Rafinha provided a better link with the attack but the Blaugranas were unable to create clear goal scoring opportunities. As the clock kept ticking, the game got a bit chippy with fouls and yellow cards taking over.

However, Atletico Madrid opened up the score in the 77th minute with a header off a corner. It was poor marking on Barcelona’s part as Rafinha was tasked with marking Diego Costa. That was always going to be a mismatch as the Spanish international headed the ball past the outstretched hands of Ter Stegen. Up to that point, Barcelona had 72% possession but that does not matter if you cannot score.

Ernesto Valverde subbed on both Dembélé and Malcom with ten minutes left in an attempt to try to salvage a draw. His hopes were answered as Dembélé’s late equalizer not only meant his team would avoid another loss but stay atop the standings as well. It was a well-taken shot as he found himself unmarked inside the box on the right. Instead of shooting the first time, he cut a bit inside and shot through the legs of Jan Oblak and off the outstretched leg of Lucas Hernandez.

Once again, the often criticized Frenchman comes to Barcelona’s rescue. The player came through again and saved Barcelona’s blemishes. While he’s been in and out of the team, his goals have saved Barcelona seven points so far this season. If not for him, Barcelona might be having a season similar to Real Madrid’s.

As for Atletico Madrid, it was the second game in as many seasons where Simeone’s men take the lead against Barcelona only to see the Catalan side equalize late in the game. It also means that the streak continues for Simeone as he’s yet to beat Barcelona in the league as the manager of the Colchoneros. A silver lining is that Diego Costa’s goal was his first goal for Atletico since the Champions League game against Monaco in September.

While both teams will now shift their focus to their Champions League fixtures next week, for Atletico, they will be lamenting this draw as a missed opportunity to go top of the table. Especially considering the vulnerabilities exhibited by Barcelona and Real Madrid.