La Liga has new leaders, and they are dressed in red and white. Atlético de Madrid, through a wave of form that seems to be lifted from a Hollywood script, came from behind to defeat Barcelona at the Lluís Companys. Their 2-1 victory marked their 12th consecutive win across all competitions. This triumph lifts the Colchoneros into first place in the league, drops Barça into second, and turns up the heat on Real Madrid, which still has a game in hand this round.
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Precise and insistent game
From the opening whistle, Barcelona seemed determined to set the tempo. Gavi wasted no time, creating early threats before Atlético could find their footing. It was Gavi who orchestrated the play that led to Pedri’s goal. A quick one-two pass with just a hint of fortune left the ball perfectly set for the number 8, who coolly slotted it past Oblak. Even the seasoned keeper couldn’t stop it.
The second half began with Barça in an attempt to lengthen such an advantage. Pedri was close to scoring once more, while Raphinha almost stole the limelight with a moment of genius, lobbing Oblak only to watch his effort come off the crossbar. At that point, it seemed Barcelona was just about to get out of reach.
De Paul: the architect of the comeback
Where the game turned on its head was just after the 60-minute mark. Lightening down the right wing, Julián Álvarez got to the byline with a low cross. Pressure forced Casadó to attempt a clearance, yet he merely laid it kindly for Rodrigo De Paul to stroke home. There was barely time to pull the trigger, and his shot bobbled into the bottom corner. Atlético had finally reignited the affair with the equalizer.
From then on, Barcelona pressed hard for control. Raphinha and Lewandowski did try their luck, but Oblak was simply one of those nights when nothing seemed to pass him. Just as the clock entered into the additional time, Atlético showed why they are the hottest team in Europe right now.
Sorloth seals the late win
With most anticipating that the match would end in a draw, Atlético fashioned a counterattack that could only be described as faultless. Molina found De Paul, who played a perfectly weighted pass through to Sorloth. The forward, cool under pressure, slotted it home to seal the win. It was the kind of goal that epitomized Atlético's lethal efficiency.
A shift in La Liga's hierarchy
With this victory, Atlético de Madrid reached the top of the league with 41 points, while Barcelona fell back to 38. This places the Colchoneros in a very hopeful attitude, while Barça must pick up the pace as soon as possible, since otherwise, they run the risk of lagging further behind. Now, Real Madrid has the opportunity to further mix things up with their pending match.