Barcelona showed the poise of a league leader by turning another LaLiga match on its head, this time against Atlético de Madrid, winning 3 to 1 and reaching their fifteenth point earned in comeback situations this season. The result carries weight not only because of the difficulty of the opponent, owner of one of the strongest defenses in the league, but also for its direct impact on the standings, as the Catalan side opened up some breathing room at the top.
Atlético’s intense pressure and a response built on the edge
Atlético came out pressing high, forcing Barcelona to move the ball sideways and sometimes making it hard for them to even cross midfield. The home side’s first real chance only came after a long stretch of patience, when Raphinha combined with Lewandowski and sent a shot over the bar. The issue was that Atlético pounced on Barcelona’s first defensive mistake. Molina slipped in behind the line, Baena showed up unmarked and finished past Joan García. It was a clean hit, the kind that shifts the tone of a match, but not this time.
Barcelona answered with more personality. Raphinha got the ball, went at Oblak and tied it with a simple touch. The goal changed the energy in the stadium and forced Atlético to slow down a bit. Dani Olmo drew a penalty shortly after, but Lewandowski sent it high. Even so, Barça closed the period far more comfortable, creating more and dealing with fewer scares than in the opening minutes.
Pedri sets the tempo and Ferran seals a mature win
After the break, Barcelona found what they had been missing, control. Pedri started dictating possession and adjusting the team’s rhythm, pushing the game closer to Atlético’s box. In a clean move through the middle, the midfielder spotted Dani Olmo making a run. The ball moved through Lewandowski and came back to Olmo, who placed it precisely in the corner to turn the score around. The match opened up from there, with Atlético throwing numbers forward and leaving space for counters.
The clearest chance to tie the match fell to Almada, who slipped past three defenders, rounded the keeper and, with the goal wide open, sent it out. The miss took the wind out of Atlético. Barcelona, more organized, waited for the right moment to breathe and close the deal. In stoppage time, Balde found Ferran Torres alone and the scoreboard was settled.