Three takeaways from Atletico Madrid 2-4 Barcelona

Barcelona’s ultimate sport earlier than the worldwide break was in opposition to an opposition they’d did not beat twice earlier this season – Atletico Madrid.

After shedding to Los Rojiblancos as soon as and drawing as soon as already this season, the Catalans lastly broke by way of and took all three factors in opposition to Diego Simeone’s aspect final evening in what comes as a monumental end result.

At one level, the Blaugrana have been two objectives down however then mounted a shocking comeback to win by a 4-2 margin.

The win takes Barcelona to 60 factors on the standings, stage on factors with Actual Madrid however nonetheless with a sport in hand.

Barça Common brings you three takeaways from Atletico Madrid 2-4 Barcelona.

A group with character

It has turn into clear over the season to this point that Barcelona are now not the identical by way of being fragile and meek to setbacks.

Hansi Flick has effectively and really remodeled the group’s mentality this time period and final evening’s sport could be the Blaugrana’s most particular comeback win to this point this season.

Alexander Sorloth’s purpose within the seventieth minute seemed to be the top of the tie because the hosts have been two objectives forward of Barça with simply 20 minutes to go.

What adopted after the second purpose, and significantly the style wherein it was not disallowed for a blatant handball, was scary because the Catalans took it personally to place the sport to mattress.

Robert Lewandowski pulled one again simply two minutes after Sorloth’s purpose whereas substitute Ferran Torres equalised the scoreline simply six minutes later with a stunning header off Raphinha’s cross.

Lamine Yamal’s strike from a protracted distance then trickled over the road and gave Barcelona a 3-2 lead, finishing the particular comeback regardless of the group having simply 20 minutes at 2-0.

The cherry on the cake got here from Torres’ second purpose of the evening which made the end result 4-2 and utterly turned the dynamic of the rating sheet.

The irony within the outcomes

Barcelona pulled off a superb comeback. (Picture by Angel Martinez/Getty Photographs)

Barcelona and Atletico Madrid have confronted off thrice this season and each groups have gained as soon as every with the Copa del Rey conflict ending in a 4-4 draw. Satirically, the one sport Barcelona gained was their worst of the three performances and that occurred final evening.

When the 2 groups met in La Liga at Montjuic, the Catalans managed the sport from begin to end, created innumerable probabilities and dominated from begin to end. They even took the lead however gave away all three factors to a stoppage-time winner by Alexander Sorloth.

The cup assembly final month at Montjuic was a really related sport as Barcelona as soon as once more did not safe a win as they bottled a 4-2 lead within the closing minutes of the sport and left the primary leg with none benefit.

Final evening, they appeared removed from their finest and dished out the worst of their three performances in opposition to Los Rojiblancos.

Barcelona by no means appeared comfy or answerable for the proceedings on the Metropolitano and have been largely in-coordinated and ineffective as a bunch.

To discover a method again from a 2-0 deficit on an evening when the group is taking part in poorly as a bunch is commendable, for sure, and a promising signal for the dressing room.

Concurrently, nevertheless, it’s protected to say that it’s ironic for Barcelona to win final evening’s sport when they didn’t win their final two video games in opposition to the identical opposition regardless of taking part in considerably higher.

Adjourning on a excessive

The worldwide break returns after lengthy and for the primary time in 2025 and the gamers will disperse to their respective nationwide groups now that the sport in opposition to Atletico Madrid is previous them.

From Barcelona’s perspective, 2025 couldn’t have gone any smoother to this point. Whereas video games just like the draw in opposition to Los Rojiblancos within the cup will be seen as hiccups, the Blaugrana are nonetheless unbeaten in 2025 and one of many few groups on the earth to carry that document.

Having performed two legs in opposition to Benfica, two video games in opposition to Atletico Madrid and difficult league fixtures, Flick and Co. will enter the break with their heads held excessive, particularly after the win in opposition to Atletico which supplies them a possible seven-point lead over them in La Liga.

As soon as they return from the hiatus, Barcelona face season-defining video games in all competitions. Within the Champions League, they tackle Borussia Dortmund for a spot within the semi-finals whereas additionally they should play Atletico Madrid within the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final.

Additional, league video games in opposition to Actual Betis, Girona, Mallorca and Celta Vigo could effectively resolve the title race.

Barcelona will thus be on a break for 2 weeks, however the interval that awaits them after that would make or break their season. For now, they’ll disperse with their heads held excessive for a job effectively accomplished.