Barcelona suffered a dramatic 2-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid at the Estadi Lluis Companys in La Liga on Saturday, December 21. The loss allowed Atletico to move to the top of the league standings with 41 points from 18 games. Barcelona, now three points behind, have also played one more match than their rivals.
The home side started the game with high intensity, dominating possession and pushing Atletico Madrid onto the backfoot. Pedri was instrumental in Barcelona’s control of the first half, dictating play with his creativity. He opened the scoring in the 30th minute after a well-executed one-two with Gavi. Atletico struggled to impose themselves, managing just 42% possession in the first half and failing to register a single shot. Barcelona’s defense kept Atletico away from their penalty area, leaving goalkeeper Inaki Pena with little to do as the hosts went into halftime with a 1-0 lead.
The second half saw Barcelona increase their dominance in possession as they sought to extend their lead. Despite several attempts, Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak made crucial saves to keep his team in the game. An injury to Jose Maria Gimenez forced Atletico into a change, with Axel Witsel coming on. The substitution marked the start of a shift in momentum for the visitors.
Atletico equalized on the hour mark through Rodrigo de Paul, who capitalized on a poor clearance to curl the ball into the bottom-right corner. Both teams made substitutions to influence the game, but Atletico’s changes proved decisive. Late in the match, Nahuel Molina and Alexander Sorloth combined for a dramatic winner. Sorloth’s composed finish into the roof of the net sealed the victory for Atletico, leaving them atop the La Liga standings as the new year approaches. Barcelona, meanwhile, dropped to second place, three points adrift.
Barcelona Player Ratings
Inaki Pena – 6.5/10
Pena had a relatively quiet night but was unable to prevent Atletico’s late goals, making two saves in the match.
Jules Kounde – 7/10
Kounde delivered a solid performance on the right side of the defense, winning five duels and making key defensive contributions, including two interceptions and three tackles. He also played one key pass.
Pau Cubarsi – 7/10
Cubarsi was reliable at the back, winning four of his five duels and making three tackles and one last-man clearance. He also distributed the ball well with seven accurate long passes.
Inigo Martinez – 7.5/10
Martinez stood out in defense, winning three of four duels and making four clearances and one interception. He also contributed to building play with seven long balls.
Alejandro Balde – 7/10
Balde was active defensively, winning four duels and making two tackles. He also contributed offensively with one key pass.
Marc Casado – 6.5/10
Casado struggled to make a significant impact and was substituted in the second half.
Pedri – 9/10
Pedri was Barcelona’s standout performer, scoring a well-taken goal to give them the lead. He completed four key passes, three successful dribbles, and won six duels.
Raphinha – 7.5/10
Raphinha was a creative force, providing four key passes and six accurate crosses. However, he was unlucky in front of goal, missing two big chances, including hitting the post.
Gavi – 7/10
Gavi played an important role in midfield, providing the assist for Pedri’s goal and winning three duels while contributing defensively.
Fermin Lopez – 6/10
Fermin struggled in the game, losing possession 11 times and winning only one of his six duels. He also missed a significant scoring opportunity.
Robert Lewandowski – 6.5/10
Lewandowski had a frustrating outing, managing only one shot on target out of five attempts and failing to convert his chances.
Substitutes
Dani Olmo – 7/10
Olmo came on in the second half and added energy to Barcelona’s attack.
Ferran Torres – 7/10
Ferran replaced Gavi and performed well in his time on the pitch.
Eric Garcia – 6.5/10
Garcia was introduced late in the game and put in a steady performance.
Atletico Madrid’s victory ensures they head into the new year as La Liga leaders, while
Barcelona will look to bounce back from this setback.