FERMÍN LÓPEZ STRUCK twice to help Barcelona come from behind to beat Atlético Madrid 2-1 and move three points clear at the top of La Liga.
The Spanish champions lead second place Real Madrid, who beat Valencia 3-0 on Saturday, with Atlético third, now five points behind.
Giuliano Simeone fired Atlético ahead in a high-octane start, before Lopez pulled Barça level shortly before the interval at the Metropolitano stadium.
The 23-year-old Spain international netted the winner after 66 minutes when Lamine Yamal slipped him in, helped Barça triumph despite not being at their best.
Last season Atlético defeated Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-finals and also in the Copa del Rey, but the Catalans earned some measure of revenge here.
“Coming off last season, when they beat us… we knew what they were going to offer — a very difficult game,” Lopez told Movistar.
“It got tricky for us in the first half with their goal, but I think we knew how to come back and we had a great match.”
Atlético captain Koke said his team would not let the defeat, their first in La Liga since 5 September, upset them.
Advertisement
“I think the team had a really great first half. We had chances to kill off the game and we didn’t take, them,” said Koke.
“That’s football — it’s about being clinical, and they were more clinical than we were.
“But there’s nothing to criticise the team for, we have to keep going like this because there’s still a long way to go in La Liga.”
The match started at a fast pace and both teams hit the woodwork in the opening stages.
Alvarez, who tried and failed to force a move from Atlético to Barça in the summer, rounded goalkeeper Joan Garcia but could not finish off the chance as the defence blocked his route to goal.
From the resulting corner, Atlético defender Marc Pubill headed against the crossbar with Garcia beaten.
At the other end, Pedri crashed a strike against the woodwork after being fed by Barça’s teenage star Lamine Yamal.
Atlético took the lead in the 10th minute, slicing Barça’s defence open. Alvarez crossed for Giuliano Simeone to turn home from close range.
The game settled down after that pulsating start, although Alvarez came close to scoring Atlético’s second.
The Argentine international’s shot was fumbled by Garcia, but the goalkeeper was able to collect the ball quickly afterwards.
Yamal blasted into the side-netting from a tight angle with Barcelona not able to click into their top gears.
Despite their struggles they went in level at the break, with a goal out of nowhere.
Lopez’s path to the box was blocked, but the ball bounced loose to the midfielder, and he quickly smashed a strike past Jan Oblak.
Early in the second half Alvarez lobbed over the crossbar when running in on goal.
The forward came to rue the miss when Barcelona took the lead.
Yamal played a clever pass through Atlético’s defence, and Lopez kept his cool to beat Oblak. It was his seventh league goal in 11 top flight appearances this season.
This season Raphinha has been Barcelona’s key goalscorer, but the Brazilian had a quiet night, kept under wraps by Diego Simeone’s team’s defence.
Barcelona kept Atlético at bay well in the final stages to take three points home from the capital before the international break.
Earlier today, fourth-place Real Betis earned a 2-0 win at Elche, where Republic of Ireland’s Troy Parrott started the game, and was replaced by José Antonio Morante in the 78th minute. Rodrigo Riquelme and Marc Bartra provided the goals.
Real Sociedad defeated Rayo Vallecano 1-0, while Villarreal beat Getafe 2-0 to move eighth, and Celta Vigo and Levante shared a goalless draw.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Close
Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
López at the double as Barcelona rally to defeat Atlético Madrid
La Liga Results
****
FERMÍN LÓPEZ STRUCK twice to help Barcelona come from behind to beat Atlético Madrid 2-1 and move three points clear at the top of La Liga.
The Spanish champions lead second place Real Madrid, who beat Valencia 3-0 on Saturday, with Atlético third, now five points behind.
Giuliano Simeone fired Atlético ahead in a high-octane start, before Lopez pulled Barça level shortly before the interval at the Metropolitano stadium.
The 23-year-old Spain international netted the winner after 66 minutes when Lamine Yamal slipped him in, helped Barça triumph despite not being at their best.
Last season Atlético defeated Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-finals and also in the Copa del Rey, but the Catalans earned some measure of revenge here.
“Coming off last season, when they beat us… we knew what they were going to offer — a very difficult game,” Lopez told Movistar.
“It got tricky for us in the first half with their goal, but I think we knew how to come back and we had a great match.”
Atlético captain Koke said his team would not let the defeat, their first in La Liga since 5 September, upset them.
“I think the team had a really great first half. We had chances to kill off the game and we didn’t take, them,” said Koke.
“That’s football — it’s about being clinical, and they were more clinical than we were.
“But there’s nothing to criticise the team for, we have to keep going like this because there’s still a long way to go in La Liga.”
The match started at a fast pace and both teams hit the woodwork in the opening stages.
Alvarez, who tried and failed to force a move from Atlético to Barça in the summer, rounded goalkeeper Joan Garcia but could not finish off the chance as the defence blocked his route to goal.
From the resulting corner, Atlético defender Marc Pubill headed against the crossbar with Garcia beaten.
At the other end, Pedri crashed a strike against the woodwork after being fed by Barça’s teenage star Lamine Yamal.
Atlético took the lead in the 10th minute, slicing Barça’s defence open. Alvarez crossed for Giuliano Simeone to turn home from close range.
The game settled down after that pulsating start, although Alvarez came close to scoring Atlético’s second.
The Argentine international’s shot was fumbled by Garcia, but the goalkeeper was able to collect the ball quickly afterwards.
Yamal blasted into the side-netting from a tight angle with Barcelona not able to click into their top gears.
Despite their struggles they went in level at the break, with a goal out of nowhere.
Lopez’s path to the box was blocked, but the ball bounced loose to the midfielder, and he quickly smashed a strike past Jan Oblak.
Early in the second half Alvarez lobbed over the crossbar when running in on goal.
The forward came to rue the miss when Barcelona took the lead.
Yamal played a clever pass through Atlético’s defence, and Lopez kept his cool to beat Oblak. It was his seventh league goal in 11 top flight appearances this season.
This season Raphinha has been Barcelona’s key goalscorer, but the Brazilian had a quiet night, kept under wraps by Diego Simeone’s team’s defence.
Barcelona kept Atlético at bay well in the final stages to take three points home from the capital before the international break.
Earlier today, fourth-place Real Betis earned a 2-0 win at Elche, where Republic of Ireland’s Troy Parrott started the game, and was replaced by José Antonio Morante in the 78th minute. Rodrigo Riquelme and Marc Bartra provided the goals.
Real Sociedad defeated Rayo Vallecano 1-0, while Villarreal beat Getafe 2-0 to move eighth, and Celta Vigo and Levante shared a goalless draw.
****
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Atletico Madrid Barcelona La Liga Elche European Football real betis Soccer