When that memorable defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu against Real Madrid in El Clasico (4:0) took place, everyone thought that the fate of the gold medals might already be decided. However, if this outstanding victory is followed by, for example, defeats against Leganes (0:1) and Las Palmas (1:2), what is its real weight? And here in the last tour before the end of the calendar year, very important guests from Atlético Madrid visited the Blaugranas, and whoever won at Montjuic would go to rest as the leader of the championship race.
The script of this game was built in such a way that all levers of influence on the result were exclusively in the hands of the Hans-Dieter Flick team. The second thing is how “Barcelona” used its own attacking potential. A significant potential, but not revealed to a small extent. The home team dominated the opponents throughout the match, but again had problems with implementation.
The first half generally passed as if there was only one team on the field – the “Blaugranas”, of course. However, Rafinha opened the list of missed opportunities in the first minutes, and a little later Gava joined him. However, the same Havy made the main action on the 30th minute before the break – he somehow turned a turn on the edge of the other team’s penalty area into a goal pass with his heel to Pedra, who then simply had to miss the goalie and defenders from an acute angle.
After closing the first half, Flik’s team could close the second one immediately, because they again started strongly in the attack, but the moments of Fermin, Pedra and Rafinha were also lost – the last one even hit the crossbar. But during a single counterattack, De Paul managed to avoid hitting the goal frame when, in the 60th minute, he finished off a rebound from a cross from the left flank by Alvarez, and hit the right post.
After that, the defensive block of “Atlético” became exceptionally stronger, and the attacks of “Barcelona” became more frequent, but the situation with the realization did not improve. And here even Robert Lewandowski can add himself to the list of losers – on the 76th minute, he was obliged to lead his own team forward, but waved his foot past the ball a few meters from the goal.
You don’t score – then they score. We did not come up with this rule, so it is not our ego that will be violated. And certainly not Simeone’s team, which, as they say, sat down and at the 90th + 6th minute jumped into a counterattack through the right flank, which was completed by Molina’s shot at Serlot, who shocked everyone present. The Catalans have gone three matches in a row without winning in the championship.
In the first round of the Spanish La Liga 2025, Catalan “Barcelona” will travel to Basque “Atletico”, while Madrid “Atletico” will play at home against Pamplona’s “Osasuna”.
Spanish Primera. 18th round.
“Barcelona” – “Atletico” – 1:2
Goals: Pedris, 30 – De Paul, 60, Serlot, 90+6
Warnings: Witsel, 53, Le Norman, 78
“Barcelona”: Peña – Balde, Martínez, Kubarsi, Kunde – Gava (Torres, 65), Pedra, Casado (Garcia, 80) – Lopez (Olmo, 64), Lewandowski, Rafinha.
“Atletico”: Oblak – Galan, Lenglet, Jimenez (Witsel, 51), Llorente (Serlot, 73) – Gallagher (Koke, 62), Barrios, De Paul, Simeone (Molina, 62) – Alvarez, Griezmann (Le Norman, 73).
Referee: Ricardo De Burgos (Bilbao, Spain).
Stadium: “Olympic Stadium named after Luis Kumpansha” (Barcelona, Spain).
Shots (on target): 19 (7) – 5 (2)
Corners: 11 – 3
Offsides: 2-4.
BARCELONA – ATLETICO. ONLINE BROADCAST OF THE MATCH
Temperature: 13°C
Source: sport.ua