Barcelona defeated Atlético de Madrid by a lone goal on Sunday to go 11 points clear at the top of LaLiga on Sunday.
It was an unsure win, but a win nonetheless for the Catalan club who have been in a bit of a slump in recent games.
The win was also their 13th 1 – 0 win of the league season, casting further doubts on Xavi Hernandez’s ability to coach comprehensive victories.
It could have been 2 – 1 at the final blast of the whistle but Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen produced two brilliant stops from former teammate Antoine Griezmann to keep the score as is, while Polish striker Robert Lewandowski selfishly missed a chance to put the team ahead when through on goal with Atlético goalkeeper Jan Oblak.
Ferran Torres scored the only goal of the game on the stroke of halftime after tapping in a cross from Brazilian winger Raphinha. The goal ended Los Rojiblancos’ 13 game unbeaten league run and took the Catalans to 76 points, 11 clear of Real Madrid and closer to a 27th LaLiga title.
Match winner Torres talked to the media after the game, stating that the team’s confidence had improved after the win. “The team worked well, the fans supported us and we won, that’s what matters,” Torres told Spanish outlet Movistar Plus. “This victory gives us a lot of confidence going forward. Atletico were on a good run and in good shape, so that makes this win even more important for us.”
Barcelona started the game on the back foot as Atlético, fuelled by their unbeaten run and six-game winning streak coming into the match, were relentless in their attack from the first minute.
Griezmann’s poor luck in the tie started when he crashed a shot against the crossbar early in the game before being denied twice by Ter Stegen, once in each half.
However, it was his crossbar shot that woke the Catalans up as they slowly took control of the game. They were unable to muster any huge threat, however, and Griezmann, combining with Barcelona target Yannick Carrasco almost punished them for it just before Torres scored from Raphinha’s cross.
The match would even out in the second half as both teams traded brilliant attacks and defended well. The scoreline betrayed the entertainment which the game provided and Xavi will be looking forward to seeing his team play such brilliant football in the coming weeks.
