Barcelona enter free fall, whereas Atlético Madrid flex title credentials

BARCELONA, Spain — Atlético Madrid were 10 points behind Barcelona at the start of November but will end the year three points clear of them at the top of LaLiga, and with a game in hand after Alexander Sørloth’s 96th-minute winner capped a remarkable game at the Olympic Stadium between the league’s top two.

Rodrigo De Paul’s strike had cancelled out Pedri’s opener in Barcelona on Saturday, but it was the home side who were pushing for the win late on. The board revealing six minutes of added time was greeted with roars from the local supporters as Barça, led by the brilliant Pedri, threw everything forward in search of a winner. But those six minutes ended in despair, the only roars now coming from the few hundred away fans up high in the second tier, as Atlético made it 12 wins in a row in all competitions to firmly cement their title credentials.

Barça, meanwhile, are in free fall. They cannot even string two consecutive victories together, let alone 12. After taking 33 points from a possible 36 to start the season, Hansi Flick’s team wilted and have taken just six from the last 21.

There are different theories for their capitulation. Their high line, so successful, has been put under the microscope. Atlético had little luck here until Sørloth’s goal, though, which exploited that line. De Paul carried the ball forward after Barça had given it away. The Barça defence stepped up to play offside, but they had not taken into account the run from wing-back Nahuel Molina, who collected De Paul’s pass and crossed for Sørloth.

Tiredness is another theory. 10 players have already clocked up over 1,500 minutes of action this season and Raphinha told ESPN in the week that fatigue has been a factor in Barça winning what is now just once in their last seven league games. But they didn’t seem especially tired against Atlético in a game they started with intensity and dominated for long periods.

That gives Flick, who served the second of a two-game touchline ban against Atlético, some hope there is light at the end of the tunnel. Dropped points have often come when they’ve least expected them — they lost at home to Las Palmas and Leganés, too, and have now worryingly lost three in a row in the league at the Olympic Stadium — while they have handled themselves well against the bigger sides. Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund have all been beaten.

Atlético may have joined that list if Barça’s finishing had been better. Gavi headed wide, Iñigo Martínez and Fermín López fired straight at Jan Oblak, Pedri blazed over and Raphinha hit the bar. That was all before De Paul’s equaliser, teed up by Marc Casadó when the midfielder failed to deal with a Julián Álvarez cross. At 1-1, further chances came for substitute Dani Olmo, Raphinha and Pedri, but either the target was missed or Oblak stood tall.

Barça ended the game with 19 shots and an xG of 3.04.

“It’s obvious we have a great goalkeeper,” Atlético coach Diego Simeone said after the game.

“Jan was hugely important.”

Atlético’s chances were few and far between. They had zero shots in the first half. De Paul’s goal was their first on target. Pablo Barrios did have a good one, denied by a fine Iñaki Peña save, but as six minutes of stoppage time went up, it was Barça who believed they could get the winner.

“We played a brilliant match,” Flick said.

“It was really unbelievable how we played. This is how I want to see my team. Our style, how we want to play, it was really great. I am proud.

“It shows also that Atlético is an experienced team and they [were] just waiting for this and for them, it’s enough.”

Flick’s comments do Atlético some disservice. He had spoken pre-match about how dangerous they are late in matches. They have now scored 13 goals after the 80th minute to either win or draw games in all competitions, including a 94th-minute winner from Antoine Griezmann as they came from behind to beat Sevilla 4-3 just two weeks ago.

Doing it at Barça, though, does feel different. This was their first win in Barcelona since 2006 in the league and their first ever in the city under Simeone. It’s no wonder the bench poured onto the pitch after Sørloth’s winner.

Atlético have now won seven in a row in LaLiga and will end 2024 as the top team in Spain regardless of how Real Madrid fare against Sevilla on Sunday. Their numbers are as impressive as Barça’s are depressing.

Simeone’s twice led them to the title before, toppling Barça and Real Madrid in the process, could it be happening again?

“I won’t go down that path, not at all,” he said typically coy manner when quizzed on the side’s chances of winning the league.

He will be disappointed there is now a winter break. For Barça, on the other hand, it comes at a good time. It will give Lamine Yamal time to recover from an ankle injury — they have still not won a game when he’s not started — and others time to rest, like Pedri, who was superb against Atlético.

Not only did he score Barça’s goal, but he played two brilliant passes to set up Raphinha chances and generally dictated the game. It was a statement performance from a player who seems to have overcome the injury problems that plagued his previous two seasons.

“It’s really good to see that he’s now on this level,” Flick said.

“How he played was fantastic, the goal was unbelievably good. When you see him now on the pitch, he’s also coaching the other players around him. This is good. It’s the next step for him. He’s 22-years-old and he’s on the right way.”

Pedri deserved more, but instead, he ended the game slouched on the pitch as Atlético celebrated in front of their fans what could prove a huge three points in what is developing into a fascinating three-way title race.

“We knew how to defend and suffer against a team that plays good football,” Simeone said.

“The changes gave us strength in the final stages and the counterattack to win it was exquisite. It gave us the chance to win a game that Barça probably deserved a little more from.”