Spanish League: Atletico Madrid turns the tables on Barcelona and removes it from the top

The victory is considered historic for the capital team, as it is its first at Barcelona Stadium in 18 years, and it is also the first for its coach Diego Simeone against the “Blaugrana” in the latter’s stronghold.

Pedri (30) scored Barcelona’s goal, Argentine Rodrigo De Paul (60) and Norwegian Alexander Sorloth scored Atletico’s goals (90+6).

With this result, Atletico achieved its seventh consecutive victory in the league, raising its tally to 41 points (18 matches), while Barcelona’s balance froze at 38 points (19 matches), suffering its fourth loss in the last seven matches against one win and two draws.

Barcelona started the match strong, and did not seem affected by the absence of its young star, Lamine Gamal, due to injury. It imposed a very fast pace in the first minutes, trying to snatch an early goal. The Brazilian Rafinha had two chances to score, but he failed to translate them.

The first opportunity was in the third minute as a result of a cross ball from Fermin Lopes, but the Brazilian made a mistake in dealing with it with his head, before in the fourth minute he shot a creeping ball that was saved by Englishman Connor Gallagher before it entered the goal.

The hosts continued their advantage in the following minutes, despite the decline in pace slightly, as Iñigo Martinez shot a ball from close range, which the visitors’ goalkeeper, Jan Oblak, had no difficulty in stopping (22), before Gavi’s header went past the right post after a perfect cross from Rafinha (25). ).

In the 30th minute, the pressure of the Blaugrana resulted in the lead goal through Pedri, who launched with the ball, then entered the penalty area and exchanged it with Gavi, before cornering it from a close range to the left of the Slovenian goalkeeper, giving his team a deserved lead.

In the second half, the advantage of the team of the absent coach, Hansi Flick, continued to be suspended, so he tried to add a second goal, and Lopes went alone from the left side and shot, but Oblak saved (48), before Pedri shot over the goal (55).

The 60th minute witnessed the most dangerous opportunity when Rafinha, alone from the right side, lifted the ball over Oblak, but the crossbar prevented him from scoring.

Contrary to the course of events, De Paul scored the equalizing goal with a creeping shot from the outskirts of the penalty area, after a ball was prepared in front of him and Mark Casado made a mistake in clearing it.

Atletico almost scored a second goal through its young player Pablo Barrios alone from the left side, but Barcelona goalkeeper Iñaki Peña blocked the ball with his foot.

Oblak imposed himself as the star of the summit, blocking the attempts of Rafinha (86) and Pedri (88), and preventing them from giving their team the winning points, before substitute Sorloth scored the “Romantada” goal by following up on the cross of the other substitute, Argentine Nahuel Molina, after a counterattack in which the Atletico players did not protest more. From four passes to translate into a goal.

Bilbao and Mallorca are on the right track

Athletic Bilbao turned the tables on Osasuna and returned with a valuable victory from home in the Basque derby 2-1 on Saturday in the same stage.

Gorka Goroseta (31) and substitute Alex Berenguer (74) scored Bilbao’s goals, and Lucas Toro (25) scored Osasuna’s goal.

Coach Ernesto Valverde’s team raised its score to 36 points in fourth place, six points away from Mallorca, fifth in the standings, and strengthening its hopes of reaching the Champions League next season if it continues in the same vein, while Osasuna’s score froze at 25 points in ninth place.

With this victory, Bilbao continued its positive streak, reaching 10 consecutive matches without a loss, including six victories and four draws, including a victory over Real Madrid 2-1, noting that the last loss it received was against Girona 1-2 on October 6. Last October.

In turn, Real Mallorca ended the year with their fifth win this season away from home out of nine wins in total, and came at the expense of Getafe 1-0 on Saturday within the same stage.

Mallorca owes the win, which raised its score to 30 points in fifth place temporarily pending Villarreal’s match (27) with its host Leganes on Sunday, to Canadian Kyle Larin, who scored the only goal of the match in the 53rd minute from a penalty kick that he grabbed himself, inflicting on Getafe the eighth defeat of the season in the position. Sixteenth provisionally, with 16 points.

Mallorca will resume its activity after the Christmas and New Year holidays with a cup match on December 3 against Pontevedra from the fourth division, before traveling to Saudi Arabia to compete in the Spanish Super Cup, where it will meet on the ninth of December with Real Madrid.

For its part, Celta Vigo defeated its guest Real Sociedad 2-0 in the same stage.

Pablo Duran scored a double for his team (40 and 45 + 1), raising his score to 24 points in tenth place temporarily, while the Basque team’s score froze at 25 points in seventh place.