Match report
Barcelona’s 100% record has gone, but they will be much happier after breaking Atlético’s resistance with 10 minutes to go. They stay top, five points clear of Real Madrid and have escaped with a point from a typically ferocious test against Diego Simeone’s side. Thanks for joining me, and keep an eye out for our report online shortly. Enjoy your evenings. Bye!
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barcelona | 8 | 21 | 22 |
| 2 | Real Madrid | 8 | 8 | 17 |
| 3 | Atletico Madrid | 8 | 8 | 16 |
| 4 | Sevilla | 8 | 5 | 16 |
| 5 | Valencia | 7 | 8 | 15 |
Full time: Atlético Madrid 1-1 Barcelona
Messi aims his shot to the right of the wall, but Oblak is in the right place to gather it, and an excellent game ends in a draw.
93 mins: Antoine Griezmann gives the ball away with seconds left, and in a state of panic, hacks Messi down just outside the area. He’s booked, and Barcelona have a free hit to win the game...
92 mins: Saùl becomes the only on-field player in the book, after tugging Umtiti’s shirt.
91 mins: Deulofeu almost combines with Suárez to find a breakthrough. Both he and Sergi Roberto have made a difference since coming on. What idiot said they wouldn’t?
90 mins: Three more minutes...
89 mins: Luis Suárez, who looks a different player to the sluggish figure of the first half, fires over Oblak’s bar from 20 yards out.
88 mins: Barcelona could, maybe should, have nicked a winner here. Gomes finds space on the left and takes down a through ball tidily. He has time to pick his spot but opts to flick a pass across goal towards Suárez, who is inches away.
86 mins: Fernando Torres is on in place of Gabi for the final few minutes. Can he find a winner? Can anyone?
85 mins: Paulinho tries a backheel to Messi, and Godín responds with a pirouette to elude the Argentinian. This has been a lot of fun.
Updated
Sergi Roberto charges upfield from right back and curls in a perfect cross which Suárez, finally getting half a yard in the area, heads down and beyond Oblak. He orders the home fans to shush, but they don’t need further encouragement.
Updated
GOAL! Atlético Madrid 1-1 Barcelona (Suárez 82')
...and they’ve got their equaliser!
81 mins: Suárez again test Oblak, this time from a narrow angle on the edge of the six-yard box. Despite Atlético’s relentless defence, Barcelona are still finding the narrowest of gaps...
79 mins: Paulinho comes on for Rakitic; the former Spurs man has impressed at Barcelona, but that change suggests a lack of attacking options on the bench.
78 mins: Messi is once again denied by Godín, who steps up to cut out his pass to Suárez. What a terrific defender he is.
Updated
76 mins: Juanfran puts his arm across Jordi Alba and catches him with his elbow. Alba makes rather a meal of it, but it’s just a free kick. It’s cleared but ends up back at the feet of Umtiti, who offers the sort of shot you’d expect from a centre-back up for a set-piece.
Here’s Mark Turner on the second yellow card debate:
“It’s the same principle as when your mum used to clip you round the ear: 1) I’m warning you, lad. 2) “I bloody well warned you, lad. 3) Thwack. 2) is superfluous, but always present.”
73 mins: Carrasco, who has had an excellent game, is replaced by young holding midfielder Thomas Partey, moments after Gomes lashes a shot over the bar from 20 yards.
72 mins: If Atlético can keep this up, they’ll stay unbeaten and climb to second, three points behind Barcelona.
70 mins: Rakitic moves forward and links up with Messi, who gets the ball back via a deflection. He takes aim at the far corner, but lashes his shot just wide under pressure from Godín. That was an inch wide, maybe two.
68 mins: Deulofeu is offering a bit more thrust up front, with André Gomes dropping into midfield. He bustles all the way to the byline, but is eventually crowded out.
Simon McMahon has some thoughts on the whole two yellow cards business:
“I was always under the impression that two yellows and a red, although resulting in the same punishment, were different in that they carried different ‘weightings’ when it came to categories of offence, appeals, disciplinary points etc.”
That did occur to me, but that could always be addressed later on – after all, there are different punishments for different types of red cards. Are there any leagues where they don’t bother with brandishing the second yellow? Let me know.
65 mins: ...Messi is forced to go the long way round from Suárez’s lay-off, and shoots from an angle even he found too tight.
64 mins: Saúl steps up to rob Messi off the ball, that red and white wall in front of the penalty area still standing firm...
62 mins: Two changes for Barcelona. Iniesta goes off, replaced by Gerard Deulofeu, and Sergi Roberto comes on for Nelson Semedo. I’m not sure either of those will help.
60 mins: Suárez appeals for a handball against Savic, and replays show the ball hit the defender’s arm – even if he seemed to be moving it out of the way. Seen them given!
59 mins: Simeone makes a change, withdrawing Angel Correa and bringing on Nicolás Gaitán to offer some extra solidity.
56 mins: Barcelona free kick, as Suárez gets lost in a tangle of legs. It’s 25 yards out, dead centre. Messi curls the ball over a wall that has about six Barça players in it – and hits the post!
55 mins: As the home crowd bellow relentlessly in the background, Suárez steps around his marker and powers a shot on goal that Oblak turns smartly away. After a stop-start first half, this one is approaching top gear now.
53 mins: Griezmann is everywhere at the minute, and he peels into acres of space to meet Koke’s deep cross with an ambitious volley that pings beyond Ter Stegen’s near post.
52 mins: More gaps at the back for Barcelona, and Griezmann breaks alongside Correa – but his team-mate is stopped by a well-timed Piqué challenge...
51 mins: Atlético respond, Carrasco charging forward and forcing Umtiti to step forward. When he does, the ball is switched via Griezmann to Juanfran, who ought to do better with his low cross.
49 mins: Barcelona playing with more purpose here, and Alba is set free at the byline. With options in the middle, he wildly overhits his cross from the left.
48 mins: Messi drops deep to start a passing move, gets the ball back, goes past Saúl and tumbles over his outstretched leg. It was telegraphed from Messi, but should have been a free kick all the same.
46 mins: An early free kick is whipped in by Carrasco, but Umtiti is on hand to head behind. From the corner, a one-two catches Barcelona cold and Carrasco stings Ter Stegen’s palms from a tight angle.
Peep!
Both teams are unchanged as the second half begins.
Half-time reading
Half-time thought
Gabi, booked early on, lived a little dangerously in that first half with a couple of errant tackles but avoided a second yellow card. It got me thinking – what exactly is the point of a second yellow card? Why not just show them the red card? Thoughts welcome.
Half time: Atlético Madrid 1-0 Barcelona
Saúl Ñíguez’s fine strike is the difference at half time, and a blunt looking Barcelona have a job on their hands to maintain their 100% record. They do, of course, have Messi though. Back shortly.
45 mins: ...Atlético break and Rakitic scythes down Griezmann. The referee plays an advantage, Atléti faff too long, he blows for half time and books Rakitic.
44 mins: Barca pushing forward with greater urgency as the first half ticks down. Messi steps away from his marker but his shot is blocked by Savic...
42 mins: A first glimpse of Messi in a little while, dancing between defenders after André Gomes chases down a lost cause. He is eventually stopped, but it takes three or four players.
41 mins: Rakitic is tripped by Gabi in midfield. It was a touch cynical, and Gabi has already been booked.
39 mins: Barcelona’s clearest sight of goal since the opening minute as Iniesta, stationed on the left, cuts through the defence with a diagonal to Suárez – but his shot from a tight angle is blocked smartly.
37 mins: Suárez does burst into life to reach an overhit pass from Jordi Alba, but his cross is dealt with, the hosts comfortably outnumbering Barcelona in the penalty box.
34 mins: Suárez, ineffectual so far, loses the ball under pressure from Juanfran, and exchanges some choice words with Uruguay team-mate Godín.
I've spent the last 15' concentrating on Luis Suarez. Broke into a jog once. Body language not the best, shall I say. Has he been like this every game?
— Philippe Auclair (@PhilippeAuclair) October 14, 2017
Updated
32 mins: Messi’s free kick is curled in towards Suárez and Piqué, but the former jumps like there’s lead in his boots, putting Piqué off and missing the ball completely.
31 mins: When Barcelona attack, Atlético look comfortable with everyone bar Griezmann behind the ball – but Juanfran is harshly penalised, and the visitors have a set piece out left, 20 yards from goal...
29 mins: Carrasco fires in a cross from the free kick, but Umtiti gets his head to it first, and Ter Stegen collects the loose ball.
27 mins: Another humdrum Barcelona move breaks down and Atlético push forward again. Griezmann picks the ball up from Carrasco and is needlessly bundled over by Rakitic.
25 mins: Barcelona push Atlético back again, but the hosts are happy to sit on the 18-yard line and repel them. Their unconvential front three isn’t really clicking.
23 mins: As well taken as Saùl’s goal was, it stemmed from Atlético finding space in front of the back four – the sort of gap Paulinho, on the bench tonight, would have surely been stationed in.
The hosts enjoyed their longest spell of possession in 10 minutes, before Carrasco threaded a pass to Saúl, who found a gap in the Barcelona midfield. He shaped to shoot just outside the area, and picked out the far corner with an unstoppable strike.
Updated
GOAL! Atlético Madrid 1-0 Barcelona (Saùl 20')
And just like that, Atlético are ahead, after a brilliant curling finish from Saùl!
19 mins: The game has settled down after a gung-ho opening 10 minutes, with Barcelona probing down the left but getting no joy from Atlético’s defence.
16 mins: Umtiti clatters Ángel Correa but no yellow card is forthcoming, prompting howls of derision from the home crowd.
14 mins: Gabi picks up an early yellow card for an agricultural challenge on Messi, who dusts himself off to take a free kick that Atlético clear away.
12 mins: Barcelona get their foot on the ball, stroking it around their curious formation – Suárez is joined by André Gomes up front, with Messi lurking in behind them.
9 mins: Griezmann means business, and creates an even better chance all by himself – cutting inside, he nutmegs Piqué and leaves him sprawled on the deck, but can’t quite add the finish, his low shot parried away by Ter Stegen.
7 mins: Atlético have responded well, and Koke slides a pass in to Griezmann, who forces a fine save from Ter Stegen at his near post!
5 mins: Correa, playing up front alongside Antoine Griezmann, is presented a chance as Godin wins the ball in midfield – but he’s slow to react and Umtiti recovers to clear.
3 mins: Barcelona, bedecked in light blue kits (who do they think they are, Manchester City?) have started at a brisk pace, with Iniesta the latest to charge forward before being swamped by red and white shirts.
Peep!
The game begins and within 20 seconds, Lionel Messi so nearly scores! He picks the ball up and, as if still in Ecuador, heads straight for goal. He’s held up in the area but twists to sneak a shot beyond Oblak that squeezes just wide of the near post!
In the tunnel at least, it’s all very cordial as hands are shaken and backs are slapped. The players head out to that sea of red and gold; it’s hard to tell if this display is meant to be hospitable or hostile. Maybe someone with better local knowledge can give me a clue, but for now, time to focus on the game.
Updated
From the admittedly limited visual evidence I’ve seen, the Catalonia issue remains front and centre tonight. Barcelona are warming up in a training top in Catalan colours, while plenty in the crowd have brought their Spanish flags along.
Updated
Barcelona’s trip to the Spanish capital is their first match since playing Las Palmas at an empty Camp Nou. The issue of Catalonian independence has loomed large in the build-up, and both club presidents will appear on the pitch beforehand to spread a message of harmony.
Juan Mata spoke eloquently on the subject, and plenty of others, in his interview with Donald McRae:
It’s not great when you see confrontations. I had sad and worrying feelings but I hope it can end in a good way with no violence. I hope some kind of resolution will be possible, through dialogue and goodwill from both sides. Football plays a very important role in Spain and Catalonia. It has the ability to unite people like little else.
Team news
Atlético Madrid (4-4-2): Oblak; Filipe Luis, Godín, Savic, Juanfran; Carrasco, Gabi, Saúl, Koke; Griezmann, Correa.
Subs: Moyá, Lucas, Giménez, Thomas, Gaitán, Gameiro, Torres.
Barcelona (4-4-2): Ter Stegen; Semedo, Umtiti, Piqué, Jordi Alba; Busquets, André Gomes, Iniesta, Rakitic; Messi, Luis Suárez.
Subs: Cillessen, Denis Suárez, Mascherano, Paulinho, Deulofeu, Digne, Sergi Roberto.
Preamble
Fresh from hauling the nation of Argentina to the World Cup, Lionel Messi is ready to strap FC Barcelona back onto his shoulders. Messi has scored 13 goals for Barça this season – 11 more than any other player – as they have overcome Neymar’s departure, and the wider political turmoil in Catalonia, to maintain a perfect league record.
That will be put to its most serious test so far tonight at the Wanda Metropolitano, Atlético Madrid’s glowing monolith straight out of Blade Runner. Their old stadium was a fortress, but not against Barcelona – in fact, Diego Simeone has yet to win a league game against tonight’s opponents.
Atlético are also unbeaten, and can open up the title race with victory. To do so, they must somehow stifle the conductor of the world’s greatest one-man team. Kick off is at 7.45pm BST, 8.45pm local.
Updated
