Barcelona secured a last-gasp 2–1 victory over an undermanned Atlético Madrid on Saturday, going seven points clear atop the table.
The Catalans had several glorious chances in the early stages, but they suddenly found themselves trailing 1–0 after a clinical strike from Giuliano Simeone in the 39th minute. Marcus Rashford mustered an almost immediate response to make it 1–1 three minutes later, but the flurry of action wasn’t done there.
Atlético Madrid’s Nico González was sent off just before both teams headed down the tunnel for the denial of a goalscoring opportunity after a late, lunging challenge on Lamine Yamal. The hosts held on until the 87th minute, but they fell victim to another clutch goal from Robert Lewandowski.
The victory puts Barcelona in full control of the La Liga title race after Real Madrid’s shock defeat to Mallorca. It also gives Hansi Flick’s men plenty of confidence heading into the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals against Los Colchoneros on Wednesday.
The Moment That Changed the Game
The game was shaping up to be another classic, back-and-forth battle between Barcelona and Atlético Madrid when González received his marching orders in first-half stoppage time.
The Argentine was already on a yellow card for nearly catching the ball to prevent Yamal from getting free in transition. Then, he bulldozed the teenager, who was through on goal, at the edge of the box. The referee originally showed González a second yellow card, but upgraded it to a straight red after going to the monitor.
Deemed a clear denial of a goalscoring opportunity, the challenge sent the 27-year-old down the tunnel, leaving his team down to 10 men for the entire second half. The hosts thought the numbers would be evened up after the restart since Gerard Martín initially saw red for a dangerous tackle on Thiago Almada, but he escaped with a controversial yellow after VAR intervened.
What was a thrilling, end-to-end game turned into a rather stale one-sided affair in the second half. Barcelona had Simeone’s men in a chokehold, toying with them until they inevitably scored the match-winner that had been coming ever since González was sent off.
Barcelona Player Ratings vs. Atlético Madrid (4-2-3-1)
GK: Joan García—7.1: Raced out of his 18-yard box to deal with several tantalizing balls over the top. Did little more than stand around in the second half, watching his team dominate the game.
RB: Ronald Araújo—6.5: Looked uncomfortable early on and was ultimately replaced in the 40th minute with what appeared to be a fitness concern.
CB: Pau Cubarsí—7.5: Caught ball watching the arrow Clément Lenglet unleashed over the top that led to the game’s opener. Recovered well in the second half.
CB: Gerard Martín—7.1: He’ll be thankful Antoine Griezmann suddenly forgot how to finish from close-range. Fortunate to escape a red card for a horrific tackle that would’ve sent him packing in probably any other league.
LB: João Cancelo—8.0: Continues to show just how important his acquisition was in January. Hardly put a foot wrong with the ball and created the match-winner with a filthy bit of skill that left Almada chasing ghosts inside the penalty area.
DM: Eric García—7.0: Did little to impose himself in midfield and ironically looked more comfortable once he moved over to right back. Eventually was forced to to shift back to the midfield in the wake of Bernal’s injury. Versatile and hard-working as always.
DM: Pedri—7.9: A calming force in the middle of the park, though he would have liked to extend his influence into the final third, especially in the second half.
RW: Lamine Yamal—8.5: Had fans at the Metropolitano in unwanted awe with a few dazzling passes that made a mockery of González. Hit the woodwork on what should’ve been a goal.
AM: Fermín López—6.4: Will have nightmares of the chances he squandered in the early stages. Hooked at halftime, perhaps a bit unfairly.
LW: Marcus Rashford—8.1: Capped off a spectacular run with his first goal since January. His speed gave the hosts headaches all night long.
ST: Dani Olmo—7.9: Barely had a sniff until he played a cheeky one-two with Rashford to set up Barcelona’s first of the night. Looked much more comfortable when he was able to drop back into his natural No. 10 role.
SUB: Marc Bernal (40’ for Araújo)—6.3: Despite coming on in the 40th minute, he had to exit in the 62nd minute due to an injury.
SUB: Ferran Torres (46’ for López)—6.4: Lively as soon as he came on the pitch and was only denied by brilliant goalkeeping.
SUB: Jules Koundé (62’ for Bernal)—6.7: Filled in seamlessly in his first appearance back from injury. Had little to do defensively, though.
SUB: Robert Lewandowski (66’ for Rashford)—6.9: Bagged the match winner in the 87th minute without knowing much about it ... but he won’t care.
SUB: Gavi (82’ for García)—6.4: Good to get more minutes under his belt.
Subs not used: Eder Aller (GK), Wojciech Szczęsny (GK), Alejandro Balde, Marc Casadó, Tommy Marqués, Xavi Espart, Roony Bardghji.
What the Ratings Tell Us
- Marcus Rashford ended his seven-game goal drought at the perfect time for Barcelona. Slotted into the lineup to replace the injured Raphinha, the England international made yet another statement to Flick about what he can produce when given valuable minutes.
- Alarm bells sounded back in Catalonia when Ronald Araújo came off with an apparent injury, and concerns only mounted when Marc Bernal suffered a similar fate. With the Champions League quarterfinals just around the corner, two more injuries are the last thing Barcelona needed.
- Lamine Yamal has now been kept off the scoresheet in Barcelona’s three meetings with Atlético Madrid this season. The lack of output from the teenager is worrying, given how critical he will be in the Champions League tie without Raphinha available.
The Numbers That Explain Barcelona’s Last-Gasp Win
- Even with a rotating cast of characters in the midfield, Barcelona still maintained 67% possession—no doubt helped by González’s red card—and completed 578 passes.
- The Catalans mustered a whopping 22 shots the way of Juan Musso, but only eight were on target, a number that probably should have been higher considering just how many chances they had in the second half.
- Fouls from both sides turned the game into a firey affair. Atlético Madrid committed 15 while Barcelona retaliated with 11. Except plenty more to come in the Champions League.
| Statistic | Atlético Madrid | Barcelona |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 33% | 67% |
| Expected Goals (xG) | 0.92 | 2.22 |
| Total Shots | 6 | 22 |
| Shots on Target | 2 | 8 |
| Big Chances | 2 | 3 |
| Passing Accuracy | 80% | 92% |
| Fouls Committed | 15 | 11 |
| Corners | 1 | 9 |
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Barcelona Player Ratings vs. Atlético Madrid: Barca Pull Away in La Liga Title Race.
