Diego Simeone’s side took a shock lea through Koke’s strike, only for Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez to engineer a came from behind to beat nine-man Atlético Madrid 2-1 and cement their place at the top of La Liga.
A competitive and fierce dual between first and second resulted in the away side seeing two red cards, however an impressive Barca and in-form Messi-Suarez-Neymar strike force could not take advantage and extend their 2-1 scoreline, with Atléti playing the remaining 25 minutes with nine men.
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When it looked like a certified 2-1 loss for the Madrid side, late on José Giménez rose highest to head Koke’s corner kick that was destined for the top right corner, but was denied by a magnificent save from Bravo.
Luis Enrique’s side secured a precious win, which sees them extend their lead to three points with a game in hand.
Barca look destined to be the first side to a historic consecutive treble
Can they do it again? On current form, they have every chance of completing a historic treble for the second consecutive time. With their seemingly closest rivals, Atléti knocked out of the Copa del Rey by Celta de Vigo and now been beaten by Barca in the league, the Catalan heavyweights are in a position of strength on the domestic front.
Barca were always potential favourites for Champions League, however with the form Enrique’s men are in and the lethal partnership of Messi, Neymar and Suárez their chances of doing a clean sweep are improving with each passing match. Football fans worldwide might be witnessing a Barca outfit that’s even greater than the 2009-2011 version.
Simeone’s men showed title credentials
While no team likes to lose, especially a side that is fighting for the league title, Simeone’s men showed they are worthy of challenging for the La Liga title. Atléti were always up against it, facing a team who look unbeatable right now. However, they posed a serious threat and caused Bravo into making brilliant saves, even in the last minutes. They were able to keep a supposably unstoppable Barca strike force from extending their lead, despite being down to nine men for the remaining 25 minutes.
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It seems unlikely that Atléti can overcome the league leaders, with Barca potentially six points clear if they can win their game in hand. Atléti showed the gap between Barca and los rojiblancos, since Simeone’s arrival, has become closer and are deservingly a second place side fighting for first rather than stuck in a battle for third or fourth.
The difference between first and second shown with each side’s strikers
Barca’s front three are the most deadly in world football. Period. It made a huge difference to the contest, as Atléti showed they simply do not have the potency of their revered opponents. Griezmann has been in decent form this season, however, he led the line as the sole striker and the burden on him to deliver goals, without much support, is hurting the team’s chances of genuinely challenging Barca in the league this term.
Jackson Martínez has been dreadful in his debut season. Fernando Torres has not fared any better and yet while both Luciano Vietto and Ángel Correa have impressed, they are not reliable enough when it comes to scoring goals. The battle against these two Spanish giants shows just how important it is having a clinical strike force.
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