Barça woke up on time, in broad daylight, on a sunny and colorful afternoon for Sant Jordi, just when they were in the most pressure for qualifying and people were already whispering about their luck in the League. There is no stadium in which defeat is perceived better than in the Camp Nou. And the rival was equally fearsome if you count Atlético’s results since the World Cup. The event was the most demanding possible and the Catalans responded with a hard-fought and celebrated victory that places them 11 points ahead with eight games to go to finish the League.
1
Ter Stegen, Ronald Araújo, Alex Balde, Marcos Alonso (Eric Garcia, min. 61), Koundé, Busquets, Gavi, Frenkie De Jong (Kessié Franck, min. 78), Lewandowski, Raphinha (Ansu Fati, min. 91) and Ferrán Torres (Pedri, min. 60)
0
Oblak, Mario Hermoso (Reguilón, min. 78), Nahuel Molina, Savic, Carrasco, Giménez, Witsel (Morata, min. 59), De Paul, Lemar (Saúl, min. 66), Griezmann and Correa (Pablo Barrios Rivas, min 59)
goals 1-0 min. 44: Ferran Torres.
Referee Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez
Yellow cards Marcos Alonso (min. 27), Busquets (min. 56), Griezmann (min. 74), Raphinha (min. 77), Savic (min. 79), Giménez (min. 81), Reguilón (min. 83), Morata (min. 86), Gavi (min. 90), Ivo Grbic (min. 91) and Saúl (min. 93)
Although the match could have ended with many goals, the score was adjusted to the championship script: 1-0. Up to 10 times the same result has been given on the Barça side for seven on the Atlético side, which they have not lost since they fell 0-1 at the Metropolitano with Barça. It is also true that he has not won at the stadium since 2006, when Niño Torres played. Ter Stegen denied Griezmann three times and finally Ferran Torres was right after three games to zero for Barcelona. Never have a 1-0 score and a goal from Ferran been so celebrated at the Camp Nou.
Calm returns to Barcelona the day Pedri and De Jong reappeared. The desire to win and deserve the title also returned instead of waiting for it to fall out of boredom after much tedium in the League. The game had to be recovered to give value to the championship and the football of the Barcelona fans not only had a good color, but also ended Atlético’s six-game winning streak. The title seems to be for Barça; In the eyes of the rojiblancos, it will be Griezmann’s League.
The game began with a left-footed shot from the Frenchman against the crossbar after a mistake by Busquets. The play expressed for a moment the ambition of Atlético and the carelessness and restlessness of Barça. The rojiblanca aggressiveness prevailed over the tachycardia of the Catalans, as intense in containment as they were offensively erratic, less concrete in their arrivals at Oblak’s goal. Atlético’s stage dominance, however, did not last very long because Barcelona did not take long to take the ball, press better on the opposite court and look for Lewandowski.
ENRIC FONTCUBERTA (EFE)
ENRIC FONTCUBERTA (EFE)
Despite the fact that Xavi’s team lacked finesse to finish the plays, the Pole’s movements were very subtle, as was noted in a bankruptcy that Ferran did not get to dot. The fans took part before their time: they invoked Messi and whistled for Ferran. It is already known that the knot is used to being in the opposite area and that his luck depends on the solvency of a defense that has only conceded nine goals in the League. Ter Stegen once again proved his status as Zamora in a prodigious intervention from Griezmann’s shot.
The intervention of the goal allowed the redemption of Ferran. The Valencian, unfortunate at the controls and just as generous in the unchecking as in the defensive aid, vindicated himself with a beautiful play due to the pause and the shot with which he beat Oblak. Ferran was as accurate in the final point as Raphinha in the opening and the break against Hermoso. Simeone’s team lacked hierarchy and surely the personality of the injured Koke to accompany the departures of Carrasco and the whip of Griezmann.
With Pedri still absent, who patiently waited for an hour on the bench after two months in the infirmary, and De Jong recovered, Ferran and Raphinha applied themselves to the team task requested by Xavi. The Barcelona attack not only helped compact the group, but it was increasingly sustained while Atlético intimidated Ter Stegen non-stop. The rojiblancos shots, however, did not find the goal in situations with a clear advantage while Oblak felt intimidated by Raphinha.
The contest opened up quickly, it was intensified even more with the wheel of changes and the two teams exchanged blows without stopping, Atlético sharpened with Molina and Carrasco, and Barcelona much more focused with Pedri and De Jong. The coming and going led to a third extraordinary shot from Griezmann with his heel and also a third full response from Ter Stegen. Barcelona also missed a goal when Lewandowski, hand in hand with Oblak, missed the shot when Raphinha was progressing next to him.
The coming and going attenuated with Pedri. Barça football had more continuity and neatness and Atlético gave up after asking for two penalties for hands, once they did not have the success or the reward to materialize the several well-earned opportunities against Ter Stegen. The goalkeeper crowned the good work of the team in a match that for the moment and the rival was presented as a final at the Camp Nou. Barça had no doubts and once again was the leader who is on his way to winning the League.
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