FC Barcelona attacked the Riyadh Air Metropolitano with a 1-2 win over Atlético de Madrid on matchday 12 of LaLiga EA Sports, coming back with a double from Fermín López to defend the lead before a new national team break. Hansi Flick’s team made up for the defeats last week against Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid, with a serious comeback and three points of authority in another noted match. The leader defended his privileged position despite Giuliano Simeone’s 1-0 at ten minutes. Fermín added 33 points to Barça, compared to 30 for Real Madrid and 28 for the rojiblancos.
Once again, Atlético del ‘Cholo’ seemed the antidote to the poison of Flick’s Barça. The team culé was disconnected from his usual speed of playfrom their pressure and recovery, and suffered in defense with the simple counterattack that the local team mounted. From the Blaugrana cast, Lamine Yamal stood out, a serious problem for Alejandro Grimaldo, without finding the definitive move.
He Atleti fed the Metropolitano with a strong start and the very clear chance for Julián Álvareza one-on-one match that Joan Garcia took from him. In the corner kick, Marc Pubill sent it to the crossbar, but Pedri also crashed into the wood in Barça’s response. The clash for the lead fulfilled what was expected, with the Canarian also being the one who harangued his team, detecting the disconnection.
Then, Atlético, in a ball release with three passes, took the lead through Giuliano Simeone (1-0). There was no time to correct those errors for a vulnerable Barça on the sides of Joao Cancelo and Brian Fariñas. Lamine, assuming the pending accounts with the Metropolitano, tried again for the visitors, and Barça found a little more possession so as not to suffer so much at the back.
Yet, The red and white defense multiplied whenever it was necessarywhile the Blaugrana was careless in simple local outings, like on another clear occasion for Julián. On the way to the locker room, Flick’s team found the 1-1 score just before half-time, with Pedri monopolizing rivals and Fermín, inadvertently in a wall with Marc Pubill, beating Jan Oblak first.
Despite the tie before the break, The culé coach looked for solutions with Frenkie de Jong and the invention of putting the Dutchman on the right side, but above all with a general step forward. A more aggressive position, with good footing and exit in all positions, with which Barça erased Simeone’s men in the second half, with the home team locked in and with few options to escape the pressure.
Julián Álvarez had one, but again he forgave the ‘Spider’, taking a step back in seeking forgiveness from the Metropolitan for wanting to change colors this summer, precisely looking at Barcelona. In search of the comeback, Barça found the door open for an Atlético team that, perhaps as a result of wear and tear, fell asleep in the retreat.
Pedri opened Lamine and the ’10’, who almost assists every day, gave it to the Fermín for the Andalusian double without stopping the ball (1-2), again first.
With the shortness of the result, Flick’s team wanted to defend themselves with the ballLamine was able to sentence but did not reach a pass from Anthony Gordon. Barça took some revenge of the eliminations last year in the Cup and Champions League at the hands of Atlético, and defended its status as leader in a tight League.
