Why Atletico Madrid Couldn’t Capitalise on Their Two-Goal Advantage Over an Energised Barcelona

Following Real Madrid’s narrow victory over Villarreal in their Saturday evening LaLiga clash, both Atletico Madrid and Barcelona found themselves under significant pressure to secure three points and stay in touch with Los Blancos at the top of Spain’s elite league.

The current competitive landscape is so razor-thin that any dropped points during this early stage of the 2024/25 season could be detrimental to each club’s aspirations for the league title.

Despite the frustration of being ousted from the Champions League once again by their local rivals, Real Madrid, it seemed that Diego Simeone’s team was ready to battle fiercely against a Barcelona side that has been in scintillating form recently.

In recent outings, Barcelona had netted three goals against Benfica in the Champions League, four against Atletico in the Copa del Rey, and had also scored four against both Real Sociedad and Sevilla in league matches.

If there’s one defining characteristic of this Barcelona squad, it’s their relentless spirit and ability to keep fighting, which was evident once again at the Metropolitano as the Catalan giants staged a stunning comeback from two goals down to claim a remarkable 4-2 victory.

This triumph marked the first time Barcelona has won a league match after trailing by two goals or more since their match against Celta Vigo on September 23, 2023, and it was also a significant milestone for Atletico, as it was the first occasion they have lost after leading at halftime in La Liga since March 18, 2018, against Villarreal—ending a remarkable run of 97 games without such a defeat.

Additionally, it’s worth noting that when considering only home games, Atletico had gone 138 matches without losing after being ahead at half-time, their last loss in such circumstances occurring against the Yellow Submarine back on December 13, 2009.

Both Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth were among the goalscorers for Atletico, each netting their 11th league goal of the season—the highest tally for any players in the Rojiblancos squad. Robert Lewandowski ignited Barcelona’s comeback with his 22nd LaLiga goal of the campaign, matching the combined total of Alvarez and Sorloth.

Atletico Madrid managed only two shots on target from a total of six attempts, whereas Lamine Yamal and Lewandowski combined for nine shots, with four hitting the target.

The duo also topped the chart for touches in the opponent’s box, with six and eight respectively, while only Giuliano Simeone managed close to their stats with five touches in the box for Atletico.

Despite Atletico’s determination and push forward whenever possible, they ultimately fell short when it mattered most.

Barcelona’s remaining goals for the night came from Ferran Torres—who scored twice—and Lamine Yamal, all netted in the final quarter of the match, adding to the impressive tally of 17 goals scored by the Blaugranas in the last 15 minutes of games this season, the most in La Liga.

This serves as a stark warning to every other team in the league: Hansi Flick’s outfit will relentlessly pursue victory until the referee finalises the match.

While headline writers will undoubtedly focus on the comeback, the skillful way Barcelona controlled the ball against a formidable opponent should not be overlooked.

Every one of Barcelona’s defenders achieved a pass completion rate of at least 90.2%, while only Wojciech Szczesny and Lewandowski fell below the 80% mark amongst the starting XI.

Conversely, only five Atletico players managed to match or exceed 80%, with Simeone’s figures unflatteringly low at 58.8%.

This is particularly striking when you consider that Pablo Barrios completed the most passes for Atletico with just 32, compared to Pau Cubarsi’s 99 for Barcelona. Additionally, Pedri was not far behind with 89 passes, and Inigo Martinez (84) and Jules Kounde (72) both contributed significantly as well.

It seemed as though Cholo Simeone’s game plan was focused more on avoiding defeat rather than pursuing victory, despite the fact that they held a 2-0 lead with just over 15 minutes remaining.

While they did manage more duels won (51.4% compared to Barcelona’s 47.8%) and performed better in aerial challenges (60% to 40%), they were unable to convert these advantages into goals.

Out of 19 tackles, Atletico successfully completed 16, whereas Barcelona managed nine from 22 attempts. Therefore, one cannot be overly critical of the hosts’ tenacity and hunger to win.

The fact that every outfield player contributed to winning back possession for their side at least once underscores their readiness for battle.

Nevertheless, the visitors made more interceptions (six to five), executed more successful dribbles (47.8% to 41.4%), and completed double the number of passes (640 against 319). Furthermore, with 575 successful passes, they vastly outperformed Atletico’s 244.

With 267 passes completed in the final third, Hansi Flick’s side displayed a willingness to take risks, contrasting sharply with Atletico’s meagre 80 passes in attacking areas.

Jan Oblak and his defenders recorded 16 clearances, indicating Barcelona’s offensive dominance, although Barcelona’s backline also had to make 14 clearances in response.

This analysis underlines the missed opportunities for Atletico Madrid, a criticism that has often been echoed in assessments of their performances.

In the harsh light of reality, this was an opportunity lost for the Rojiblancos, with the title race now firmly in Barcelona’s hands.

Barcelona has reclaimed the summit of LaLiga, now level on points with Real Madrid but holding a game in hand and still with a fixture to play against Los Blancos at home.

If they were to falter in their pursuit of the title from this point onward, only they would have themselves to blame.