Barcelona beat Atlético Madrid 2-1 at the Metropolitano on Sunday night, with midfielder Fermín López scoring twice after Giuliano Simeone had given the hosts a 10th-minute lead. The win keeps Hansi Flick's side top of LaLiga on 33 points after 12 matchdays, three ahead of Real Madrid and five ahead of Atlético, who would have gone top with a victory.
A wild opening
Atlético started at a furious pace. Within the first few minutes striker Julián Álvarez ran clean through onto a pass from midfielder Koke and was denied by Barcelona goalkeeper Joan García, and from the resulting corner defender Marc Pubill headed against the crossbar. Pedri hit the bar at the other end moments later.
The opener came on 10 minutes: Álvarez nutmegged Barcelona midfielder Marc Bernal and slipped the ball behind the defence for Giuliano Simeone to finish. Álvarez was through on García again before the break and was denied once more.
Fermín punishes the misses
Barcelona equalised just before half-time. Pedri carried the ball into the box, the ball broke off Pubill and Fermín López hit it first time past Jan Oblak.
Flick changed his defence at the break, taking off academy right-back Brian Fariñas and moving Frenkie de Jong into that position. Barcelona pressed higher and Atlético struggled to get out, although Álvarez had one more chance to restore the lead at 1-1, a chip that missed the target with only García to beat. On 66 minutes Lamine Yamal played Fermín in behind and the midfielder turned the ball home first time for 2-1. Substitutes Alexander Sørloth and Jonathan David changed little for Atlético, and Barcelona finished with 19 shots to Atlético's nine, four on target each.
What they said
"Proud of the lads. They played a great game. We played the way we wanted for many minutes, but we didn't have the cutting edge that Barcelona did," Atlético coach Diego Simeone said. Of the misfiring Álvarez, he added: "We need the best Julián and we will work with him so he gets his confidence back."
Flick admitted the first half fell short: "The intensity we had was not what we wanted." Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsí said the team had fixed at half-time what it was not doing well, and Fermín shared the credit for his second goal: "Lamine's pass, half the goal is his."
The table
Barcelona had lost their two previous big tests, against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League and Real Madrid in the Clásico. LaLiga now pauses for the international break with Barcelona on 33 points (11 wins, one defeat, 48 goals), Real Madrid on 30 and Atlético on 28. Real Betis, 2-0 winners at Elche earlier on Sunday, are fourth on 26, two behind Atlético.
