MADRID — The atmosphere was electric as Atletico Madrid’s coach Diego Simeone joyfully sprinted down the touchline, a stark contrast to the Barcelona players who were left reeling on the pitch. In a thrilling finish, substitute Alexander Sørloth scored a decisive goal in stoppage time, leading Atletico to a 2-1 comeback victory over Barcelona. This triumph means that Atletico will top La Liga heading into the short winter break, achieving their 12th consecutive win across all competitions and moving three points ahead of their rivals.
Barcelona has struggled lately, securing only two victories in their last nine matches and now faces the possibility of dropping to third place if Real Madrid secures a win against Sevilla on Sunday. For Simeone, who has been at the helm of Atletico since 2011, this victory marks a significant milestone—his first win at Barcelona’s ground.
Atletico’s goalkeeper, Jan Oblak, expressed relief and excitement after the match, stating, “We finally did it. We are playing well; we started poorly, but we knew our chances would come.” He credited Sørloth for the win, adding, “He is the striker we needed.”
Barcelona initially controlled the match and took the lead in the 30th minute thanks to a well-crafted play. Pedri was instrumental, initiating and finishing off the move with a quick exchange with Gavi and curling an angled shot into the bottom right corner.
The home team nearly increased their lead in the 57th minute when Raphinha attempted an audacious lob over the goalkeeper, only to see the ball hit the crossbar. Robert Lewandowski, quick to react, followed up but accidentally directed his effort onto the head of Axel Witsel, who required medical attention.
Barcelona’s missed chances became critical moments when Atletico equalized just three minutes later, capitalizing on a defensive error. Marc Casadó, attempting to clear a cross from Julián Álvarez, inadvertently passed the ball directly to Rodrigo De Paul, who coolly finished into the bottom right corner, leaving Casadó disheartened as he sank to his knees in despair.
The heartbreak escalated for Barcelona when, in the sixth minute of stoppage time, Nahuel Molina executed a brilliant run to connect with a through ball, delivering a cross that Sørloth converted into a goal. This marked Sørloth’s eighth goal of the season, five of which have come after he was introduced as a substitute.
In another match, Athletic Bilbao maintained their impressive form by overcoming Osasuna 2-1, stretching their unbeaten streak to 14 matches and keeping them only five points adrift of Atletico’s lead. Osasuna initially took the lead in the 25th minute through Lucas Torro, but Bilbao responded with Gorka Guruzeta equalizing in the 31st minute and Alex Berenguer scoring the winner in the 74th minute.
Additionally, Mallorca secured a narrow 1-0 victory at Getafe, climbing to fifth place in the standings. Cyle Larin was the match-winner, converting a penalty in the 53rd minute after being fouled by Juan Berrocal. This marked Larin’s third goal in his last two outings, as Mallorca celebrated their second consecutive win following a prior 2-1 victory against Girona.
In another match, Celta Vigo emerged victorious against Real Sociedad, with Pablo Duran making a significant impact by scoring twice in the first half, leading to a 2-0 win.