Atletico Madrid faced another challenging moment in the Spanish league, succumbing to a 4-2 defeat against Barcelona, just days after their elimination from the Champions League by Real Madrid. The encounter at the Metropolitano Stadium saw Atletico initially taking a strong lead, only for it to unravel in the closing moments, denying them the chance to surpass Barcelona for second place and narrow the gap with league leaders, Madrid.
“We played a good first half with control after scoring twice, but the game slipped in the end,” remarked Atletico’s Marcos Llorente, attributing the late-game stumble to the physical toll from their recent 120-minute Champions League match.
This loss leaves Atletico trailing by four points behind their rivals, with Barcelona still holding a game in hand. Meanwhile, Real Madrid secured a 2-1 victory over Villarreal the previous day, reinforcing their leading position.
The match’s thrilling conclusion saw Lamine Yamal bringing Barcelona back with a goal in stoppage time and Ferran Torres sealing the comeback six minutes on. “It’s an important win for us,” noted Yamal, highlighting the significance of maintaining their advantage in the league.
Earlier, Atletico had gained an edge with Julián Álvarez’s contribution just before halftime. Despite missing out on advancing in the Champions League due to a penalty shootout miss, Álvarez managed to make an impact against Barcelona. Alexander Sorloth then extended Atletico’s lead, but Barcelona’s persistence paid off, with Robert Lewandowski and Torres finding the net in quick succession to equalize and eventually secure the win.
After the game, Atletico’s coach Diego Simeone acknowledged Barcelona’s performance, saying, “They had the fortune one needs sometimes. We missed chances on the counterattack, and they capitalized.”
Atletico previously defeated Barcelona 2-1 in their first league meeting this season and shared a draw in the Copa del Rey semifinals, with the deciding return leg looming in April.
In other league action, Athletic Bilbao bolstered their hold on fourth place, claiming a 1-0 win at Sevilla courtesy of Yeray Álvarez’s late header. The victory extends Bilbao’s cushion to eight points over fifth-placed Villarreal, who have a game in hand. This triumph builds on their recent success against Roma in the Europa League.
Meanwhile, Real Betis delivered a spirited comeback, overturning a two-goal deficit at halftime to overcome Leganes 3-2, courtesy of Cucho Hernández’s decisive strike in the 82nd minute. Leganes initially led with goals from Dani Raba, but Betis fired back with efforts from Isco and Cédric Bakambu. The win marks Betis’ third consecutive victory across all competitions, whereas Leganes suffered their second loss in a row.
Sunday’s schedule also featured a 2-2 draw between Rayo Vallecano and Real Sociedad. With both squads enduring winless streaks, the match left Rayo without a league victory in five games and Sociedad extending their winless run to six across all competitions.
