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Barcelona fell to a dramatic last-gasp 2-1 defeat against Atletico Madrid at the Estadi Lluis Companys in LaLiga on Saturday, December 21. The result sees Atleti leapfrog Barca into pole position in the standings with 41 points from 18 games. The hosts are three points behind in second place having played one game more.
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Barcelona looked to make the most of home advantage and made an electric start to the contest as each player looked sharp on the ball. They dominated possession in the first half and looked to push Atletico Madrid onto the backfoot. Pedri made a wonderful start to the contest and dictated the play for his team. He gave them a 1-0 lead after a lovely one-two with Gavi in the 30th minute.
Atletico Madrid had the ball for 42% of the first period but were unable to make inroads towards Barcelona's penalty area. They failed to attempt a single shot in the first period as Inaki Pena had an easy start to the contest. The visitors also played nearly 100 passes fewer than their hosts, with most of them being in their half or near the halfway line.
With no pressure on Barcelona's goal, they carried a slender one-goal advantage over Atletico Madrid going into half-time.
The second half saw the hosts dominate possession even more as they looked to extend their lead and ease the pressure. Barcelona began the half with an early barrage on Atletico Madrid's goal, but Jan Oblak stood tall and strong between the sticks to deny them. Diego Simeone was forced into making a change as Jose Maria Gimenez picked up an injury, making way for Axel Witsel.
Atletico Madrid found a way back into the contest at the hour mark as Rodrigo de Paul made it 1-1. The Argentine pounced on a weak clearance and deftly curled the ball into the bottom-right corner of the goal. Both managers then made a few more changes apiece as the game reached a perfect boiling point. However, Simeone's changes proved to be decisive.
Substitutes Nahuel Molina and Alexander Sorloth combined for a late winner for Atletico Madrid as the latter applied a composed finish into the roof of the net. The visitors will lead the LaLiga standings heading into the new year, while Barcelona trail them by three points.
On that note, let's take a look at the hosts' player ratings.
Barcelona Player Ratings
Inaki Pena - 6.5/10
Pena made two saves for Barcelona in a relatively calm night, but was left bamboozled as Atletico Madrid grabbed a late winner.
Jules Kounde - 7/10
Kounde had a decent game on the right side of Barca's defence. He won five duels, making two interceptions and three tackles. He also played one key pass.
Pau Cubarsi - 7/10
Cubarsi won four of his five duels, making three tackles and one interception. He also made one last-man tackle and played seven long balls to open up the play.
Inigo Martinez - 7.5/10
Martinez put in a solid defensive performance for his team as he won three of his four duels, making four clearances and one interception. He also played seven long balls.
Alejandro Balde - 7/10
Balde won four duels, making two tackles and one interception. He also played one key pass.
Marc Casado - 6.5/10
Casado had a slightly subpar match this time around and was subbed off in the second half.
Pedri - 9/10
Pedri scored a lovely goal to give Barcelona the lead over Atletico Madrid. He passed the ball with 89% accuracy, including four key passes. He also completed three dribbles past players and won six duels.
Raphinha - 7.5/10
Raphinha had a good game as he played four key passes and six accurate crosses. However, he was unlucky in front of goal, missing two big chances, including hitting the woodwork once.
Gavi - 7/10
Gavi had a good game as he played two key passes, including an assist for Pedri's goal. He also won three duels, making one clearance and one interception.
Fermin Lopez - 6/10
Fermin had a subpar outing against Atletico Madrid as he was dispossessed 11 times. He also missed one big chance to score and won just one of six duels.
Robert Lewandowski - 6.5/10
Lewandowski misfired in front of goal as just one of his five shots was on target, with three being blocked and one missing the target. He won four duels as well.
Substitutes
Dani Olmo - 7/10
Olmo came on after the hour-mark and put in a good performance.
Ferran Torres - 7/10
Ferran came on in place of Gavi in the second half and played well.
Eric Garcia - 6.5/10
Garcia replaced Casado late in the match and put in a decent performance.
