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#2 Diego Simeone loses the manager battle handsomely
Both the managers had a lot riding upon them ahead of this fixture. Ernesto Valverde had not tasted success against Diego Simeone in 10 attempts (six losses, four draws) whereas El Cholo had never beaten FC Barcelona in 12 previous league encounters (eight losses, four draws).
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It was Valverde who emerged victorious on the night with a smart, collective and a professional performance against Atletico Madrid. Simeone, on the other hand, set up his team too defensively in the first half which resulted in their undoing.
Atletico looked far more threatening in the second half and the substitution of Angel Correa worked in their favour with a shift to 4-3-3. Simeone could have gone for the jugular in this one but his reactive start to the game led Barcelona to now have one hand on the coveted title.
Meanwhile, Valverde has managed his first win over Simeone in style with a composed and controlled display. This Barcelona side looked compact, a well-drilled unit that did not consistently play tippy-tappy football but fought their way to all three points. This win has also strengthened the dream of going unbeaten in the league this campaign.
