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Encounters between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona have never been short on drama over the years. They've not been short on goals either!
The two sides face off this weekend as club football returns after the international break and we look at five spectacular games between the clubs that will live long in the memory.
1997: Barcelona 5-4 Atletico Madrid
A quite extraordinary evening, and one viewed in some quarters as one of the greatest games in Spanish football history. The two sides met in the quarter-final of the 1996-97 Copa del Rey, with Barcelona coming out 7-6 victors on aggregate over the two legs.
The first leg in Madrid was a dramatic 2-2 draw, but no one could’ve expected what happened in the second leg. At half-time, in the second leg, Atleti were three goals to the good thanks to a Milinko Pantic hat-trick.
Barcelona, however, came out all guns blazing in the second half, with Ronaldo slotting home twice. The comeback was put on ice however as Pantic scored again with 25 minutes remaining. Then, there was a dramatic turn of events as Luis Figo got one back with a stunning strike before Ronaldo completed his hat-trick. With just 10 minutes to play, however, Juan Antonio Pizzi fired home from close range to complete the stunning comeback.
The night was all the more surreal because Spanish network TVE who had coverage of the game were on strike, meaning events unfolded without any commentary!
2008: Atletico Madrid 4-2 Barcelona
Before the days of Diego Simeone, Atletico Madrid were a very different team. Swashbuckling and expansive, they had no real balance in defence but when it came to attacking they were ferocious. A sweeping, rabid beast that went for the jugular, you could say.
This was the first of a series of encounters between the sides that became synonymous with absolute madness. This game was particularly special as it was seen as the night Sergio Aguero announced himself on the world football stage and became a household name after upstaging his very good friend Lionel Messi.
Barcelona were a different beast in the dwindling final days of Frank Rijkaard’s reign. They lacked the splendour of the early days but could still produce the odd destructive attacking performance - especially with their individual talent. Ronaldinho was a prime example of that and on this very evening, he was in stunning form, producing an incredible overhead kick to hand Barca the lead.
Aguero would come to the fore, however, scoring two marvellous goals and laying on an assist for Maxi Rodriguez. One of the strikes was a particular delight, with the little Argentinean dazzling his way past Barca defenders on the way to an incredible solo effort. The current Manchester City star also provoked a penalty from which his strike partner Diego Forlan made no mistake.
2009: Atletico Madrid 4 - 3 Barcelona
Just like the clash in the previous year, this was another treat served up by Atletico Madrid and Barcelona for the whole country - especially the neutrals. Goals, goals, goals…and not much defending. Atleti didn’t care mind you, as that’s how they regularly operated in these days. It was very much the case in this slugfest with Barcelona back in 2009.
Atleti’s South American attack was at it yet again that night, and after Barcelona went two goals up early on through Thierry Henry and Lionel Messi there was a shift in momentum. Sergio Aguero with a well-taken strike and Diego Forlan with a stunner made the scores level, before Henry seemed to kill the bouncing mood inside the Calderon and restore a 2-3 lead for the visitors.
Never the type to give up the chase Atleti came back into the game as they only knew how; on the attack. Forlan scored from the penalty spot before Aguero smashed home to record a famous victory.
"That's our Atléti!" said the cover of AS the next day. Little did they know Simeone would change what it meant several years later.
2011: Barcelona 5-0 Atletico Madrid
A good old fashioned Manita as they call it in Spain - when five goals are scored - and one that is a fine example of when Barcelona were in their pomp under Pep Guardiola. Years after battering by Atletico Madrid they responded with one of their own in emphatic fashion as Pep’s style of play sent shockwaves around Europe. Atleti, still guilty of their previous bad habits and without their usual attacking fire, were destroyed.
Lionel Messi’s hat-trick was the highlight no doubt, as the showcased the full array of his abilities and turned in one of his best ever individual displays. The team itself were impressive too, as tiki-tala dished out in spades to an unfortunate Atleti, who were still finding their way despite featuring key members of their teams that would go on to great success with Diego Simeone.
Messi was too good to handle, like David Villa, who opened the scoring with a glorious strike as he showed why he’s Spain’s greatest ever striker. Messi left several players trailing in his wake that night, drifting past defenders with ease on his 1st and 2nd goal particularly, before completing a hat-trick with a vicious drive after playing a one-two with Villa on the edge of the area.
Peak-Pep, Peak Messi and Peak Barça!
2014: Barcelona 1–1 Atlético Madrid
A 1-1 draw, what is so special about that? Well, it’s the night Atletico Madrid secured a La Liga title on the final day of the season - and they did it at Camp Nou of all places.
The game was a pure title decider, with result leading up to the game meaning Atleti would arrive with a 3-point lead. With the reverse fixture earlier in the season, the head-to-head rule, all they needed to do was avoid defeat. Otherwise, the title would remain with Barça.
Things started in the worst possible way for Atleti, as both Diego Costa and Arda Turan were injured within the opening 30 minutes. Five minutes before the halftime things got worse as Barcelona took the lead into the half thanks to a goal from Alexis Sánchez.
Some famous words from Diego Simeone were said at half-time, as Atleti looked to turn the game around in the most difficult of circumstances. The plan sprung quickly into action as Diego Godín scored just four minutes after the restart from a corner kick. Atleti scratched and scraped their way across the finish line as they only knew how to, and secured a first La Liga title in 18 years and ended the Barca-Real Madrid duopoly in Spain’s top flight.
Tata Martino quit almost immediately as Barça coach, while Atleti lost out in the Champions League final to their city rivals Real Madrid just seven days later.
