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#2 VAR strikes again
Barcelona have been beneficiaries of VAR in the past but they got the other side of the coin in their clash with Atletico Madrid. The technology has been used in Spain since 2018, while Saudi Arabia implemented its use a year earlier and it was once more deployed in the clash between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.
Following a largely uneventful first half, VAR was called into action after Messi thought he had put his side 2-1 up only for the goal to be chalked off for handball, while Gerard Pique also saw a goal ruled out for the tightest of offside decisions.
#1 Shambolic defending from Barcelona cost them late on
While Barcelona might not exactly be famed for their defensive solidity over the years, that was no excuse for the disastrous showing their defenders put up against Atletico Madrid.
The Catalans started the game with two World Cup winners in Gerard Pique and Samuel Umtiti at the heart of defence but the pair would not want to look back on their displays against Diego Simeone's men.
They could have done more to stop Koke's run into the box for the opener, while their defensive high line cost them in the dying embers of the game.
With Barcelona 2-1 up and in total control of the match, perhaps Pique and co. thought the clash was won and consequently switched off but Atletico Madrid made them pay with two late goals to dump them out of the competition.
The two goals came in almost identical fashion, with both Correa and Vitolo being slipped in through on goal by easy passes between the line and this was unforgivable for defenders operating on a world-class level.
The ease with which Atletico Madrid sliced open the Barcelona defence in the closing stages meant that they fashioned more chances in this period than they did in the previous 80 minutes and they could have scored more goals but for wasteful finishing by Llorente and Joao Felix.
Football is a game of 90 minutes and for 80 of those, the Blaugrana were in full control but all their work came undone with a late lapse in concentration by their defenders.
