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Neymar, Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi were all on the score sheet as Barcelona calmed any talks of a crisis and moved to within a point of Real Madrid at the top of the League. The hosts dominated the ball and all three scorers were involved in the opening goal which Neymar tucked away in the 12th minute.The Catalans’ second goal was a lot more controversial as Messi handled the ball in the build-up, but the referee didn’t stop the play as the trio once again combined, this time Suarez scoring the goal. Although Atletico got back into the game after scoring from a Mario Mandzukic penalty in the second half, Messi scored with three minutes to go, to seal all three points.Here are the major talking points:
#1 Barcelona let their football do all the talking
This was perhaps the most important game of the season for Barcelona. In the week leading up to the game, the club's director Andoni Zubizaretta was sacked, former club captain Carles Puyol announced his departure from the club and not only were there rumours about a rift between Luis Enrique and Messi, there were even suggestions that the Argentine might leave the club.
So nothing less than a win, and a convincing one at that, would have been enough to avert any talks of a crisis at the club. And that is precisely what they got, as the Catalans defended resolutely, especially from set pieces, outplayed Atletico in midfield and blew the visitors out of the park up front.
#2 Referee loses the plot
After a deliberate hand-ball that led to a goal, an elbow to Jesus Gamez and giving away a penalty, it took a high boot on goalkeeper Moya to finally earn Lionel Messi a yellow. While there is no doubt that Messi was the best player on the pitch, he simply shouldn't have been on it long enough to score the goal. Not only did the referee fail to send Messi off for two clear yellows in the first half, he also decided in the second half to give a penalty to Atletico when there was very little contact from Messi on Gamez.
They say two wrongs don't make a right. Unfortunately for referee Alberto Mallenco, he made much more than two mistakes as he put in a performance that showed how bad the refereeing is in Spain. If one of the league's most experienced referees can have an absolute shocker like this, what can we expect from the less experienced ones?
#3 Messi finally gets the better of Simeone\'s Atletico
Atletico Madrid are Lionel Messi's favourite team. He has scored more goals against them than against any other team in Spain. But ever since Simeone took over, he hadn't managed to score even once in seven games. And whether it was the desire for revenge or the desire to put to bed the rumours of a rift with Luis Enrique, Messi came out and put in a sublime performance the like of which he hasn't done so far this season.
Starting on the right side, the Argentinean weaved his way into the centre and had a hand in Barca's opening two goals. In the second half, he seemed singularly determined to score and in the end, he got what he wanted when he slotted in his 21st goal against Atletico in 23 games. Irrespective of whether Messi has a problem with the coach or not, his performances on the pitch don't seem to be affected and that is good news for Barcelona.
#4 The lost art of tackling
Whether it is due to the referees clamping down on tackling, being stricter when it comes to brandishing yellow cards or the result of the players going down far too easily, tackling has become a lost art in the modern game.
But in a game that saw players diving, whining and gesticulating, there were also some sublime tackles. In such a high profile game, you need to be careful about lunging into a tackle, but Atletico's centre backs in particular showed immaculate reading of the game, as they came in and tackled perfectly.
That seemed to have rubbed off on Barcelona’s Ivan Rakitic and Sergio Busquets. These two players aren't known for their tackling prowess, but they made two crunching tackles that were both fair and forceful. The game was a testament to the fact that tackling is still an integral part of the game, albeit one seldom made use of properly.
#5 Barca\'s trio clicking into gear
When Luis Suarez made the move to Barcelona in the summer, many were excited at the prospect of Messi, Neymar and Suarez linking up and wreaking havoc amongst opposing defenders. As expected though, Suarez has taken some time to get used to the Catalan style of football. Even though the trio didn't link up particularly well upon Suarez's return in late October, they are slowly starting to show just why so many are excited about them playing together.
Although the trio had all been on the score sheet in Europe and in the Cup, in the league they still hadn't managed to get in on the act. Against Atletico, the trio were simply unplayable as Messi and Neymar, operating on either side of Suarez, created all sorts of problems for one of the country’s meanest defences. All three were on the score sheet, and if they continue this, all the talk of crisis will be cut short.
