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Barcelona welcomed Atletico Madrid for a top of the table clash on Saturday that promised to be a cracker! The two teams were separated by 8 points at the top of the table. Atletico had never won in their last 12 visits to Barcelona, with 3 draws and 9 defeats showing that they had found little joy at the Camp Nou of late.
The Catalans, on the other hand, were on an 18 game unbeaten streak in La Liga. However, Atletico Madrid and Diego Simeone were an entirely different proposition. Valverde knew that complacency could kill Barcelona and he named his team accordingly for the game.
The Spaniard opted for Ter Stegen in goal, with Sergio Roberto, Pique, Lenglet and Alba making up the back four. In the midfield, Rakitic and Arthur started either side of Busquets. The front three consisted of Messi, Suarez and Coutinho.
Both teams started the game well, and threatened to score. The game had all the ingredients to be an entertaining, open ended affair, however, things fell out of place in the 28th minute. Diego Costa was shown a straight Red for dissent and Atletico were reduced to 10 men. From then on, Atletico held on and managed to go into the break with the score 0-0.
After the break, Atletico grew in confidence and regularly tried to catch Barcelona off guard. However, Suarez scored in the 85th minute and Messi doubled the lead a minute later to seal all three points.
As such, Barcelona are now 11 points clear at the top of the La Liga table and they have these 5 men to thank for a memorable win.
Also see : Womens World Cup Bracket, Copa America Standings, Gold Cup Standings
#5 Gerard Pique
The central defender was assured as usual in the heart of the Barcelona defence and even managed to keep his cool under intense pressure from Diego Costa in the opening stages. Even though Costa tried quite a lot of tricks from his book, Pique was strong and did not allow his countryman to make a mark on the game.
The Spanish defender was comfortable as usual with the ball at his feet. On many occasions, Pique took the ball out of the defence and ventured forward to meet his teammates. He was also quick off his line on a few occasions that the away side threatened to score. He closed down the opposition in a flash and was the leader at the back who saw Barcelona through.
#4 Jordi Alba
The left back had another eventful night at the Nou Camp. Alba was a busy figure on the left side and was an ever present outlet for a pass. He was heavily involved in both the defence and in attack for his team.
During the earlier stages of the game, when Atletico frequently laid siege on the Barcelona defence, Alba was stellar at the back. He tracked his man and did not afford any spaces for the opposition to work out any move. And every time the home team regained possession, Alba was out of the blocks in a flash.
The Spaniard ran the flanks relentlessly through the night and combined well with Coutinho. His cunning runs kept the Atletico defence on their toes. On one occasion, he timed his run to perfection and was met with a glorious ball with just Oblak to beat. The Spaniard beat the Sloveniankeeper, but hit the upright.
#3 Arthur Melo
On a night when Sergio Busquets was far from his assured best, the Brazilian stepped up and ensured that Barcelona did not miss their midfield enforcer. Arthur was calm, composed and assured in the middle. He kept the ball moving and did not buckle under pressure.
The Atletico team crowded up Busquets, hoping to force the Spaniard into a mistake. The away team did manage to unsettle him, but faced a different proposition with Arthur. The Brazilian’s awareness is one of his biggest assets and on the night, his decision making was crisp. He kept things simple and helped his team settle down in the midfield.
When Barcelona lost the ball, Arthur pressed with intent and was vital in winning back possession. He regularly dropped back to help his defence and was always available to take the ball from his teammates. The Brazilian’s eye for the pass helped Barcelona dictate the games from the deep.
#2 Luis Suarez
The Uruguayan was guilty of missing easy chances in the first half and at one point it looked like Barcelona would have to pay the price. Suarez looked off the pace and rusty. He got to the end of fantastic counter attacks at the start of the game, but failed to convert the chances.
After the break, Barcelona grew in stature, thanks to the one man advantage. Lionel Messi was especially instrumental in feeding the Uruguayan one gorgeous ball after another, but no matter how hard he tried, Suarez just could not score. It was turning out to a frustrating night for the Catalans, however, their No. 9 was about to come good.
In the 85th minute, Suarez drifted to the left hand side and took the ball from Alba. He then curled the ball into the far corner, almost in Messi-esque manner and opened the scoring for his team. It was just a shot in the arm that the home team needed, and Barcelona went on to win the game.
#1 Lionel Messi
The Argentine was among the thick of things right from the start. Atletico put a lot of attention on Messi, yet it was not enough to stop him. The Barcelona skipper regularly took up balls at the edge of the box and unleashed brilliant balls for Suarez and Coutinho. Unfortunately for him, both of his attacking partners had an off day on the field.
Messi’s awareness of his team mate’s runs was also evident in the first half, when he was alert to Alba’s brilliant late run into the box. The Argentinean found his left back with a gorgeous ball that fooled the entire Atletico defence and put him through on goal. However, Alba could only hit the upright with Oblak beaten.
After the break, Messi continued to be inspirational, opened up the defence for his offensive partners to score, but it wasn’t happening. He tore the opposition defence apart, but met with a defiant Oblak in goal. However, the Argentinean kept trying and after Suarez scored the opening goal, Messi joined the party too.
The Argentinean took the ball in the middle of the opposition box in the 86th minute and ran into the box. Once he was in, Messi was crowded out, but the Barcelona Skipper unfurled a cheeky finish and sealed the game.
