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One of the biggest encounters of the season took place at the Camp Nou stadium as Atletcio Madrid and FC Barcelona faced each other on the final matchday of the La Liga season. It was all there for the taking as Atletico needed at least a draw to secure the Spanish title while nothing short of a victory would enable Barca to retain the championship.The emotions were high and the desire was unquestionable as both teams fought it out in a match that proved to be a spectacle for the world to witness. Barcelona took the lead in the first half, courtesy of a superb shot from Alexis Sanchez from an impossible angle. The spirits of the Blaugrana faithful were elevated as Messi and co headed into the locker room at half time.But Atletico were no pushovers as they have demonstrated their never-say-die attitude throughout the season. They came out on the front foot and pressed Barca from the start of the second half. It was just after four minutes that their work paid off as Diego Godin equalised by heading home Atletico’s only goal of the match. From then on, Simeone’s men sacrificed everything they had to hold on to a 1-1 scoreline as they clinched their 10th La Liga title.Here are the 5 talking points from this incredible encounter.
#5 One of the greatest matches in La Liga\'s history
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Has there ever been a match like this before? Technically maybe, but in terms of passion? Not for a long time, I suppose. With everything to play for, both teams battled fiercefully and the match was intensely competed. Barcelona wanted to win it for the recently deceased former coach Tito Vilanova, while Atletico wanted to successfully see off a season for which they had dedicated their lives to win it.
Bodies went down. Clashes occured everywhere on the field. Yet no player was ready to succumb under the pressure as both sets of players put out an intriguing display for their fans and the neutrals to enjoy. In the end Atletico edged it out purely on the basis of their determination and tenacity. While Barcelona had to exit the field with disappointment, their heads should be high for putting up an immense display and taking the fight to Atletico until the final whistle.
#4 Lionel Messi nullified yet again
Once is luck, twice is coincidence, third is good, but seven times is a pattern. And that pattern has been successfully followed by Diego Simeone’s men to stop Lionel Messi from scoring against them. Prior to this match, Messi had been on a scoreless run against the Rojiblancos in his last six encounters. And this match was in no way different as his effectiveness was cut short for the whole of 90 minutes.
Tata Martino started Messi in a central role but the Atletico players man marked the Argentine precisely leaving him frustrated for most parts. Messi had to drop deeper quite often to recieve the ball and tried to dictate the game. But a resilient Atletico side intercepted Messi’s final passes and halted his attempts to penetrate their defence.
It was yet another game where Simeone got his tactics spot on to neutralize the Argentine’s impact.
#3 Set-pieces hurt Barcelona once again
Over the years, Barcelona have developed a reputation for being vulnerable in set-pieces. Oppositions have time and again hurt them through corners or free kick deliveries into the box. And Saturday was no different as Atletico struck through Diego Godin’s header from a corner in the second half. Once again their defensive frailties were exposed which revived the point that Barcelona need new reinforcements at the back.
While that may solve most of their problems, things at the centre of the park wasn’t quite convincing as well. Catalan legend Xavi is well past his prime and Fabregas hasn’t been consistent enough to take charge of the midfield. And in crucial games like these, Barca have fallen short in terms of creating chances.
These are some of the issues that the Catalan board needs to address in the next trasnfer window.
#2 The written off team proved to be the best this season
Even the most optimistic Atletico fan could not have foreseen this situation. Atletico Madrid facing Barcelona at the Camp Nou on their final matchday for the La Liga title was not a realistic prediction among the fans. But that is what exactly happened after 37 games. Atletico Madrid fought toe-to-toe alongside the two favourite giants of Spain (Real Madrid and Barcelona) to clinch their first title in 18 years.
While there may have been falters from both the Madrid sides and Barcelona this season, it was Atletico who proved to be the more determined side up until the last minutes. They pushed themselves beyond their limits as they have done throughout the season to keep the Blaugranas at bay and in the end, deservingly won the title.
#1 Diego Simeone - The 12th man for Atletico
It was 1996 when Atletico Madrid were last crowned as champions of Spain. And a certain individual from this team of winners lifted that trophy 18 years back. It would be impractical to even think that he would still be playing almost after two decades. But for all the Atletico Madrid fans, Diego Simeone indeed played the whole season as that extra inspirational figure from the sidelines.
The Atletico manager integrated a team of 11 players into a formidable unit who defied all the odds to put aside Real Madrid and Barcelona and take charge of La Liga. He fielded a team of warriors and taught them to take each game one at a time. His men delivered week-in-week-out even if they did not possess the quality or depth compared to their adversaries. Every match, he would inspire the Calderon to rise and get behind the team.
And when Atletico finally claimed the title at the Camp Nou, players couldn’t hide their emotions as players and staffs were completely in tears. In the post-match scenes, the world saw a glimpse of Simeone sitting on the bench and experiencing a feeling of mixed emotions. Perhaps his laughter was a reaction to what his team achieved against the feeble expectations of the footballing world. His leadership won the hearts of footballing fans all over the planet.
