Barcelona staged a remarkable comeback from a two-goal deficit to defeat Atletico Madrid 4-2, delivering a significant impact in the Spanish title race on Sunday.
Lamine Yamal scored in the 92nd minute, followed by Ferran Torres in the 98th, propelling the Catalan club back to the top of the standings after Real Madrid had temporarily taken the lead with their victory over Villarreal on Saturday.
Both Barcelona and Real Madrid are now tied on 60 points, although Barcelona has a game in hand. Atletico Madrid, on the other hand, trails the top two by four points after suffering a home defeat against Hansi Flick’s team, marking a disappointing week following their exit from the Champions League.
Having previously been caught off guard by Atletico in the closing moments of two matches this season, it was now Barcelona’s turn to deliver a late blow, extending their unbeaten run to 18 matches across all competitions.
Atletico initially took the lead with goals from Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth, but Barcelona responded with strikes from Robert Lewandowski and Torres, ultimately securing victory in stoppage time.
Flick opted for Marc Casado in midfield, as Frenkie de Jong was not fit enough to be included in the matchday squad.
The German coach had cautioned his players to maintain focus after they conceded a last-minute goal in December, which resulted in a 2-1 home defeat that allowed Atletico to seize the top position.
Earlier in February, Barcelona had also conceded two late goals in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final, resulting in a 4-4 draw against Diego Simeone’s side.
In the first half, Barcelona played cautiously, conserving energy and failing to create significant chances. Yamal, the teenage winger, managed to create an opportunity for himself but missed the target with an open goal, while Lewandowski’s header was saved by Jan Oblak.
Atletico sought a penalty when Inigo Martinez pulled back Marcos Llorente in the box, but their appeal was denied. Barcelona’s best opportunity in the first half came when Pedri set up Lewandowski, whose powerful shot struck the top of the crossbar. Following the resulting goal kick, Atletico capitalized and found the opener.