Barcelona’s Ferran Torres scored twice on Sunday to help secure a late 4-2 comeback win at Atletico Madrid in a pulsating La Liga clash that took the Catalan side back to the top of the table.
Barca have 60 points and a game in hand after last week’s postponement of their home game with CA Osasuna. They are level on points with Real Madrid, who won 2-1 at Villarreal on Saturday.
“I am happy and proud of this team,” Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick told a news conference. “They never give up... It’s a great three points and we are happy to be top.”
Photo: Reuters
Atletico remain third on 56 points from 28 games.
The hosts took the lead on the stroke of halftime through Julian Alvarez after Antoine Griezmann broke quickly and found Giuliano Simeone, who curled a precise pass for the Argentine to score his 11th league goal of the season.
Diego Simeone’s side doubled their lead in the 70th minute through substitute Alexander Sorloth’s brilliant close-range finish after he was set up by Conor Gallagher.
Photo: Reuters
Barcelona responded almost immediately when Robert Lewandowski latched on to Inigo Martinez’s cross to take the Poland striker’s tally to a league-leading 22 goals this season.
The visitors equalized in the 78th minute when Torres headed home a delightful ball into the penalty area from substitute Raphinha.
Lamine Yamal added a third in stoppage-time when his long-range strike found the back of Jan Oblak’s net, before Torres put the icing on the cake with his second of the night.
“It was very important to get the three points today,” Yamal said. “At the end of the anger, of the impotence of seeing that we weren’t comfortable, we showed our best side, we gave the best we had.”
“It was clear to me that if I scored it would be in important games. Since the ball was on the other side of the pitch I could see Gallagher was moving away from me, and as soon as it came to me I saw the opportunity and I saw the shot,” he said.
The teams meet again in the Copa del Rey semi-finals after the first leg ended in a thrilling 4-4 draw, with the return taking leg place at the Metropolitano on April 2.
Elsewhere on Sunday, Real Betis Balompie won 3-2 at CD Leganes, Sevilla lost 1-0 at home to Athletic Bilbao, Getafe won 2-1 at CA Osasuna and Rayo Vallecano drew 2-2 with Real Sociedad.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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