Robert Lewandowski led a resurgent Barcelona side to a 3-0 victory over Atletico Madrid on Sunday to keep their slim La Liga title hopes alive. Lewandowski set up goals either side of Joao Felix and Fermín Lopez to move Barcelona into second place, eight points behind leaders Real Madrid. The Catalans returned to the Champions League quarter-finals after four years and became the first team to defeat Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano this season.
Barcelona were also the last team to beat Atletico in the top flight, back in January 2023, during which Diego Simeone’s side went on a 25-game unbeaten run.
They suffered a disastrous defeat against Xavi Hernandez’s side, who have now won five games in a row against Atletico and since the coach said he will leave at the end of the season , the team has remained unbeaten in 10 games.
Barcelona are two points ahead of third-placed Girona, while Atletico are now fifth after Athletic Bilbao overtook them on Saturday.
“I will push (the players) harder than ever,” Xavi told DAZN, refusing to give up on Barcelona’s title defense.
“Now that I’m leaving, what’s more important – we will try to improve and compete for the two most important trophies, La Liga and the Champions League.”
Atletico played 120 minutes against Inter Milan in the European competition on Wednesday, and although Barcelona had beaten Napoli the day before, Simeone’s side started the game more sharply.
Pablo Barrios spurned a great early chance and 17-year-old starlet Pau Cubarsi blocked Alvaro Morata’s shot.
However, after 38 minutes, Barcelona took the lead in the game.
Ilkay Gundogan skated forward from midfield and found Lewandowski, who set up for on-loan striker Felix to return. Playing at home against the parent team.
The Portuguese striker scored the only goal when the two sides met in December and once again proved a thorn in Atletico’s side while also being whistled by the home fans.
“They are better”
Xavi was sent off before half-time for dissent, but his side carried on playing regardless in the second half.
Simeone deployed Antoine Griezmann and Memphis Depay in search of more spark in the final third.
Lewandowski quickly doubled Barcelona’s lead with a deadly finish after Rodrigo De Paul had passed the ball in the dangerous area.
Barca goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen made a fine save to keep out Marcos Llorente, but Atletico were beginning to tire after their performance in midweek.
The Polish veteran produced one of his best performances for the club when Lopez scored Barca’s third after Lewandowski’s perfect cross.
The goal capped off a fantastic week for Lopez, who also scored in the win over Napoli.
Lopez told DAZN: “We believe until the end, (now we are) second, try to close the gap in points and fight for La Liga.”
Atletico Madrid’s Nahuel Molina was sent off for bringing down Vitor Roque in the dying seconds as Barcelona recorded an impressive victory and kept a fourth successive clean sheet in the league.
Simeone told DAZN: “They were good and they gave up their first chance to score.”
“We will continue to fight for fourth place, it will be difficult, tricky, that’s normal… We have to keep improving, a lot.”
‘liberation’
Earlier, Almeria beat Las Palmas 1-0 to earn their first La Liga win of the season and end a miserable winless streak.
The Andalusian side had been without a win in 31 league games dating back to last season, but Leo Baptista’s 14th-minute goal ended their first game in charge under head coach Pepe Maier. A poor performance in the game.
Despite the away win, Meyer’s side remain in 20th place, 14 points from safety with nine games remaining.
Almeria’s 31-match winless run is the longest in the league’s history, but they have now equaled Sporting Gijon’s lowest points tally since the 1997-98 season.
“Today’s win means the liberation (of the team) … to win three points and change the dynamic,” Meier said.
The win ensured Almeria would have no fewer points than Derby County’s 11 in the Premier League in 2007-08, their lowest total in Europe’s top leagues since the team started winning three points.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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