Barcelona came from behind to beat Atlético Madrid 2–1 at the “Riyadh Air Metropolitano” and retained their position at the top of La Liga. The hosts took the lead through Giuliano Simeone in the 10th minute, but Fermín López scored twice to secure three valuable points for Hansi Flick’s side.
The victory took Barcelona to 33 points. Atlético remained five points behind the leaders and occupy third place in the standings.
Flick: The second half changed the match
Hansi Flick admitted that Barcelona had started the match below the expected level. “We didn’t manage it in the first half. The intensity wasn’t what we wanted,” the German coach told “La Vanguardia”.
According to Flick, the change came after the break, when Barcelona began to control the ball better and press more aggressively. “It’s not easy to win here, but in the second half we controlled the match much better. We deserved the victory,” he said.
Flick also praised the team’s reaction after Atlético’s early goal. The Catalans equalised at the end of the first half, when Fermín finished off an attack following a pass from Pedri. In the 66th minute, Lamine Yamal found Fermín in the penalty area, and the midfielder scored his second goal with a shot into the far corner.
Asked how important it was for Barcelona to remain top before the international break, Flick replied: “On a scale of one to ten, the importance of being leaders is ten.” He added that the team would have to manage carefully the workload of the players who are due to travel to join their national teams.
Simeone: They were more efficient
Diego Simeone attributed the defeat to the difference in finishing. “We didn’t have the same accuracy that we have shown in other matches. They had fewer goal-scoring chances, but they were more efficient,” the Atlético coach told “La Vanguardia”.
The Argentine defended the way his team had played the match, despite Atlético’s failure to hold on to their lead. “The match unfolded the way we wanted. They had more of the ball, but they didn’t create that many chances. I’m leaving satisfied with the team, knowing that we are in the process of building and that we have things to improve,” Simeone said.
He described the first half as the period in which Atlético had their best chance to take the lead. “Matches have different phases. We had 45 minutes and our time passed. The opponent was more efficient,” the coach added.
Simeone also defended Julián Alvarez, who provided the assist for Giuliano’s goal. According to him, the forward had been involved in three dangerous situations and had an opportunity to score after the break.
The next matches
After the international break, Barcelona will host Villarreal on November 22. On the same day, Atlético Madrid will visit Getafe. The two teams will meet again in La Liga on December 2, when Barcelona will be the home side.
Sources: elpais.com, lavanguardia.com