Three takeaways from Atletico Madrid 2-4 Barcelona | OneFootball

Barcelona’s final game before the international break was against an opposition they had failed to beat twice earlier this season – Atletico Madrid.

After losing to Los Rojiblancos once and drawing once already this season, the Catalans finally broke through and took all three points against Diego Simeone’s side last night in what comes as a monumental result.

At one point, the Blaugrana were two goals down but then mounted a stunning comeback to win by a 4-2 margin.

The win takes Barcelona to 60 points on the standings, level on points with Real Madrid but still with a game in hand.

Barça Universal brings you three takeaways from Atletico Madrid 2-4 Barcelona.

A team with character

It has become clear over the season so far that Barcelona are no longer the same in terms of being fragile and meek to setbacks.

Hansi Flick has well and truly transformed the team’s mentality this term and last night’s game may well be the Blaugrana’s most special comeback win so far this season.

Alexander Sorloth’s goal in the 70th minute appeared to be the end of the tie as the hosts were two goals ahead of Barça with just 20 minutes to go.

What followed after the second goal, and particularly the manner in which it was not disallowed for a blatant handball, was frightening as the Catalans took it personally to put the game to bed.

Robert Lewandowski pulled one back just two minutes after Sorloth’s goal while substitute Ferran Torres equalised the scoreline just six minutes later with a lovely header off Raphinha’s cross.

Lamine Yamal’s strike from a long distance then trickled over the line and gave Barcelona a 3-2 lead, completing the special comeback despite the team having just 20 minutes at 2-0.

The cherry on the cake came from Torres’ second goal of the night which made the result 4-2 and completely turned the dynamic of the score sheet.

The irony in the results

Barcelona pulled off a brilliant comeback. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

Barcelona and Atletico Madrid have faced off thrice this season and both teams have won once each with the Copa del Rey clash ending in a 4-4 draw. Ironically, the one game Barcelona won was their worst of the three performances and that happened last night.

When the two teams met in La Liga at Montjuic, the Catalans controlled the game from start to finish, created innumerable chances and dominated from start to finish. They even took the lead but gave away all three points to a stoppage-time winner by Alexander Sorloth.

The cup meeting last month at Montjuic was a very similar game as Barcelona once again failed to secure a win as they bottled a 4-2 lead in the closing minutes of the game and left the first leg without any advantage.

Last night, they appeared far from their best and dished out the worst of their three performances against Los Rojiblancos.

Barcelona never looked comfortable or in control of the proceedings at the Metropolitano and were largely in-coordinated and ineffective as a group.

To find a way back from a 2-0 deficit on a night when the team is playing poorly as a group is commendable, needless to say, and a promising sign for the dressing room.

Concurrently, however, it is safe to say that it is ironic for Barcelona to win last night’s game when they did not win their last two games against the same opposition despite playing significantly better.

Adjourning on a high

The international break returns after long and for the first time in 2025 and the players will disperse to their respective national teams now that the game against Atletico Madrid is past them.

From Barcelona’s perspective, 2025 could not have gone any smoother so far. While games like the draw against Los Rojiblancos in the cup can be seen as hiccups, the Blaugrana are still unbeaten in 2025 and one of the few teams in the world to hold that record.

Having played two legs against Benfica, two games against Atletico Madrid and tricky league fixtures, Flick and Co. will enter the break with their heads held high, especially after the win against Atletico which gives them a potential seven-point lead over them in La Liga.

Once they return from the hiatus, Barcelona face season-defining games in all competitions. In the Champions League, they take on Borussia Dortmund for a place in the semi-finals while they also must play Atletico Madrid in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final.

Further, league games against Real Betis, Girona, Mallorca and Celta Vigo may well decide the title race.

Barcelona will thus be on a break for two weeks, but the period that awaits them after that could make or break their season. For now, they can disperse with their heads held high for a job well done.