Barcelona Stages Dramatic Comeback Against Atletico to Retain La Liga Lead
Click to start listening
Synopsis
FC Barcelona made a stunning comeback against Atletico Madrid, scoring four goals in the final minutes to win 4-2 and secure their top position in La Liga. Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres scored in injury time, sealing the victory.
Key Takeaways
- Barcelona overcame a two-goal deficit.
- Injury-time goals secured the win.
- Lewandowski played a key role in the comeback.
- Atletico Madrid faltered defensively in the closing stages.
- Athletic Bilbao and Real Betis also had notable victories.
Madrid, March 17 (NationPress) Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres netted goals in injury time as FC Barcelona rallied from a two-goal deficit to defeat Atletico Madrid 4-2, reclaiming the top position in La Liga on Sunday.
Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth seemed to have clinched victory for Atletico, who started the match just one point behind Barcelona. However, Diego Simeone's team opted to sit deep in the final stretch and ultimately paid the price, conceding four goals in the last 20 minutes, as reported by Xinhua.
Alvarez opened the scoring for Atletico just before halftime with a clever assist from Giuliano Simeone, mere moments after Robert Lewandowski hit the crossbar at the opposite end.
Barcelona applied pressure but failed to force Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak into serious action. Atletico then doubled their lead in the 70th minute when Sorloth, freshly introduced to the match, converted Conor Gallagher's cross.
Lewandowski responded quickly, scoring with a deft turn and shot past Oblak. The match was tied 2-2 in the 78th minute when Torres was unmarked and headed Raphinha's cross into the net.
Yamal benefited from a fortunate deflection off Reinildo to give Barcelona the lead in the 92nd minute, and Torres sealed the win with a final goal after intercepting the ball just outside the Atletico area.
Yeray Alvarez scored the sole goal of the match in the 84th minute with a header, leading Athletic Bilbao to a 1-0 victory in Sevilla, strengthening their hold on fourth place with an eight-point gap.
Mikel Vesga missed a penalty for the Basque team, who created the most chances despite playing less than 72 hours after their last match.
Real Betis overcame a 2-0 deficit against Leganes to win 3-2, securing three crucial points in their quest for European qualification next season.
Goals by Dani Raba in the 29th and 44th minutes appeared to set Leganes up for victory, but a penalty from Isco in the 64th minute brought Betis back into the game, followed by goals from Cedric Bakambu and Cucho Hernandez in the 78th and 82nd minutes, flipping the match entirely.
Rayo Vallecano and Real Sociedad played to a 2-2 draw, with Oscar Trejo and Pedro Diaz scoring for the home side, while Martin Zubimendi and Arkaitz Mariezkurrena netted for the visitors.
Ramon Terrats scored twice as Getafe came from behind following a penalty by Ante Budimir to win 2-1 against Osasuna.
