FC Barcelona started the season like a raging bull, winning every game and generally hammering their rivals mercilessly. But things have taken a dramatic turn for Hansi Flick's side, who just over a month ago appeared to be the main and sometimes only contender for the National Liga title this season. They now have fewer points than they had with Xavi Hernández at this stage last year.
But, in the last seven La Liga matches, since a 1-0 defeat against Real Sociedad on November 11, Barcelona have won only one La Liga match (1-5 against Mallorca), drawn two and in lost four. This includes three consecutive defeats at home, at. Estadio Olimpic Lluís Companys in MontjuïcIndeed, the Camp Nou is currently undergoing renovation and will probably not be open until the end of the season, according to the latest information.
Their last defeat, on Saturday against Atlético de Madrid, was perhaps the most painful for several reasons, starting with the fact that, unlike many previous matches, FC Barcelona played much better than their rivals, exerting much more vehement pressure but missing too many chances, with La Liga's top scorer Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha wasting chances to win the match.
And Atleti, which is getting closer to its best record with 12 consecutive victories – the record is 13 – played what he does best: seize the opportunity to turn the match around with substitutions, and score goals in added time.
The Barcelona spectators cheered when the referee announced six minutes of injury time, as their team was besieging Atleti with a 1-1 score on the scoreboard. But in the 96th minute, a counterattack found Norwegian Alexander Sorloth hand in hand with Barcelona goalkeeper Iñaki Peña, and he didn't miss. This is the first time that coach Cholo Simeone, after 12 years, has won at Barcelona.
With this last-minute victory, Atlético de Madrid will greet the new year as the sole leader of LaLiga, with 41 points. Barcelona have 38 points with a game in hand, meaning the gap could be even bigger when everyone picks their postponed matches in January.
