Barcelona: Lionel Messi will miss the next three weeks after suffering the recurrence of a groin injury as Atletico Madrid came from behind Wednesday to hold Barcelona 1-1 at the Camp Nou.
Ivan Rakitic headed Barca into the lead just before half time, but Angel Correa slotted home on the hour mark just seconds after Messi limped off to hand Atletico a deserved point.
Earlier, Real Madrid’s record-equalling 16-game La Liga winning streak came to an end as Villarreal drew 1-1 draw at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Madrid continue to lead Barca by three points at the top of the table with Atletico a further point back in fourth.
“To lose Lionel Messi means football loses and we lose,” said Barca boss Luis Enrique after the end of the game. “Now we have to look for other solutions. With Leo we are much stronger, but without him we are still a strong team.”
Barca’s stellar front three of Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar had struck 10 times in their last two games, but were kept largely quiet by Atletico’s typically rock-solid defence.
Messi had the first effort on goal, but his fierce effort was comfortably handled by Jan Oblak in the Atletico goal. The hosts had to wait until four minutes before the break to seriously threaten again when they took the lead.
Atletico momentarily switched off as a corner from the left was played short to Andres Iniesta and his cross was powered home by the late arriving Rakitic.
However, Barca’s joy was short-lived, first by a double injury blow and then Correa’s leveller. Sergio Busquets was first forced off due to illness before Messi went down to the consternation of the Camp Nou.
The Argentine’s replacement Arda Turan had barely taken up his position when Atletico levelled as Correa coolly slotted home after Javier Mascherano’s slip offered him a clear path to the Barca goal.
At the Bernabeu, the European champions were looking to surpass the Liga mark of 16 wins first set by Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona in 2010/11, but were made to pay for a sluggish first half display.
“We lacked intensity in the first half,” said Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane. “The second half was great from everyone, but you can’t always win the three points at the end.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale returned to the Madrid side, but even then, Villarreal were the better side in the first half and got their reward just before the interval when Sergio Ramos handled Manu Trigueros’s shot and referee Jose Luis Gonzalez pointed to the spot. Captain Bruno Soriano stepped up and coolly chipped the ball down the middle of the goal past Casilla.
Ramos made amends right at the start of the second half when he rose highest to head home James Rodriguez’s corner.
Ronaldo was then inches away from turning home Dani Carvajal’s low cross and Bale curled just wide as the pressure increased from Madrid.
Agence France-Presse
