Madrid: Luis Suarez saved Barcelona’s unbeaten La Liga record this season by salvaging a 1-1 draw at Atletico Madrid in a match laced with political tension amid Catalonia’s drive for independence.
Saul Niguez’s spectacular strike had given Atletico an early advantage. However, Barca’s dominance for large spells paid off when Suarez finally got the better of the outstanding Jan Oblak to level nine minutes from time.
“Everyone knows Atletico defend very well and have a great goalkeeper, but we did enough to believe we deserved more in the second half,” said Suarez after the game, Saturday.
Meanwhile Real Madrid cut down the seven points deficit with Barcelona to five as Cristiano Ronaldo struck an 85th-minute winner – his first league goal of the season – to grind out a hard-fought 2-1 win for the European champions at Getafe. Atletico moved up to third but they remained six points behind the leaders.
A backdrop of Spanish flags and chants of ‘Viva Espana’ (long live Spain) met Barca on their first visit to the Spanish capital since a Catalan independence referendum marred by violence and deemed illegal by the Spanish government, October 1.
However, both managers lauded the atmosphere. “The stadium was marvellous,” said Simeone. “I loved the stadium, the fans, (jeers for the opposition) are normal, but it was a great night of football for everyone,” said Barca boss Ernesto Valverde.
The 68,000 crowd at Atletico’s new Wanda Metropolitano was nearly silenced inside 30 seconds by Lionel Messi who broke through, but shot wide. He nearly scored of another brilliant solo effort, getting past a series of Atletico challenges before firing into the side-netting. “Messi was extraordinary. Every time the ball went through him there was danger,” said Simeone.
Atletico took the lead when Saul cut inside onto his supposedly weaker right foot before unleashing a drive into the bottom corner from 20 yards that gave Ter Stegen under the Barca bar no chance.
Barca went onto dominate possession, but had to wait until 10 minutes into the second half to force Jan Oblak into a save when Suarez stung the Slovenian’s palms from outside the box.
Seconds later Messi sent a curling free-kick off the outside of the post and then fired his best chance of the match wastefully wide 19 minutes from time.
However, after another outstanding Oblak save to deny Suarez, Barca’s pressure was rewarded when Sergi Roberto picked out an unmarked Suarez at the back post and his downward header had too much power for Oblak.
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