Barcelona 3 Atlético de Madrid 1 - Barcelona Pull Another Scintillating Comeback Win To Make in 3 Wins Out of 3 at Camp Nou

 

Image - Barcelona YouTube

In the press conference before the game against Deportivo Alavés, Hansi Flick, when asked what Barcelona got wrong in that 3-0 humiliation against Chelsea, had this to say,

"I explained it earlier. In today's training sessions, I saw good dynamism and more intensity, more confidence with and without the ball. That's what we were missing in the match against Chelsea."

Barcelona showed up against Alavés and just about put the tricky 14th-placed side away. The 3-1 score line greatly flattered the Blaugrana, with Joan Garcia perhaps having the save of the season to deny Alavés with the scores 1-1 after a great build-up from the visitors, who cut through Barcelona like a butter knife through cake.

Despite the win, after full-time, Hansi Flick sat on the bench, cutting a forlorn figure, a thousand-yard stare in his blue eyes, looking like a protagonist who had just given his all after a brutal fight and was now traumatized. It was honestly a sad look, seeing Flick just sit there like a man out of answers, out of options. 

It was a great reminder that, while yes, these players and coaches get paid millions of dollars that we will never touch, even in a thousand lifetimes, at the end of the day, they are human, and the pressure cooker of performing does indeed take something from them each matchday. It certainly took a big chunk of Flick after the Saturday match.

So, what was needed to at least give Flick some lick back was an excellent, almost flawless performance against an in-form Atlético de Madrid that had lost just once since the start of the season and was well in the title race, alongside the impressive Marcellino's Villareal. BTW, if I may go on a tangent, if you haven't, you should watch Villareal this season. 4-4-2 has never looked as good as Marcellino makes it look at Villareal.

Anyway, back to Barca - Atleti, Flick called on the players to forget the league table and simply give their best.

"We have to keep working hard and give our best," Flick said in his pre-match conference on Monday at the Ciutat Esportiva. "We are leaders, but at the moment we are not at our best. We need to move forward to get back to playing our best football."

How Barca Responded

Playing their third consecutive match at the sparkling 'new' Camp Nou stadium that still has that fresh smell of newness seeping through every concrete pore and every blade of grass, Barcelona needed to make a statement against fellow title challengers, Atlético, who had picked up an insane run of form, winning seven on the bounce in all competitions ahead of the clash.

But Barcelona could not have had a worse start. Atlético started the match pressing the Blaugrana high in their own half and created some dangerous situations. However, once the match started settling into a rhythm, Atlético began to sit in a mid-block and try to catch Barcelona's high line. 

Now, for all of the talk of Barcelona's high line, there has been a noticeable improvement in the past few matches. Rather than depend on the light line solely, right now, Barcelona track runners through the channels, making the system less vulnerable somewhat.

But still, the high line is the light line, and the high line, when met with a perfect long ball and a smart and willing runner, it breaks. That is what happened in the 19th minute when Atlético right back, Nahuel Molina, was given time and space to hit a ball to Barcelona's farside for Alex Baena, who raced onto the pass and slotted it home past the onrushing Joan Garcia for 1-0 Atlético.

It was a delayed reaction from Cubarsi that had kept Baena onside, and the goal had initially been chalked off for offside, but was given after a VAR review. Now, of course, those who are always quick to attack individual players will blame Cubarsi for that goal, but that is what happens when your system is built on the very finest of margins, played on a razor's edge - a simple lapse in concentration very easily results in a simple and easy goal. We can blame individual players all we want, but they are playing in a system that requires perfection in timing and execution, or else it crumbles like wet bread.

So, Now What?

Barcelona needed to show bite, show spirit, show that indomitable soul that made them so venerable last season.

And they did.

Pedri began pulling strings in midfield while Lamine Yamal terrorized Atlético's left back, Hancko, and any of Lenglet or Barrios that came to back him up. These two, honestly, make football that much enjoyable to watch. They are like a tablespoon of honey to calm the soul after a long day of sweating in the choking Nairobi traffic.

And it was Pedri who would set up Barcelona's equalizer in the 26th minute. You see, for all the pressing that Atlético did in the opening minute, as is wont with Diego Simeone, he asked his charges to sit in a mid-block and try to prevent spaces in the middle as the half progressed. We can say all we want about Flick's system, about how it puts the players in terrible positions, but when given room and time to play, this system allows the players to mesmerize.

After some neat build-up, Pedri was allowed to simply stroll into the centre circle under no pressure from Atlético's forward line of Alvarez and Baena and offload a neat through pass for Raphinha. Raphinha had shifted all the way from his left flank and was moonlighting on the right side as a faux right-winger, just a little to the inside of Lamine Yamal.

With his marker nowhere to be seen, and with Atlético's defense not sure who was supposed to be marking him on the opposite flank of where he was supposed to be, Raphinha received the ball brilliantly with time and space ahead of him, rounded Oblak, and clotted home with his right foot for 1 - 1.

Game on!

Barcelona went on to dominate that first half and could have gone 2-1 up if Lewy had converted the penalty won by the impressive Dani Olmo. Lewy also forced a brilliant save from Oblak with a close-range bullet header from a Lamine Yamal floated ball into the far post.

All round, it was a good first half from Barcelona, with the peerless Pedri pulling all strings in midfield, contributing in all phases of Barcelona's game, from build-up to control, to then providing the killer passes. Raphinha was energetic and excellent, closing down spaces for Atlético and forever being the willing runner. Eric Garcia continued his renaissance as a defensive midfielder, showing aggression and bite to smother Atlético's attacks right at the edge of their own box.

Kounde, meanwhile, showed some flashes of brilliance that we haven't seen a lot of in the past few months, covering spaces well in defense and being good on the ball, good enough to play one-two flicks with Yamal and Eric Garcia.

Lewy showed a willingness that defied his age, but it was apparent that his legs were going, showing determination but arriving there a second too late, because his body just isn't what it used to be.

All round, a great first half from everyone involved.

Second Half

With Atlético dropping deeper and deeper in the second half, Barcelona continued to dominate, but as has become customary with Barcelona forwards, what's a game without missing several good chances? However, Barcelona would go 2-1 up in the 65th minute when Lewandowski slipped the ball to Olmo, who received it brilliantly to slot past Oblak for his third goal in two games. Much maligned, Olmo is finally picking up form at just the right time of the season. Hopefully this is a sign of good things to co -

He is out injured. 

In a terrible case of bad luck, Olmo twisted his shoulder when he landed awkwardly after scoring the goal, and was immediately substituted. Shortly after, Pedri also went down andneeded to come off, but it was more cramps and exhaustion than injury. This was his first start since returning from injury and despite not being at his best, was still galaxies the best player on the pitch yesterday.

And after that change, Barcelona seemed to lose their sense of direction. With the introduction of Sorloth for Atlético, I started to worry that we would serve him the platform for the annual Sorloth masterclass against Barcelona with how we were playing. 

Barcelona completely lost control of the match, with Casado and Ferran failing to match the intensity of the vacating Raphinha and Pedri. Atlético began to rush Barcelona, winning the ball high, playing through the press, and making runs in behind that high line like they had not done before since the match began. They looked very likely to score, but failed to capitalize on their moments of dominance.

And it was Barcelona who would drive the dagger into their red and white hearts when Rashford fed the underlapping Balde a beautiful pass into space that Balde then crossed to Ferran, who slotted home for 3-1.

That win makes it 3 wins out of 3 (with ten goals scored and just two conceded!) for Barcelona at the Camp Nou to continue marking a dream return home for Culers all over the world. The transformation of Camp Nou into a fortress is only just beginning! Buckle up, Culers, because we are in for a fantastic ride at the Camp Nou.

The win stretches the Blaugrana's lead at the top of the pile to 37 points, temporarily four ahead of Real Madrid, who will be visiting Athletic Club later on today. Let's hope that the Blancos can continue their capitulation for the good of humanity.