Barcelona extend lead at top of La Liga with 3-1 win over Atletico Madrid

Barca retrieve from extremity down to triumph with strikes from Raphinha, Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres.

Barcelona produced an awesome comeback to beat Atletico Madrid 3-1 and determination 4 points wide astatine the apical of La Liga.

Alex Baena fired Atletico up connected Tuesday but Raphinha equalised for the champions earlier Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres slotted location to extremity the visitors’ tally of 13 consecutive league games without defeat.

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Barca mightiness person been much comfy had Robert Lewandowski not ballooned a archetypal fractional punishment implicit the bar.

Real Madrid, second, sojourn Athletic Bilbao connected Wednesday aiming to peg Barca back, portion Diego Simeone’s Atletico are fourth, six points down the Catalans.

This was Barca’s 5th consecutive La Liga triumph aft losing the Clasico against Madrid successful October, but they person not shone consistently successful that period, and coming against a rubric rival this show gave Flick’s broadside a invited boost.

They were without defender Ronald Araujo, who is taking a intelligence wellness interruption according to Spanish reports, on with sick midfielder Frenkie de Jong and the longer-term absentees.

After a 3-0 thrashing astatine Chelsea past week successful the Champions League, followed by a shaky triumph implicit Alaves to assertion rod presumption successful La Liga, nerves were jangling astatine Camp Nou.

Following a tense start, Atletico took the pb with, predictably, a shot successful down Barcelona’s persistently precocious antiaircraft line.

Baena scampered done connected extremity and bushed Joan Garcia, hardly celebrating due to the fact that helium could consciousness the linesman’s raised emblem down him.

However a VAR reappraisal showed the Spaniard was level with Pau Cubarsi erstwhile helium broke and the extremity was reinstated.

Alex Baena celebrates scoring the opener [David Ramos/Getty Images]

Barcelona responded rapidly and levelled successful the 26th infinitesimal erstwhile Pedri, backmost acceptable to start, played successful Raphinha.

The Brazilian winger, different subordinate precocious backmost from injury, took the shot astir Jan Oblak and slid it into the bare net.

Barca should person taken the pb but Lewandowski spurned a penalty, blazing precocious and wide of Oblak’s extremity aft Pablo Barrios brought down Dani Olmo.

The Polish seasoned astir made amends moments aboriginal but Oblak brilliantly clawed retired his header from Lamine Yamal’s cross.

Raphinha pulled an effort wide aboriginal successful the 2nd fractional erstwhile helium should person deed the people and Giuliano Simeone could not get a cleanable changeable distant with the extremity beckoning astatine the different end.

Olmo, who netted doubly against Alaves connected Saturday, sent Barcelona up with a slick decorativeness aft Lewandowski managed to bundle the shot into his path.

Olmo, a playmaker who has struggled for consistency astatine Barca amid assorted carnal problems, sustained a enarthrosis wounded arsenic helium scored and was replaced by Marcus Rashford.

Olmo gives Barca the pb with a smartly taken extremity [David Ramos/Getty Images]

Pedri, who was controlling the crippled for Barca besides went down wounded aft 70 minutes and Flick replaced him, with fans near hoping it was lone a scare up of adjacent week’s important Champions League lucifer against Frankfurt.

Atletico substitute Thiago Almada had his team’s champion accidental of equalising but aft bursting crossed the punishment country helium mislaid equilibrium and screwed his decorativeness wide arsenic Joan Garcia scrambled.

Oblak saved from Rashford successful stoppage clip earlier Alejandro Balde recovered Torres to headdress Barca’s triumph and assertion his broadside 3 captious points successful the rubric contention portion dealing Atletico’s ain ambitions a blow.

Raphinha praised Barcelona’s resilience successful coming backmost to get the win.

“The important happening is to judge successful the work, we cognize this tin hap successful a batch of games [falling behind] but we are prepared to travel from behind,” the Barcelona skipper told Movistar.

“We are picking up our confidence. We knew this was a cardinal game. Three points are precise important and could determine the league.

Atletico’s keeper said helium was upset by his side’s spurned opportunities.

“We needed to people much goals, Barcelona played good contiguous and had tons of chances. We had 2 chances to equalise but it wasn’t possible,” Oblak told Movistar.

“Their wrong play was causing america problems. They managed to find the spaces and they caused america tons of problems.”