Barcelona stay top of LaLiga after a 2-1 win at Atlético Madrid on Matchday 12. The result shapes the title race through the international break, with Real Madrid now their nearest challengers.

Barcelona came from a goal down to win the meeting of LaLiga’s top two at the Metropolitano. Giuliano Simeone gave Atlético Madrid the lead. Atlético had arrived with nine wins, one draw and one defeat from their first 11 league matches. Barcelona had scored 46 league goals in that same stretch.

The comeback changed the shape of the title race. Losing would have left Barcelona two points behind Atlético, the club’s match report noted. Real Madrid had drawn level at the top by winning at Valencia the day before. Going into Sunday, Barcelona had 30 points and Atlético sat second on 28.

Joan García kept Barcelona alive before Fermín struck

Atlético started strongly. Inside the first seven minutes, Joan García saved when Julián Álvarez was through one-on-one. The goalkeeper also denied Lee Kang-in. Before kick-off, a minute’s silence was held for Jesús de Miguel. Play was briefly stopped again after Atlético’s opening goal for another tribute.

Barcelona drew level on 45 minutes. The equaliser followed a poor clearance by Marc Pubill, and Fermín’s finish beat Jan Oblak. For Fermín, that goal made Barcelona feel freer to play their own game and win.

Hansi Flick reshaped his side at half-time. Frenkie de Jong came on at right-back for Brian Fariñas. Barcelona pressed higher after the break. On 66 minutes, Lamine Yamal’s pass set up Fermín for the winner.

Barcelona avenge last season’s cup defeats by Atlético

The result carries extra weight for Barcelona. Atlético beat them in the Champions League quarter-finals and in the Copa del Rey last season.

In the European tie, Atlético took a 2-0 first-leg win in Barcelona. A 2-1 Barça victory at the Metropolitano on 14 April 2026 did not prevent their exit. The Copa del Rey semi-final followed a similar pattern. Barcelona’s 3-0 second-leg win came after a 4-0 defeat in the first leg.

Flick rated the importance of going into the international break as leaders at 10 on a scale of 0 to 10. He also said it is not easy to win at the Metropolitano. The match closed Matchday 12, which opened on Friday 6 November with Sevilla against Alavés. Javier Alberola Rojas refereed the 21:00 kick-off.

Sources

Football España Editor Posted by