Barcelona Stars Shine in Thrilling Comeback Victory Over Atletico Madrid

Barcelona demonstrated remarkable resilience, battling through injuries and falling behind early to secure a commanding 3–1 victory over Atlético Madrid.

Álex Baena opened the scoring for the away side before Raphinha netted his first strike in almost three months prior to the interval. Dani Olmo put Barcelona ahead just after the hour mark, sustaining an injury during his celebration, while Pedri and Raphinha also departed the field appearing to be in some discomfort.

As the visitors pressed forward in the final moments, Barcelona defended resolutely until Ferran Torres struck a third goal to emphatically seal a hard-fought triumph for Hansi Flick's squad.

This marks Barcelona's fifth comeback triumph in La Liga this campaign, extending their winning streak to five consecutive league matches. The Catalan giants now sit four points ahead of Real Madrid at the summit, underlining the significance of this determined victory.

A shortage of intensity had plagued Barça throughout this season. Against Atlético, Flick's team displayed the determination and grit that characterized their achievements from the previous campaign.

Barcelona Player Ratings vs. Atlético Madrid (4-2-3-1)

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Joan García—7.0: His sweeper-keeper style effectively neutralized Atlético's offensive strategy.

RB: Jules Koundé—7.5: The 2024–25 iteration of Koundé delivered an outstanding display. He was impeccable in defense while consistently pushing forward with purpose along the right wing.

CB: Pau Cubarsí—7.0: He kept Álex Baena onside for Atlético's opening goal, which perfectly summarized his 2025–26 difficulties.

CB: Gerard Martín—7.9: It wouldn't shock anyone if Martín secures his place as Barça's first-choice left center-back going forward. Another exceptional showing from the La Masia product in the defensive core.

LB: Alejandro Balde—7.5: Made no defensive errors, linked up brilliantly with Raphinha down the left side and provided the assist for Ferran Torres' decisive third goal. A flawless display.

DM: Eric García—7.3: He provided stability in Barcelona's midfield while offering defensive protection. His finest moments came in the closing stages, breaking up Atlético attacks as they hunted for a leveler.

CM: Pedri—8.6: It required only 45 minutes for Pedri to demonstrate just how much Barcelona had missed his presence. In his first start since El Clásico, the midfield magician controlled proceedings at Camp Nou and recorded his first league assist since early October. However, his early exit raises concerns.

RW: Lamine Yamal—8.2: Improved as the match progressed and tormented Dávid Hancko throughout the evening, completing nine successful dribbles. He was slightly wasteful in the attacking third, however.

AM: Dani Olmo—8.1: Olmo appeared threatening in possession for a consecutive match, though his inadequate pressing drew criticism from a visibly frustrated Raphinha. He found the net for the second game running but hurt his shoulder during the celebration.

LW: Raphinha—8.3: Barcelona's entire system elevates when the Brazilian is on the field. He enhances everyone around him through his intelligent movement both with and without possession.

ST: Robert Lewandowski—6.4: An evening to forget for the experienced striker. Some suggest his penalty attempt is still traveling.

Subs not used: Diego Kochen (GK), Wojciech Szczęsny (GK), Roony Bardghji, Jofre Torrents, Tommy Marques, Marc Bernal.

Atlético Madrid (4-4-2)

Starting XI: Jan Oblak; Nahuel Molina, José Maria Giménez, Clément Lenglet, Dávid Hancko; Giuliano Simeone, Pablo Barrios, Johnny Cardoso, Nicolás González; Álex Baena, Julian Álvarez.

Subs used: Koke, Conor Gallagher, Thiago Almada, Alexander Sørloth, Antoine Griezmann.

Player of the Match: Pedri

Barcelona 3–1 Atlético Madrid—How It Unfolded at Camp Nou

Early exchanges followed a predictable pattern where Barcelona sought to control possession and apply high pressure to force dangerous turnovers. Meanwhile, Atlético Madrid aimed to exploit Barça's advanced defensive line with lengthy, diagonal passes behind the defense.

Just before the 20-minute mark, Atlético's approach paid dividends. Nahuel Molina delivered a long ball for the advancing Álex Baena who broke through on goal and chipped Joan García to give the visitors the advantage. The goal was initially ruled offside, but VAR review revealed Pau Cubarsí had kept Baena onside and the strike stood.

As has become customary in La Liga during the Flick era, Barcelona struck back almost immediately after conceding. Six minutes following Baena's opener, Pedri delivered an exquisite pass for Raphinha who raced toward goal, rounded Jan Oblak and slotted home Barça's equalizer with his first goal since September 14.

A moment of brilliance from Dani Olmo saw Pablo Barrios bring him down in the penalty area to present Barça with an ideal chance to take the lead. However, Robert Lewandowski squandered his spot-kick, blasting it high over the crossbar for his second miss of the campaign.

Raphael. Dias. Belloli.#laligahighlights pic.twitter.com/gevth7mKcL

An explosive start to the second period saw both sides trade opportunities. A spectacular moment from Yamal left Raphinha perfectly positioned to claim a second goal, but he pulled his effort wide. Moments later, Julian Álvarez delivered a perfect square ball for Giuliano Simeone, but the Argentine made poor contact and squandered Atlético's finest opportunity since the opener.

Then, an intricate sequence involving Pedri, Olmo and Lewandowski culminated with Olmo firing a weak-foot effort into the bottom corner to give Barcelona the lead in the 65th minute. It was a superbly executed finish from Olmo, but the Spaniard seemed to hurt his shoulder in the follow-through and was forced to leave the match.

To compound matters, Pedri also had to depart after collapsing on the pitch. The recently injured Raphinha was also withdrawn, leaving Barcelona to hold on for the remaining 15 minutes with a patched-up lineup.

With less than 10 minutes remaining, Thiago Almada escaped Barcelona's defenders and faced an empty net to score the equalizer. Remarkably, however, Almada's attempt sailed wide of the target in one of the season's most glaring misses.

Barcelona continued defending with determination. Deep into added time, a brilliant combination freed Marcus Rashford to find Alejandro Balde on the flank. The left-back set up Ferran Torres unmarked in the penalty area as he calmly converted Barça's third to secure all three points with the match's final touch.

Barcelona vs. Atlético Madrid Half-Time Stats

Barcelona vs. Atlético Madrid Full Time Stats