Nobody had achieved it in the League this season. But there is always a first time. And it was Barça that silenced the Metropolitano, a volcanic stadium lit by the apotheosis that Atlético achieved against Inter in the Champions League. Wanting to close their great week, Barça won with authority. With style. With goals from João Félix, Lewandowski and Fermín. But above all, he did it from the pride and vindication of a dedicated team that wants to continue fighting for the League and, in the process, show PSG that it is capable of competing. With the experience of players like Gündogan, who once again provided calm and order. With Lewandowski’s clutch, which he scored and assisted. And with the freshness conveyed by young people like Cubarsí, Fermín and also Héctor Fort, who passed the exam to replace Cancelo with flying colors, he dropped out at the last minute. From bravery and daring, flowing defensively and offensively, the new Barça settled in the opposite field, in a new triumph for Xavi over Simeone. And through clairvoyance and confidence, this Barça is already second in the League, eight points behind Madrid.
Barça is also superior. At first, the improvised triangle formed by Fermín and Sergi Roberto inside with Gündogan acting as a pivot after the discomfort that Christensen noticed in the warm-up suffered a lot. Against teams that press high like Atlético, Barça suffered in the first half hour looking for the key. There were hardly any balls leaking into the attack. In other words, Lewandowski, Raphinha and João Félix practically did not smell the ball, well monitored by the Atlético defense that deployed its full breadth with Molina, Savic, Witsel, Reinildo and Samu Lino. There was a lack of depth, a lack of verticality. Araújo played a lot with a clear penalty on Morata, for offside. And Atlético began to warn with a shot from Pablo Barrios. Cubarsí, once again a starter despite the call from the national team, continued to grow at the Metropolitano to save Barça from a sure goal from Morata.
Xavi, desperate, did not stop giving instructions to his players. Sergi Roberto was in charge of transmitting them. Ter Stegen began to look for long runs to unclog the game and with a forced shot by Raphinha at the near post, Barcelona began to get into the game. Cubarsí, helped by Araújo, began to connect with Fermín and the left lane, well flanked by a very young Héctor Fort, became Barcelona’s best weapon. Another teenager that Xavi will be able to boast about and who made up for Cancelo’s loss with great self-confidence.
Little by little, Barcelona began to feel more comfortable. At the Metropolitano, João Félix could not fail. The winger appeared on the edge of the small area, caught a ball from Lewandoski and finished with his right foot mercilessly against his former team. His celebration was not the same as in Montjuïc. It was much more discreet. He did not climb any fence and celebrated with his teammates.
Amid so much intensity, Xavi Hernández angrily protested that a foul by Pablo Barrios on Ilkay Gündogan was not punished with a warning. He ended up expelled and with Óscar Hernández leading the team. Another classic.
It was Simeone’s turn to intervene. Griezmann and Memphis, two old acquaintances for Barcelona, ??replaced Morata and Lino. It was of little use to them. The Blaugrana feast was about to arrive with Ter Stegen acting as a mere spectator. And when he touched, the German took out his mitt to clear the shots of Llorente and Memphis in two moments, the second at point-blank range.
The rest went to Barcelona. Rodrigo de Paul did everything wrong in the second half. The Argentine’s pass, in a comfortable position, landed at Raphinha’s feet. An improper delivery for a match of this level. The Brazilian chipped the ball, Lewandowski picked it up and hit a shot at the height of the scorer, marking his first goal against Atlético in the Barça shirt. Atlético still tried, with a shot from Riquelme or a volley from Marcos Llorente, which was exceptionally opposed by Ter Stegen to maintain the 0-2 lead. Until Fermín arrived to head the score 0-3 amidst the anxiety that the red and white team was already suffering in defense.
Barça could afford to finish the game with Casadó making his debut in the League and with minutes for Oriol Romeu, Lamine Yamal and Vitor Roque. The Brazilian was able to score the last one. Desperate, Molina knocked him down and Oblak was able to prevent the Brazilian’s goal. The Metropolitano, a stadium where no one had won in the League this season, is not insurmountable. At least for this Barça that is experiencing, just in time, its best moment.
