Barcelona v Atlético Madrid: five things we learned
Thursday, September 22, 2016
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Barcelona and Atlético Madrid drew 1-1 on Wednesday, with Lionel Messi picking up an injury. Joe Walker discusses the biggest talking points in the biggest game of the Liga season to date.
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1. Griezmann: all-round good guy
Antoine Griezmann might be down on the teamsheet as a forward, but he is much more than a goalscorer. He was indefatigable as he dropped deep, pressed the Barcelona midfield and even launched counterattacks from inside his own box when helping out at the back. It was a wonderful, selfless display from a player who seemed to cover every blade of grass in aid of the cause.
2. It only takes a minute
The Camp Nou held its breath as a groin problem saw Lionel Messi depart in obvious discomfort on 59 minutes. Barcelona were leading 1-0, and Diego Simeone used the stoppage in play to make a double change of his own. Fernando Torres and Ángel Correa came on in search of an equaliser and within 60 seconds they combined to score it. A minute is a long time in football ...
3. UEFA Champions League injury worries
Barcelona have confirmed that Messi will be sidelined for three weeks, ruling him out of Wednesday's trip to Mönchengladbach in the UEFA Champions League. With the visit of former boss Josep Guardiola and his Manchester City side less than a month away, Luis Enrique faces an anxious wait. He will also hope that Sergio Busquets, withdrawn through illness five minutes into the second half, makes a speedy recovery.
4. Barça not afraid to mix it up
The Catalan giants showed that with Plan A not working against a well-marshalled Atlético defence, they are not afraid to switch to a more direct Plan B. Andrés Iniesta's perfect cross was nodded in by Ivan Rakitić to open the scoring in the first half, while Gerard Piqué headed wide with minutes remaining from a similar position. As if their attacking potency was not enough, it is something else for opposition defences to worry about.
5. Iniesta still the boss
Atlético Madrid may well have the potential future midfield of the Spain national team in Koke and Saúl Ñíguez, but Iniesta showed that – for the time being at least – he is still the master. It was a vintage display. In addition to his wonderful assist he pulled the strings and was at the heart of much of the good his side did going forwards.