Spanish La Liga
Atl MadridAtlético Madrid2BarcelonaBarcelona0

Atletico Madrid 2-0 Barcelona: Atletico increase pressure on Barca boss Ronald Koeman

Luis Suarez scores for Atletico Madrid
Luis Suarez has now scored against all 31 teams he faced in La Liga

Reigning champions Atletico Madrid went level with Real Madrid at the top of La Liga and inflicted further damage on Ronald Koeman's struggling Barcelona with a deserved win in Spain's capital.

Thomas Lemar scored the opener, finishing well at the end of a move involving Joao Felix and Suarez.

Suarez then slotted in against his former club to put Atletico in charge.

Antoine Griezmann also featured against his former club as a late substitute as Atletico basked in their superiority.

For all the woe surrounding Barca this season, this loss was actually their first in La Liga - but it leaves them eighth in the table on 12 points, five behind Diego Simeone's side, who are second only on goal difference but have played a game more than rivals Real.

Prior to this, Barca had three wins and three draws to their name, with back-to-back chastening 3-0 losses in the Champions League doing most to harm Koeman's position at the club.

Barca had chances on Saturday, especially at 1-0, with Philippe Coutinho volleying an effort just wide and Frenkie de Jong just inches away from converting from close range following Memphis Depay's header across goal.

Coutinho also had a great chance to get the visitors back into the game in the second half but saw his shot from inside the box saved by Jan Oblak.

Despite having much more of the ball, Barcelona were second best at the Wanda Metropolitano, falling to a defeat that may well test president Joan Laporta's assertion from earlier on Saturday that Koeman would continue at the club regardless of the result in Madrid.external-link

"It's important and well done for his part - because if everything isn't clear in this sense, then it's difficult to work and have the kind of calm you need to try to make the changes we are trying to implement," Koeman said after Saturday's game.

"We know how it is from today moving forwards... We spoke last night on the phone and then again this morning."

Barca now have a two-week break from action for internationals, with their next fixture at home to Valencia on 17 October.

"There's a solution [to what is happening], but it can't be done overnight," added Koeman. "We have to work hard, give time to the youngsters and get back our injured forwards."

Line-ups

Atl Madrid

Formation 3-1-4-2

  • 13Oblak
  • 15Savic
  • 2Giménez
  • 22HermosoSubstituted forFelipeat 81'minutes
  • 6KokeBooked at 78mins
  • 14Llorente
  • 5de PaulBooked at 45minsSubstituted forTrippierat 45'minutes
  • 11Lemar
  • 21CarrascoSubstituted forLodiat 81'minutes
  • 9SuárezSubstituted forGriezmannat 72'minutes
  • 7João FélixSubstituted forCorreaat 72'minutes

Substitutes

  • 1Lecomte
  • 8Griezmann
  • 10Correa
  • 12Lodi
  • 16Herrera
  • 17Saponjic
  • 18Felipe
  • 23Trippier
  • 24Vrsaljko

Barcelona

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 1ter Stegen
  • 22MinguezaSubstituted forL de Jongat 75'minutes
  • 4Araujo
  • 3Piqué
  • 2DestSubstituted forLengletat 86'minutes
  • 28González IglesiasSubstituted forRobertoat 45'minutes
  • 5Busquets
  • 21F de Jong
  • 14CoutinhoSubstituted forAnsu Fatiat 64'minutes
  • 30GaviBooked at 20minsSubstituted forPuig Martíat 75'minutes
  • 9Depay

Substitutes

  • 6Puig Martí
  • 10Ansu Fati
  • 11Demir
  • 13Neto
  • 15Lenglet
  • 17L de Jong
  • 18Alba
  • 20Roberto
  • 23Umtiti
  • 24García
  • 26Peña Sotorres
Referee:
César Soto Grado
Attendance:
60,594

Match Stats

Home TeamAtl MadridAway TeamBarcelona
Possession
Home29%
Away71%
Shots
Home6
Away9
Shots on Target
Home3
Away2
Corners
Home2
Away6
Fouls
Home13
Away10

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Atletico Madrid 2, Barcelona 0.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Atletico Madrid 2, Barcelona 0.

  3. Post update

    Foul by Clément Lenglet (Barcelona).

  4. Post update

    Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid) wins a free kick on the right wing.

  5. Post update

    Gerard Piqué (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  6. Post update

    Foul by Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid).

  7. Substitution

    Substitution, Barcelona. Clément Lenglet replaces Sergiño Dest.

  8. Post update

    Attempt missed. Memphis Depay (Barcelona) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high from a direct free kick.

  9. Post update

    Memphis Depay (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  10. Post update

    Foul by Thomas Lemar (Atletico Madrid).

  11. Substitution

    Substitution, Atletico Madrid. Felipe replaces Mario Hermoso.

  12. Substitution

    Substitution, Atletico Madrid. Renan Lodi replaces Yannick Carrasco.

  13. Booking

    Koke (Atletico Madrid) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  14. Post update

    Ansu Fati (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  15. Post update

    Foul by Koke (Atletico Madrid).

  16. Post update

    Corner, Barcelona. Conceded by José Giménez.

  17. Substitution

    Substitution, Barcelona. Riqui Puig replaces Gavi.

  18. Substitution

    Substitution, Barcelona. Luuk de Jong replaces Óscar Mingueza.

  19. Substitution

    Substitution, Atletico Madrid. Ángel Correa replaces João Félix.

  20. Substitution

    Substitution, Atletico Madrid. Antoine Griezmann replaces Luis Suárez.

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Scores, Results & Fixtures

Saturday 2nd October 2021

As It Stood

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Real Madrid75202181317
2Atl Madrid8521116517
3Real Sociedad7511106416
4Sevilla6420102814
5Osasuna84221111014
6Rayo Vallecano8413138513
7Ath Bilbao834174313
8Valencia8332128412
9Barcelona7331117412
10Real Betis7331117412
11Mallorca8323712-511
12Villarreal61506338
13Celta Vigo7214710-37
14Cádiz8143711-47
15Espanyol713347-36
16Elche713348-46
17Levante8044613-74
18Granada7034512-73
19Alavés7106212-103
20Getafe7007212-100
View full Spanish La Liga table