MADRID — Fermin Lopez struck twice to help Barcelona come from behind to beat Atletico Madrid 2-1 on Sunday, moving the reigning champion three points clear at the top of La Liga.
The Spanish champion leads second-placed Real Madrid, who beat Valencia 3-0 on Saturday, by three points, with Atletico a further two points off the pace in third.
Giuliano Simeone fired Atletico ahead in a high-octane start, before Lopez pulled Barca level shortly before the interval at the Metropolitano Stadium.
The 23-year-old Spain international netted the winner after 66 minutes when Lamine Yamal slipped him in, helping Barca clinch the victory, despite not being at its best.
Last season Atletico defeated Barcelona in the Champions League quarterfinals and also in the Copa del Rey, but the Catalans earned some measure of revenge on Sunday.
"Coming off last season, when they beat us... we knew what they were going to offer — a very difficult game," Lopez told Movistar.
"It got tricky for us in the first half with their goal, but I think we knew how to come back and we had a great match."
After criticism following defeats by Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid in recent weeks, Hansi Flick's side proved it can handle itself in big matches.
"We have the quality to win these matches. I totally believe in the team," Flick told reporters.
"In the second half, especially, we did a great job today, it's not easy to win here."
Atletico coach Diego Simeone said his team performed well, despite the result.
"I have nothing to complain about, we played the match we wanted to play," he told reporters afterward.
"I'm leaving here knowing that we are a work in progress, that we still have things to improve, and that, obviously, we have players who still need to keep growing."
Barca bounces back
The match started at a fast pace and both teams hit the woodwork in the opening stages.
Julian Alvarez, who tried and failed to force a move from Atletico to Barcelona in the summer, rounded goalkeeper Joan Garcia, but could not finish off the chance as the defense blocked his route to goal.
From the resulting corner Atletico defender Marc Pubill headed against the crossbar with Garcia beaten.
At the other end, Pedri crashed a strike against the woodwork after being fed by Barca's teenage star Yamal.
Atletico took the lead in the 10th minute, slicing Barca's defense open. Alvarez crossed for Giuliano Simeone to turn home from close range.
Alvarez was denied by Garcia, as Atletico looked for a second and Barca struggled to click into its top gear.
Despite its struggles, the two teams went in level at the break, with a Barca goal out of nowhere.
Lopez's path to the box was blocked, but the ball bounced loose to the midfielder and he quickly smashed a strike past Jan Oblak.
Early in the second half Alvarez lobbed a good chance over the crossbar when running in on goal.
"He's a great player, we love him. We need the best version of Julian Alvarez, without him we won't get to where we want to be," said Diego Simeone.
The forward came to rue the miss when Barcelona took the lead.
Yamal played a clever pass through Atletico's defense and Lopez kept his cool to beat Oblak again. It was his seventh league goal in 11 top-flight appearances this season.
Barcelona kept Atletico at bay well in the final stages to take three points home from the capital before the international break.
Atletico captain Koke said the players would not let the defeat, the team's first in La Liga since Sept 5, upset them too much.
"I think the team had a really great first half. We had chances to kill off the game and we didn't take them," said Koke.
AFP
