Atletico Madrid, having entered the match level on points with Barcelona, were under pressure for most of the evening. They weathered an intense storm of Barcelona attacks, with several key chances going begging. In the 25th minute, Gavi found himself unmarked in front of goal after a cross from Raphinha, but he squandered the opportunity, sending his header wide. However, Gavi quickly redeemed himself, setting up Pedri for the opening goal shortly after. Barcelona continued to create chances, with Fermin Lopez testing Oblak with a solid shot and Pedri coming close with a strike just over the crossbar. Raphinha also hit the woodwork with a lobbed shot, and later missed a one-on-one with Oblak, leaving Barcelona frustrated as they failed to extend their lead.

The turning point came in the second half when Atletico seized on a mistake by Barcelona's Marc Casado. Rodrigo De Paul pounced on a poor backheel clearance from Casado and slotted the ball into the bottom corner to bring Atletico level. With Barcelona continuing to push forward, they were stunned when Sorloth capitalized on a cross from Nahuel Molina in the dying moments of the match. His clinical finish secured Atletico's 12th consecutive win in all competitions, propelling them to the top of La Liga. The victory means Atletico will end 2024 as the league leaders, three points ahead of Barcelona, who have played one game more. Barcelona's recent form has seen them slip from a 10-point lead over Atletico earlier in the season, and this loss, their third consecutive at home in the league, leaves them in danger of falling to third place if Real Madrid beats Sevilla.