Barça comes from behind to beat Atlético 4-2 and regain the lead in Spain.
MADRID (AP) — Atletico Madrid suffered another blow to its season after being eliminated from the Champions League by Real Madrid, which squandered a two-goal lead and lost 4-2 to Barcelona in La Liga on Sunday.
Back at the Metropolitano Stadium, four days after losing on penalties to Madrid in the round of 16 of Europe's premier tournament, Atlético led 2-0 after 70 minutes thanks to goals from Argentine Julián Álvarez and Alexander Sorloth. But the visiting Blaugrana responded with a lightning-fast scoring spree.
Lamine Yamal scored the goal in stoppage time that turned the score around after earlier goals from Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres. Yamal fired a shot that Reinildo Mandava chested down to beat goalkeeper Jan Oblak in the second minute of added time.
"The 120 minutes of the Champions League match weighed on us; the team fell significantly in the end," said Atlético defender Marcos Llorente.
Barcelona regained the lead by reaching 60 points and have a game in hand against Osasuna. Real Madrid, who beat Villarreal 2-1 on Saturday, have the same number of points to sit in second, but the tiebreakers favor the Catalans.
"Beating Atlético today is a real statement. It means regaining the lead with one game less," said Yamal, the 17-year-old young striker.
The result left Atlético four points behind their rivals.
Lewandowski, the league's top scorer, kick-started Barça's comeback with a 72nd-minute goal. Ferran Torres leveled the score with a header six minutes later and completed his brace of the night by scoring in the eighth minute of added time.
Álvarez opened the scoring in the 45th minute and Sorloth extended the red and white lead in the 70th.
This is the first time in the era of Argentine manager Diego Simeone that Atlético has come back from a two-goal lead.
“The first goal they score surprises you; it's instant,” said Atlético Madrid forward Giuliano Simeone, Simeone's son. “It flattens you and leaves you in shock. We were pretty weak at the time. Then, with the second goal, you start to get scared, and from then on, we didn't know how to handle it well.”
Yamal euphorically celebrated the winning goal, which ended his goalless streak in the league since October 26, when he scored in the 4-0 Clásico win over Real Madrid. The La Masía star reached six goals this season and 13 this season.
"I knew that if I scored, it would be in important games. I don't care if I don't score in games the team is winning," Yamal said.
The "Spider" Álvarez, at the center of the midweek controversy for having his penalty disallowed in the decisive shootout against Madrid for a double touch, celebrated his 23rd goal of the season by finishing off a diagonal from Giuliano from the center of the box in one of the team's few opportunities before halftime.
In the first half, Barça were unlucky, with a pair of shots from Yamal and Lewandowski hitting the posts.
Atlético appeared to be on the winning track when Sorloth scored against the Catalans for the sixth time in his last six matches. The Norwegian striker reached 15 goals (11 in the league) after taking advantage of a diagonal pass from Conor Gallagher, firing home from the heart of the box.
But the moment of reaction arrived when Lewandowski pulled one back with his 35th goal of the season (22nd in the local tournament), after controlling a pass from Íñigo Martínez with his chest and finishing with a left-footed shot just off the post.
Torres headed in a Raphina cross to make it 2-2.
Yamal's goal gave Barça their seventh consecutive victory, and they advanced to the Champions League quarterfinals midweek after eliminating Benfica.
“Our lead didn't last long enough to make us stronger,” Simeone lamented. “The 2-1 draw gave Barcelona more attack. That goal hurt us, and they're very good.”
This was the third meeting between the two teams this season, with each side winning one in league matches and drawing 4-4 in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals.
The fourth match of the year between the two teams is scheduled for Wednesday, April 2, with the return leg of their Copa del Rey series.
Other results
Athletic Bilbao strengthened its position in the Champions League qualification zone after a 1-0 away win over Sevilla. Yeray Álvarez scored the winning goal in the 84th minute. The Basque team sits in fourth place with 52 points.
Meanwhile, Sevilla remained in tenth place in the table with 36 points.
In other results, Betis beat Leganés 3-2 away after overturning a two-goal deficit, and Rayo Vallecano drew 2-2 at home with Real Sociedad.
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