Sensational Lionel Messi free-kick gives Barcelona crucial Atletico Madrid win
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Updated 04/03/2018 at 18:15 GMT
La Liga, Camp Nou - FC Barcelona 1 (Messi 26') Atletico Madrid 0
FC Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid - Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain - March 4, 2018 Barcelona’s Lionel Messi celebrates scoring their first goal
Image credit: Reuters
Lionel Messi’s stunning free-kick strike gave Barcelona a 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid as the Catalans took a giant step towards the 2017/18 La Liga title.
With the gap standing at just five points before kick off, Diego Simeone’s side could have opened up the title race with a victory at the Camp Nou. But the visitors never really troubled Barca, with Messi’s goal the difference.
The Argentine bent his free-kick over the wall to score his 600th professional goal, giving the hosts the lead after 26 minutes and that ultimately proved to be the match-winner. Atletico Madrid’s passive approach saw them keep within touching distance of Barca, but they struggled to create chances.
The result means Barcelona have extended their lead over Atletico Madrid at the top of La Liga to eight points, with many viewing this as the moment Ernesto Valverde’s side were effectively crowned champions.
TALKING POINT
Did Diego Simeone get his tactics wrong? It wasn’t until the hour mark that Atletico Madrid started to play. Of course, it’s not unlike Simeone to set up his team to defend first, particularly in a game of such magnitude, but they were passive in the first half. This was a match that Atleti couldn't afford to lose and yet Simeone’s tactics reduced this to a 45 minute affair, as far as the visitors were concerned. This game might have been very different had Atletico Madrid opened up earlier.
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Head Coach Diego Pablo Simeone of Atletico de Madrid reacts during the La Liga match between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid at Camp Nou on March 4, 2018 in Barcelona, Spain.
Image credit: Getty Images
MAN OF THE MATCH
Philippe Coutinho (Barcelona) Rather bizarrely, given the impressive nature of the win, there weren’t many standout performers in the Barcelona team, or in the Atletico Madrid side either for that matter. Every member of the Catalans’ attacking line played well, with Messi curling home a stunning winner, but this was yet another sign that Philippe Coutinho is starting to find his feet at his new club. He was key in opening up the space between Atleti’s defence and midfield.
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FC Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid - Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain - March 4, 2018 Barcelona’s Philippe Coutinho in action with Atletico Madrid's Thomas Partey
Image credit: Reuters
PLAYER RATINGS
Barcelona - Ter Stegen 5, Roberto 6, Pique 6, Umtiti 7, Alba 7, Busquets 7, Iniesta 6, Rakitic 7, Coutinho 7, Messi 7, Suarez 6. Subs - Paulinho 5, Gomes 5.
Atletico Madrid - Oblak 7, Vrsalijko 6, Gimenez 5, Godin 5, Filipe 5, Saul 6, Thomas 7, Gabi 5, Koke 5, Costa 6, Griezmann 6. Subs - Correa 6, Gameiro 5, Lucas 5.
KEY MOMENTS
24’ INIESTA INJURY! Uh oh. The Barcelona playmaker is going to have to come off. Iniesta looks to have pulled his hamstring and Paulinho has been sent to go warm up. Not a good sign.
26’ GOAL! Barcelona 1-0 Atletico Madrid: He's done it again! How many times have we seen Messi do that? He curls a left-footed freekick into the top corner of the net. Oblak got a touch on it, but just couldn't keep it out. Barca have the lead!
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Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona scores the opening goal during the La Liga match between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid at Camp Nou on March 4, 2018 in Barcelona, Spain.
Image credit: Getty Images
33’ WHAT A BLOCK! Just as it looked like Suarez was going to slide a finish past Oblak, Gimenez makes a sliding block. He needed to get there, otherwise his team would have been 2-0 down.
76’ SUAREZ GOAL CHALKED OFF! The Barcelona striker believes that he has scored his team's second, but the flag was up for offside. He was clearly beyond the last defender.
86’ GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.......NO! Atletico Madrid have a goal ruled out in controversial circumstances. Costa knows down to Gameiro, who slams home the finish, but it's disallowed!
KEY STATS
Lionel Messi scored a direct free-kick for the third successive La Liga game for the first time in his career.
Messi has now scored a total of 600 goals over the course of his professional career (for Barcelona and Argentina).
This is the first time that Diego Simeone has ever los to Ernesto Valverde as a manager.
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