Atletico Madrid not getting carried away after moving top of LaLiga

Atletico Madrid must not get carried away after they beat Barcelona to move top of LaLiga, so says Jan Oblak.

Alexander Sorloth’s last-gasp strike sealed a smash-and-grab 2-1 win for Diego Simeone’s team at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on Saturday.

Atleti, who did not have a shot in the first half, equalised through Rodrigo De Paul, who cancelled out Pedri’s opener, before Sorloth sent them top of the table.

It marked Atletico’s first away win over Barca in LaLiga since February 2006, snapping their second-worst winless streak away from home against the same opponent in their history in the competition (19 games), after a run of 20 without a win against the Blaugrana between 1945 and 1963.

But Oblak is keeping his feet firmly on the ground.

“I hadn’t won in Barcelona since I arrived, finally. It was difficult, but we got three points. Let’s continue in this vein,” Oblak told Movistar, after pulling off a string of brilliant saves to keep Barca at bay.

“We started badly, with some fear that nobody understands, because we are in very good shape. After the 1-0 we were able to hold on without conceding the second.

“The league is very long. Today is not key, it’s three points and there are a lot of points left. A month and a half ago we were far away and now we are here.”

3 – Rodrigo de Paul has scored three goals in his last four games in @LaLiga, the same as in his previous 53 games in the competition. 50% of the goals he’s scored for #AtléticoDeMadrid have been from outside the box (7/14). Punch. pic.twitter.com/rkrHdtiOXe

— OptaJose (@OptaJose) December 21, 2024

After restoring parity on the hour mark, De Paul has now scored three goals in his last four LaLiga appearances, as many as in his previous 53 games in the competition.

“When you suffer more, you enjoy it more. We were up against a great rival. It had been many years since Atletico had won here, and we were also playing for the top spot,” De Paul told Movistar.

“It’s exciting to be leaders. It’s a huge satisfaction. When your work pays off, you feel completely satisfied. It’s an honour to wear this shirt, and when things go well it gives me great joy.”