Last night, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid went head to head in one of the most dramatic encounters between the two sides in recent memory. Neither team has been having the kind of season they desired with Real Madrid currently running away with the title race, but even with that being the case, they were both still hungry to make a statement at the Nou Camp.
In the end, it was the hosts Barcelona who got the better of the exchanges and walked away with a 4-2 victory.
Alves rolls back the years
Dani Alves, at the age of 38, had about as eventful a game as he’s ever had for Barcelona. Nobody really knew what to expect when it was announced that he’d be returning to the club but based on this evidence, it was a small stroke of genius. Sure, he eventually got sent off, but the fact that he scored and played such an influential role shows that, overall, he still has a lot to contribute in his veteran position.
Atletico drop the ball
Atletico Madrid had a 1-0 lead but instead of doing everything they could to preserve it, they were dragged into a fire fight. It was one-way traffic for large spells and the reigning champions, for the most part, were just bullied in every single department. They didn’t even come close to resembling the team that topped La Liga last season and the reality is that they need to take a long, hard look in the mirror if they want a top four spot.
Barca’s new look
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang featured, Gavi looked great, the veterans were on the ball and Adama Traore played as well as he has done in quite some time. Barcelona had a really strong January transfer window and even though their own fans need to realise this rebuild is going to take time, they should take pride in knowing that Xavi is doing everything in his power to restore the glory days.
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