Newly-crowned La Liga champions Barcelona came from behind to take all three points against Atletico Madrid in La Liga on Sunday.
The first period had the look of a pre-season fixture, with neither side creating too many opportunities in the opposing half.
Atletico were ahead in the early stages of the second half when Radamel Falcao finished from inside the Barcelona box, but Alexis Sanchez levelled for the away team after 72 minutes.
There was time for a winner, however, with an own goal from Gabi handing all three points to the champions of Spain.
Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action between the two sides.
Match statistics:
Atletico:
Shots: 6
On target: 2
Possession: 42%
Corners: 3
Fouls: 18
Barcelona:
Shots: 9
On target: 3
Possession: 58%
Corners:2
Fouls: 9
Was the result fair?
In truth, a goalless draw would have been a fair result this evening. There is no question that it had the feeling of a pre-season match with neither side too interested in forcing the issue, especially in the first period. Atletico took the lead against the run of play, but both of Barcelona's goals arrived in fortunate circumstances.
Atletico's performance
The capital outfit demonstrated their defensive ability under pressure this evening, but unfortunately they passed up clear chances to take something from the match. There is no question that they had one eye on the Copa del Rey final against Real Madrid on Friday, but they will still feel that they did enough to deserve a point. Ultimately, it is another home defeat for Atletico, who have struggled on their own patch in recent weeks.
Barcelona's performance
Winning ugly is certainly not a bad habit to have. It is not something that is usually connected with Barcelona, but that was the case this evening. In truth, they did not get out of second gear during the entirety, which is not too surprising having already secured the league title courtesy of Real Madrid's draw with Espanyol on Saturday. They played the final 20 minutes or so with 10 men, but still managed to pick up all three points.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Alexis Sanchez: It has not been the best of seasons for the Chilean winger, but he played a key role in their victory this evening. Aside from his goal, which levelled the terms, he caused problems with his pace and direct running, especially in the second period.
Biggest gaffe of the match
Atletico had a glorious chance to score their second of the match on the hour mark when Falcao found Arda Turan in the box, but the Turkish international's touch was poor, allowing Gerard Pique to get back to make the challenge. It would have put the game to bed, but it ended up costing his side the three points.
Referee performance
Pedro Perez had just about as comfortable a 90 minutes as he has had all season. In truth, there was hardly a challenge of note in the first period with neither team prepared to get involved in the scrappy side of the match. He was more involved in the second period, but it was a stroll in the park for the Spanish official.
What next?
Atletico: Atletico will attempt to secure the Copa del Rey trophy when they face rivals Real Madrid in the final on Friday.
Barcelona: The Catalan outfit face their penultimate home match of the season when they welcome Real Valladolid next Sunday.
Matt Law
