La Liga News: FC Barcelona Triumphs Over Nine-Man Atletico Madrid; Goalkeeper Opens Up After Match
A classic La Liga fixture between two rivals, FC Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, ended in a decisive win for the host team, according to the news reports.
Barcelona came on top and won, 2-1. However, the recent match between two Spanish footballing powerhouses proved to be costly for the club as the players showed signs of extreme exhaustion at the end of the game.
Atletico Madrid started the match full of energy and took an early lead when Koke found the back of the net via a low cross from Saul Ñiguez.
However, Messi led the host team's offense and finally leveled the game in the 31st minute, according to ESPN. Eight minutes later, Luis Suarez scored his 19th goal of the season and put Barcelona on top of the visitors.
The second half of the game followed the same fast-paced action as Atletico Madrid fired shots after shots, only to find the ball deflected by the keeper. Barcelona defenders were able to hold off the relentless attack of Atletico Madrid.
The win puts Barcelona on top of the table with a three-point lead against second spot holders, Atletico Madrid. Based on the latest La Liga news, Barcelona won five of the club's six league games since the winter break through Luis Enrique's steadfast guidance.
Sports analysts predict that Barcelona will be able to hold the top spot with 17 more games to go. The club's remaining fixtures are not that big of threat, except for the visit from another La Liga rival, Real Madrid, which is scheduled early in April.
On the other hand, the biggest La Liga news came in the form of two undisciplined challenges that merited a Red card. Atletico Madrid's Diego Godin and Filipe Luis will not be able to play in club's upcoming fixture due to the penalty which forced the team to play a nine-man handicapped match against one of the best football teams in the world.
In a statement acquired by BBC, Barcelona goalkeeper Claudio Bravo said, "It was a tough game because they were very strong, but we came out on top in the duel and that is thanks to our work in the week."
