Olmo Scores, Suffers Shoulder Injury as Barcelona Defeats Atlético Madrid 3-1
MADRID (AP) – Barcelona extended its lead in the spanish league with a 3-1 comeback victory over Atlético Madrid on Tuesday, though the win was tempered by an injury to goalscorer Dani Olmo.
Atlético opened the scoring in the 19th minute with a goal from Álex Baena, capitalizing on a long pass from Nahuel Molina. The goal was confirmed after a VAR review for offside. Barcelona quickly responded, with Raphinha leveling the score in the 26th minute after a through ball from Pedri allowed him to beat Atlético goalkeeper Jan Oblak.
The match’s pivotal moment arrived in the 65th minute when Olmo put Barcelona ahead with a left-footed strike.Though,the goal came at a cost,as the barcelona playmaker fell awkwardly and injured his left shoulder in the process. He was promptly substituted and required assistance from the club’s medical staff to leave the field.
“It was a key match and these three points were important,” Raphinha said following Barcelona’s fifth consecutive league win. “They could help decide the league in the end.”
Barcelona was awarded a penalty in the 36th minute after Olmo was fouled by Pablo Barrios, but robert Lewandowski’s attempt sailed over the crossbar.
Despite a late push from Atlético, including a near-equalizer from Thiago Almada in the 80th minute, Barcelona secured the victory with a stoppage-time goal from Ferran Torres, who had replaced the injured Olmo.
The result leaves Barcelona four points clear of Real Madrid in the league standings. Atlético Madrid, currently in fourth place, now trails Barcelona by six points after 15 matches. Diego Simeone’s team had previously been on a seven-game winning streak across all competitions.
“Barça played better,” conceded Atlético goalkeeper Jan Oblak. “We had a couple of chances to equalize but we couldn’t get it done. Unfortunately this ends our good run,but we have to lift our heads and move on.”
The 19th-round match was scheduled early to accommodate both teams’ participation in the Spanish Super Cup in January, alongside Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao. Barcelona continues to play at a partially renovated Camp Nou, with limited capacity due to ongoing work.
Both teams suffered injuries during the second half, with barcelona substituting Pedri in the 74th minute and Atlético replacing Baena in the 63rd.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Tales Azzoni, The Associated Press
