FC Barcelona and Atlético Madrid failed to decide (2-2) Tuesday night at Camp Nou for the 33rd day of the Spanish championship, and leave Real Madrid, who receives Getafe Thursday (20:00 GMT) , alone in the lead with provisionally a point ahead of Barça.
The Catalans took the advantage twice, first on a corner from Messi slightly diverted by Diego Costa in his own cages (11th) then by a magnificent panenka on penalty of the same Messi (50th), who scored there his 700th goal in professional career, but Atlético returned each time on two penalties transformed by Saul Niguez (19th, 62nd).
A draw strewn with whistles, which does not help anyone: Barça, who got lost in locker room disputes this weekend and disappointing results (three draws and three wins since the resumption on June 11), has almost said goodbye to his title chances … and puts on a volcano his trainer Quique Setién, hired in January in place of Ernesto Valverde to give new life to the blaugrana game, and make him find his missing DNA.
A mission he is not accomplishing, given the lack of brilliance of the game proposed this Tuesday by the Catalans, in a Camp Nou less empty than usual, adorned with thousands of T-shirts flocked to names of supporters installed in the stands for this poster.
And the tacticians’ choices are more than ever misunderstood, when he decided to leave the international and French world champion Antoine Griezmann on the bench for the whole match, only to bring him in at the … 90th minute .
“He is an important player, it’s true that it is hard to bring him in this way, for a player of his level. But circumstances forced me to do that. I could have made another decision, don’t bring him in for example, but you still have the hope that a player like him can do a one-time action that will allow you to win the game. Tomorrow I will speak with him. I will not apologize to him, because it is a decision that I have to take, but I am sure it is a decision that he will understand, because he is a great player, a great professional and a great man “, maintained Quique Setién Tuesday evening at a post-match press conference.
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