Barcelona lost Lionel Messi to injury and failed to capitalise on Real Madrid’s draw as they were held 1-1 by Atletico Madrid in La Liga on Wednesday.
Barca reverted to their usual 4-3-3, with Sergio Busquets returning to anchor the midfield, as Atleti opted for experience by bringing Gabi and Juanfran back to the fold.
Luis Enrique had won seven of his eight previous meetings with Diego Simeone, although the Argentine’s only victory knocked Barca out of the Champions League last season.
Barca immediately went about dominating possesion, but Atleti were extremely disciplined at the back. Still, Messi did what Messi did best apart from scoring, cutting inside from the right and curling a shot on target, but Oblak saw it all the way. Andres Iniesta was then teed up by Messi around 15 yards from Oblak’s goal, though his powerful shot was straight at the Slovene.
However, the best chances arguably fell to Atleti on the counterattack. Marc-Andre ter Stegen an important save to push away Yannick Carrasco’s shot from the edge of the box after the winger came in from the left as Kevin Gameiro was found to Antoine Griezmann’s left in the Barca box, although Javier Mascherano made a crucial block on striker’s shot.
Griezmann followed up by running onto a through ball in the Catalans’ box, but Ter Stegen was off his line quickly to gather. Carrasco then got a second nibble of Ter Stegen’s goal on the half-hour mark, only for his shot to flash a yard wide of the German’s left-hand post.
Neymar nonetheless came even closer, the Brazilian wrapping his foot around the ball from a block on Messi and curling a shot inches wide of the target, yet his side worked the short corner as Iniesta whipped a cross into the box, which Ivan Rakitic glanced past Oblak, having ghosted into the penalty area unmarked.
Griezmann almost scored directly from the restart as Ter Stegen had to get down low to keep out the forward’s shot, before Suarez made plenty of headway down the right, although neither Messi nor Neymar could connect with his cutback.
Suarez picked out the run of Neymar perfectly with a switch, but Oblak sprang off his line quickly to make the clearance. The chance, however, was preceded by Busquets seemingly pulling up with a knock, enough to force him off as Messi then had to leave the field, having been spotted touching his pelvic area, where he recently suffered an injury.
Helped by two inspirational substitutions, Atleti took full advantage of Barca’s sudden transition. Fernando Torres’ first touch of the game was a flick for Angel Correa that saw Pique taken out of the game and Mascherano slip for the Argentine to face Ter Stegen one-on-one, and the latter’s finish went in off the post.
Both teams went at it hammer and tong for the remainder of the match, albeit with chances still at a premium, although Neymar wasted two, first attempting a quick response with a curling shot from the edge of the box that whistled just wide, before running onto a switch and taking on Juanfran but seeing his shot pushed away by Oblak.
It was then Gerard Pique’s turn to fluff his lines as the stopper rose above the Atleti defence from Neymar’s left-wing free kick but headed inches away from the target.
Pique was involved again moments later, but not before Arda Turan was laid off in the Atleti box and had his close-range shot blocked over the bar! Showing great determination to win another header from Mascherano’s high cross, Oblak easily denied the defender.
Iniesta bent a shot at Oblak’s goal from just outside Los Colchoneros’ box as Neymar opted for a short corner in similar vein to Rakitic’s opener, but his effort flew half-a-yard over, along with Barca’s hopes of a victory.
Barcelona 1-1 Atletico Madrid
Rakitic 41 (B) Correa 61 (AM)
Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Sergi, Pique, Mascherano, Alba; Busquets (Gomes 51), Rakitic, Iniesta; Messi (Arda 59), Suarez, Neymar
Atletico Madrid: Oblak; Juanfran, Savic, Godin, Filipe; Gabi, Koke, Saul (Torres 60), Carrasco (Thomas 73); Griezmann, Gameiro (Correa 60)
Referee: Fernandez Borbalan
