Five things we noticed: Atlético v Barcelona

Messi never tires
Many wondered how Lionel Messi would perform after an exhausting, romantic week on general avocation – though clearly they need not have worried. The Argentina brazen requisitioned his bum group a FIFA World Cup place with a hat-trick divided to Ecuador on Tuesday and afterwards faced a overpowering outing behind from Quito, nonetheless he raced out of a blocks in Madrid. Close to scoring in a really initial minute, a Barça No10 crashed a free-kick opposite Jan Oblak’s crossbar in a second half and struck fear into a Rojiblancos’ counterclaim throughout.

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Watch Saúl’s stunner opposite Bayern

Better call Saúl
Some players were only innate for a grand occasions – and Saúl Ñíguez deserves a place high adult a list. The Atlético midfielder has done a robe of scoring good goals in large games, conjuring a work of art opposite Bayern in a UEFA Champions League semi-finals in 2015/16 and putting his side 1-0 adult divided to Real Madrid during a same theatre final term. He also got Spain off a symbol in this summer’s UEFA European Under-21 Championship before finishing as tip scorer, and a male from Elche was during it again on Saturday. Beating Marc-André ter Stegen with an glorious right-footed shot, Saúl set adult what would have been a important victory.

Barça exclude to be beaten
Having strung together 9 uninterrupted wins in all competitions, Barcelona found themselves in an unknown position as a time ticked down in Madrid. Trailing 1-0, a visitors seemed unfailing for a initial rival better this tenure – until Luis Suárez had a final contend with 8 mins remaining. “After going a whole diversion a idea down, this was not a bad indicate opposite a group that will quarrel for a Liga title,” pronounced a Uruguay forward, whose equaliser means that Barça now lead Madrid by 5 points, and Atleti by six. “Everyone knows that Atlético urge brilliantly and have a tip goalkeeper.”

Jan Oblak was in glorious form for Atlético©AFP/Getty Images

Keepers locate a eye
Oblak positively excelled, though he was distant from alone in diversion that supposing a goalkeeping masterclass during both ends. Some of a many rarely rated players in universe football were parading their talents during a Estadio Metropolitano, nonetheless it was a group between a posts who finished adult branch heads. Ter Stegen and his Polish reflection done a whole fibre of marvellous stops, and it was down to them that an interesting diversion constructed only dual goals. Together, a span have conceded only 8 times in 16 Liga outings this term.

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Valverde’s variations
Barcelona’s skeleton for a deteriorate took an early blow when summer signing Ousmane Dembélé was struck down with a hamstring injury in mid-September. Gone was a actor charged with replacing Neymar during a left tip of a Catalan club’s 4-3-3 arrangement – a French general ruled out until 2018 – though manager Ernesto Valverde persisted with a arrangement in a initial few weeks. More recently, a male nicknamed ‘Txingurri’ (‘Ant’ in Basque) has mutated his approach, and opposite Atlético he opted for 4-1-4-1, fielding Luis Suárez as a sole striker. The Barça No9 eventually cumulative his group a point, though what Valverde does subsequent stays to be seen.

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