Barcelona 1-0 Atletico Madrid: 5 Talking Points as Ferran Torres secures all three points for the Catalans | La Liga 2022-23
Barcelona beat Atletico Madrid 1-0 at the Spotify Camp Nou on Sunday, April 23.
Barcelona looked like the dominant side from the beginning, barring one or two passages of play by the visitors. The Catalans kept creating chances, but lacked the end product. With Atletico Madrid overloading the center in defense, chances in the final third were not easy to come by.
The game intensified as Barcelona shifted gears in search of a goal and were rewarded for their pursuit when Ferran Torres scored one in the 44th minute of the game. The Spanish international slotted the ball in the bottom corner after some good work down the right wing by Raphinha.
Barcelona tried to double their advantage in the second half, but couldn't find the back of the net again as Atletico Madrid defended well.
On that note, here's a look at the five biggest talking points from the game:
#5 Ferran Torres to the rescue
Ferran Torres scored the only goal of the game as he secured the three points for his side. The Spanish international has been criticized for his recent performances by the Spanish media and fans.
Torres broke the deadlock on the brink of half-time as he put one past Jan Oblak in the 44th minute. The 23-year-old was composed when the ball came to him on the edge of the box and placed it in the bottom corner.
#4 Atletico Madrid did not put up a show
Atletico Madrid missed the chance to keep the pressure on Real Madrid. Had Diego Simeone's men taken all three points, they would have inched closer to their second-placed city rivals.
Atletico Madrid failed to put up a fight as Barcelona dominated most of the game. They failed to test Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who clinched his 23rd clean sheet of the season.
Atletico are third with 60 points after 30 games and Real Madrid are second with 65 points after having played 30 games. The race for second place between the neighbors will go right down to the wire.
#3 Robert Lewandowski's goalless run continues
Robert Lewandowski's form is a bit of a concern for Barca. The Polish international is lacking confidence in front of goal and has failed to score in his last four games.
Lewandowski missed an easy chance in the second half against Atletico Madrid as well. In the 76th minute, Barca were through on goal with Lewandowski and Raphinha and only had the Atletico goalkeeper to beat. Oblak rushed out of the box and instead of passing the ball to Raphinha, Lewandowski opted to shoot. The Polish striker fluffed his lines and sent the ball wide of the post.
#2 Barcelona rue missed chances
The Catalans could have added more to the score-sheet had they not been so wasteful in front of goal. The Catalans could have buried the game on multiple occasions, but were let down by their finishing.
Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Gavi all had clear-cut chances, but could not make the most of the opportunities and allowed Atletico Madrid to stay alive in the game. This has been a concern for Barcelona as they have switched off in front of goal on quite a few occasions this season.
#1 Barcelona manage to overturn their slump
Barcelona were on a three-game winless streak ahead of their clash against Atletico Madrid. Their last win was a 4-0 victory over Elche on April 2. Their next game was the Copa del Rey semi-final against Real Madrid, where Los Blancos smashed four goals past them.
Post their exit from the domestic cup, Barca drew blanks against Girona and Levante in the league. But Xavi's men turned up for the big clash against Atletico Madrid and managed to get all three points and are back on track to claim the title.