Joao Felix came back to haunt Atletico Madrid as the Portugal forward scored the only goal of the game in Barcelona's 1-0 win on December 3.
The Catalans moved above Atletico in the table thanks to a clever first-half finish from Joao Felix, who joined Barca on loan from the capital club and has since spoken in less-than-glowing terms about their style of football.
That said, Atleti have been La Liga's in-form team in recent weeks, winning 13 of their past 14 matches in all competitions before today. In the end, they paid the price for a timid first-half showing and a failure to take their chances after the interval.
Earlier this week, Antoine Griezmann said João Félix "lacked the consistency" to succeed at Atlético Madrid.
Saúl Ñiguez also said Félix "could have done things" better at the club.
Today, Félix responded by scoring the winner for Barcelona against his parent club ???? pic.twitter.com/IOjn487S1l
Barca could have extended their advantage, with Raphinha hitting the post and Robert Lewandowski missing a couple of clear-cut chances, making this the ninth time in a row that Xavi's men have won by a single goal. Yet, given the scrutiny on the head coach and the fact they face a derby match against high-flying Girona next, this was a potentially pivotal performance and victory.
Inaki Pena, keeping his place ahead of the injured Marc-Andre ter Stegen, made a brilliant save to turn Memphis Depay's free-kick onto the crossbar, and he also repelled a shot from Angel Correa deep into stoppage time. But this was a night that belonged to Joao Felix, who came into the game feeling he had a point to prove against Atleti. He certainly did so.
Barca are now four points behind Real Madrid and Girona in La Liga after 14 matches. Atleti, in fourth, are three points further back. You sense this is a title race that has a long way to run.
The Sporting News followed the match live, providing score updates, commentary, and highlights below.
Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid final score Final Goalscorers FCB 1 Joao Felix (29') ATM 0Confirmed lineups:
Barcelona (4-3-3, right to left): 13. Pena (GK) — 23. Kounde, 4. Araujo, 15. Christensen, 2. Cancelo — 8. Pedri (32. Lopez), 22. Gundogan, 21. De Jong — 11. Raphinha (27. Lamine Yamal), 9. Lewandowski, 14. Joao Felix (7. Torres).
Atletico Madrid (3-5-2, right to left):13. Oblak (GK) — 2. Gimenez (3. Azpilicueta), 20. Witsel, 22. Hermoso — 16. Molina (12. Lino), 14. Llorente, 6. Koke (8. Saul), 5. De Paul, 25. Riquelme (10. Correa) — 7. Griezmann, 19. Morata (9. Depay).
Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid live updates, highlights Fulltime: Barcelona 1-0 Atletico MadridAtleti get forward one more time, Pena punches... and that's that! Barcelona hold on for a big, big win in the La Liga title race.
90 + 4 mins: CORREA! Oblak launches a free-kick forward, the ball breaks for Correa just inside the box, but Pena stands firm and sticks out an arm to make the save! Brilliant from the keeper.
90 + 1 mins: A brilliant ball from De Paul releases Depay, but his attempted square pass from just inside the area was mishit. Could he have gone for goal? Araujo had done really well to make up the ground and cover, so perhaps not. VAR checks quickly for a push on Lino, but nothing doing.
89 mins: It's all Atletico at the moment. Most of this game has seen one team attacking the other towards the same side of the pitch: Barca in the first half, and Atleti in the second. The champions are holding firm, though.
86 mins: LEWANDOWSKI! Barca's No. 9 sprints forward on the break, dummies past the covering Hermoso but shoots wide from the edge of the six-yard box. The angle didn't favour a right-foot finish, but for a goalscorer of his credentials, that should have been 2-0.
82 mins: Araujo concedes a foul on the edge of the box. Atleti players demand a second yellow card, but the referee is unmoved. At least, he's unmoved until he decides to jog over to the touchline to book Xavi for something the Barca coach said. Griezmann shoots from the free-kick but it hits... well, it hits the arm of De Jong in the wall. It's checked, but no penalty (correctly).
80 mins: BRILLIANT SAVE, PENA! Depay tries his luck from the free-kick and the Barca goalkeeper gets a hand on it to claw the ball onto the bar and away! His defenders swarm him in celebration — what a stop that was from the back-up keeper.
79 mins: Kounde is penalised for a foul on Depay, which looked harsh. Araujo argues the point, and he goes into the book. Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez appears on a mission to show yellow cards to everyone today.
78 mins: Ferran Torres is on for Joao Felix, who gets a rousing reception as he goes off. Within a minute, Torres goes through the back of Llorente and gets booked. Impressive.
João Félix received a standing ovation as he was subbed off after an impressive display against Atleti ???? pic.twitter.com/FSGKahbVKI
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) December 3, 202375 mins: KOUNDE! What a chance! Barca break and Gundogan lifts a pass into the path of the full-back, who was charging into the box. He seemed to consider his options as the ball dropped and, rather than shoot, he tried to square the ball... and mishit it. Big opportunity for Barca.
72 mins: Depay has made a difference since coming on. He drives towards the box and the ball breaks to Azpilicueta, whose cross just evades the control of Correa, who should have done better. This is game is still open.
69 mins: Depay shows some nice control but his attempted throughball to Griezmann is intercepted easily by Christensen. Atleti need a better end product if they are to get back into this.
65 mins: Saul Niguez and Memphis Depay are on for Morata and Koke. Simeone has now played all his cards off the bench.
61 mins: MORATA! Llorente fizzes a low cross in from the right, Morata just gets there ahead of Pena, but the ball deflects off the striker and behind for a goal kick.
59 mins: Chance for Griezmann! Atleti's wing-backs combine well but the move ends with Griezmann rippling the side netting.
58 mins: OFF THE POST FROM RAPHINHA! The Brazilian plays a one-two with Pedri before smacking the base of the post from the edge of the box. Good effort.
50 mins: Correa robs Joao Felix and the Barca man hauls him down near the penalty area, getting a yellow card for his troubles. The set-piece comes to nothing.
48 mins: Azpilicueta has already gone in the book, which probably isn't what Simeone wanted to see.
46 mins: We're back underway at the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona.
Second half: Barcelona 1-0 Atletico MadridSimeone makes a triple change, with Cesar Azpilicueta and Samuel Lino on for the booked Gimenez and Molina, and Angel Correa on for Riquelme.
Halftime: Barcelona 1-0 Atletico MadridThe referee brings things to a close as Pedri is penalised for a foul. Barca will take a 1-0 lead into the break.
1 - João Félix has scored in his first official game against Atlético de Madrid, having failed to score in eight games against Barcelona in all competitions with Los Rojiblancos.
Law. pic.twitter.com/89oorQvqP2
45 mins: We're into three added minutes at the end of the half.
44 mins: OBLAK DENIES JOAO FELIX! Koke again loses the ball and Lewandowski slides it through to Gundogan as the midfielder runs into the penalty area. His cut-back is prodded goalwards by Joao Felix but Oblak makes a good reaction save. The Barca man had his ankle stood on by Hermoso in the attempt, but no foul is given.
— El Chiringuito TV (@elchiringuitotv) December 3, 202342 mins: Ilkay Gundogan intercepts a Koke pass and lofts the ball over the defence to Lewandowski, but Witsel catches up to make a good challenge. It's been another frustrating game on a personal level for the Poland star.
40th min: Joao Felix is making this all about him. He scores a goal, gets shoved over at a corner, and now his every touch is being cheered by the home fans.
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) December 3, 202336 mins: Griezmann! Great block from Frenkie de Jong. Marcos Llorente bundles his way down the right wing and his low cut-back finds Griezmann, who takes a touch but sees De Jong block his shot well.
33 mins: Chance for an equaliser! Griezmann's good pass picks out Alvaro Morata, who tees up Hermoso just inside the box. He takes a touch and fires narrowly wide with his left foot.
29 mins: GOAL FOR BARCELONA! It just had to be Joao Felix against his old club! Raphinha drives infield and passes to the forward, who wins a 50-50 against Molina and lifts a finish over Oblak and into the net!
Australia:
— Optus Sport (@OptusSport) December 3, 2023UK:
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) December 3, 202327 mins: Barca are still controlling possession but they're not having much joy with it. Atletico have weathered the early storm and look quite comfortable now.
20 mins: Atleti have been pretty deep in these early exchanges. They're keeping Barca at bay for now, but it's risky. They get forward this time, but Antoine Griezmann is offside from Rodrigo De Paul's throughball.
15 mins: This has been excellent from Barca early on, but if they keep missing these chances, the doubts are going to creep in. As I type that, Atleti win a free-kick in a promising position after Joao Cancelo catches Nahuel Molina on the ankle... but it comes to nothing.
13 mins: LEWANDOWSKI! What a chance! Raphinha feeds Jules Kounde down the right and his cross picks out Lewandowski 12 yards out. Remember that volley in the five-goals-in-nine-minutes miracle for Bayern Munich all those years ago? It was like that, but it came off his shin and went wide.
11 mins: We've settled down a little now, but it's been high-quality stuff so far. Both sides have been sharp in possession and immaculate in their defensive shapes (Atleti in particular).
6 mins: A scramble in the Barca box sees Ronald Araujo clear the ball from in front of the goal line. Barca go on the attack and Lewandowski misjudges a header from six yards out. What a flipping start this is!
3 mins: Robert Lewandowski with a half-chance blocked behind by Mario Hermoso. Jan Oblak claims the corner at the second attempt.
2 mins: Early chance for Raphinha! He skips his way through a crowded box but drags a right-footed shot wide. What a good early opportunity to prove your worth!
Kickoff!5 mins before KO: There's been a late change to the Barca lineup: Inigo Martinez has pulled up in the warm-up and will be replaced by Andreas Christensen.
15 mins before KO: We're approaching kickoff in Barcelona. I can't wait for this one. Place your bets, people!
30 mins before KO: Simeone certainly sees little reason to criticise Xavi. Speaking to Movistar before tonight's match, the Atletico boss said: "Xavi has given Barca back what they've always been. He respects the style and that shows. They attack well and defend better, which is what made them champions last season. They're a difficult team."
1 hour before KO: Interesting to see Atleti go with an unchanged lineup but, according to their published team graphic, with Axel Witsel and Jose Gimenez swapping positions in the back line. This could be a big game for Raphinha: according to some reports in Spain, he will have the coming few matches to prove his worth to Barca, or he will be made available for transfer in January.
Team newsIt's most as expected for Barcelona. Raphinha has been given the nod ahead of Lamine Yamal in attack, while Joao Cancelo continues at left-back in place of Alex Balde.
???? BARÇA XI ????#BarçaAtleti pic.twitter.com/8Y9ubaYe3s
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) December 3, 2023Atletico had been expected to recall Samuel Lino at left wing-back, but Rodrigo Riquelme keeps his place.
???? Get ready. pic.twitter.com/JO1OGlvibm
— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) December 3, 20231 hour 30 mins before KO: This is arguably a bigger game for Barcelona since their next match is a Catalan derby against Girona, the surprise early title-challengers. If they were to win neither of these next two games, serious questions will start to be asked of Xavi.
⏳ Less than 2 hours to showtime! #BarçaAtleti pic.twitter.com/afEU4nlW52
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) December 3, 20232 hours before KO: Today bits familiar foes against their old teams: Joao Felix, who is on loan from Atletico at Barcelona; and Antoine Griezmann, who spent three years at Camp Nou before returning to the capital. Griezmann is just four goals away from becoming the top scorer in Atletico history.
2 hours 30 mins before KO: Barca have won the past three meetings between these sides by an aggregate score of 6-2. Before then, they were on a run of five games without a win against Atleti.
However, Atleti haven't won a league game away at Barca since May 2006, when Fernando Torres scored twice in a 3-1 win.
3 hours before KO: What a huge match this could be in La Liga's title race in 2023/24. Atletico Madrid can truly lay down a marker should they win at the home of the champions, while Barcelona have some doubters they want to silence.
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— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) December 3, 2023 What time does Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid kick off?This La Liga clash takes place at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in Barcelona, Spain and kicks off on Sunday, December 3 at 9:00 p.m. local time.
Here's how that time translates across some of the major territories:
Date Kickoff time USA Sun Dec. 3 3 p.m. ET Canada Sun Dec. 3 3 p.m. ET UK Sun Dec. 3 8 p.m. GMT Australia Mon, Dec. 4 7 a.m. AEDT India Mon, Dec. 4 1:30 a.m. IST Hong Kong Mon, Dec. 4 4 a.m. HKT Malaysia Mon, Dec. 4 4 a.m. MYT Singapore Mon, Dec. 4 4 a.m. SGT New Zealand Mon, Dec. 4 9 a.m. NZDT Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid live stream, TV channelHere's how to watch this Premier League match across selected areas of the world's major regions:
Region TV Streaming USA — ESPN+, ESPN Deportes Canada —TSN+
UK ITV 4, Viaplay Sports 1 ITVX, La Liga TV Australia — Optus Sport India — — Hong Kong Now Sports 2 Now TV Malaysia beIN Sports beIN Sports Connect, sooka Singapore beIN Sports beIN Sports Connect, StarHub TV+ New Zealand — —USA: This game is available via ESPN+ with Spanish-language options available via ESPN Deportes.
Canada: This match is live streaming exclusively via TSN+ in Canada.
Australia: Fans in Australia can stream every match live and on demand on Optus Sport.
UK: This match is available via live broadcast on ITV4 and Viaplay Sports with streaming options on La Liga TV and ITVX.
Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid lineups, team newsBarcelona's injury picture remains unchanged following their 2-1 Champions League win over Porto with Gavi the only long-term absentee.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen was not risked against Porto and is still not ready to return, so Inaki Pena will keep his place. Inigo Martinez was due to start but was injured in the warm-up, so Andreas Christensen took his place.
Barcelona lineup (4-3-3, right to left): Pena (GK) — Kounde, Araujo, Christensen, Cancelo — Pedri, Gundogan, De Jong — Raphinha, Lewandowski, Joao Felix.
Barcelona subs: Balde, Torres, Christensen, Romeu, Roberto, Astralaga, Lamine Yamal, Kochen, Fermin Lopez
Simeone also has no fresh injuries to report after a 3-1 win at Feyenoord. Samuel Lino is expected to return but the team, spearheaded by in-form attacking pair Alvaro Morata and Antoine Griezmann, is not likely to change much.
Atletico Madrid lineup (3-5-2, right to left): Oblak (GK) — Gimenez, Witsel, Hermoso — Molina, Llorente, Koke, De Paul, Riquelme — Griezmann, Morata.
Atletico Madrid subs: Grbic, Gomis, Azpilicueta, Soyuncu, Savic, Javi Galan, Reinildo, Saul, Lino, Depay, Correa
Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid prediction, oddsBoth sides head into this clash on the back of morale-boosting European wins and Barcelona have only lost to Real Madrid at home so far this season.
Previous clashes between the two teams suggest this will be a close battle, with Barcelona edging out two 1-0 wins last season, but Atletico have regained some of their old Simeone-inspired grit in 2023/24 and could grab a point.
Prediction: Barcelona 1-1 Atletico Madrid
BARwin Draw ATL
win Both teams
to score Y / N Over / Under
2.5 goals DraftKings
(USA) -115 +265 +265 -155 / +120 -129 / +110
