More pain for Atleti as Bara strike pivotal LaLiga title blow

MADRID -- Barcelona delivered a sensational 4-2 comeback win over title rivals Atltico Madrid on Sunday, to go top of the LaLiga table.

Julin lvarez put Atltico ahead in the 45th minute at the Metropolitano -- finishing off a sweeping move involving Antoine Griezmann and Giuliano Simeone -- before substitute Alexander Srloth doubled the hosts' lead, converting Conor Gallagher's cross.

Bara responded with two goals in six minutes from Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres, before a dramatic, 92nd-minute strike from Lamine Yamal -- his shot from distance deflecting off defender Reinildo Mandava -- put them in front, before Torres added a second late on.

The result catapults Barcelona to the top of the table on 60 points, level with Real Madrid, with a game in hand. Atltico are four points behind the pair, and under pressure after two stinging disappointments in four days following their heartbreaking UEFA Champions League exit midweek. -- Alex Kirkland

Bara comeback strikes title blow

You could feel the significance of Bara's stoppage-time goals in the players' celebrations on the pitch.

Yamal peeled his shirt off after his 92nd-minute deflected effort saw Bara come from two down to lead for the first time in the game. When Torres added the fourth moments later, the substitutes poured on to the pitch.

When these two teams met last month in the Copa del Rey semifinal first leg, Bara had come from 2-0 down to lead 4-2. That game ended 4-4. There was to be no such late pain for Hansi Flick's side on Sunday.

It had not been a vintage Bara performance for large parts of the evening. Yamal and Lewandowski both hit the woodwork in the first half, missing Bara's best chances, and neither Pedri nor Raphinha could really get going. Iigo Martnez was too deep for both Atltico goals, playing Gallagher and Griezmann onside respectively, and at 2-0 it looked like Bara were the team who had played 120 minutes plus penalties against Real Madrid on Wednesday.

But Flick's Bara are as fit as any team in the league and there is a spirit growing among the players; a belief, too. That belief was fuelled by a brilliant Lewandowski goal to get them back in the game. Torres then drew them level off the bench, connecting with a fizzed Raphinha cross. And just when it looked like a draw was coming, Yamal's effort looped in, and Torres added the fourth with Atleti out on their feet. It felt like a huge night in the title race. -- Sam Marsden

lvarez shrugs off penalty drama to strike first

Two touches from lvarez sent Atltico Madrid crashing out of the Champions League in midweek. On Sunday, one unerring finish from the same player put Atltico -- temporarily -- right back in the LaLiga title race.

lvarez's unwanted role in Wednesday's penalty shootout drama -- slipping as he stepped up to take his spot kick, with the faintest of accidental touches with his standing foot seeing the penalty disallowed -- was desperately unfortunate, an anomaly in an outstanding debut season at the Metropolitano. Here, it was business as usual.

After a steady start, lvarez has become a fixture in coach Diego Simeone's starting XI and already has 23 goals in all competitions. Atltico find themselves in this position -- challenging for the title, in the Copa del Rey semifinals, and only just, cruelly eliminated in Europe -- largely because of the impact the former Manchester City has made in the attack. lvarez's goal in the 45th minute was a slick, perfectly executed team move, Griezmann crossing for Giuliano Simeone, who made a tough, but correct call in pulling back for lvarez, rather than shooting himself. lvarez was never going to miss.

He was later withdrawn after an hour, his job done, replaced -- as is often the case -- by Srloth for the last 30 minutes. Srloth is a very different kind of forward, but equally valuable to Diego Simeone, as he showed finishing off another clinical Atltico counterattack to make it 2-0. -- Kirkland

Flick subs earn win, show Atltico lessons learned

It was dj vu as substitute Srloth netted Atltico's second. The Norway striker scored a late winner in the corresponding fixture at the Olympic Stadium in December and also netted in the Copa comeback last month.

However, Flick's substitutes had the final say this time.

Not only did Torres net twice after coming on, but the German tactician also showed that he had learned from those Atltico late shows. Defenders Ronald Arajo and Gerard Martn came on to protect Bara against the home side's counter-attack at 2-2.

The irony is that, this time, as Flick took on board previous failings against Diego Simeone's side, setting up slightly more in favour of not losing than winning, his side did finally get the better of Atltico.

There is still a fourth, exhilarating chapter to come. Bara are back at the Metropolitano at the start of April for the Copa semifinal second leg. -- Marsden

Atltico compete, but ultimately fall short again

This defeat doesn't end Atltico Madrid's season. They're only four points behind Barcelona and Real Madrid with 10 games left and, judging by the season so far, there's plenty of room for more twists and turns in the title race. They have a Copa del Rey semifinal second leg against Bara to come, with the tie level at 4-4.

But this loss, coming so soon after being knocked out of the Champions League by Real, could send Atltico into a tailspin from which it might prove difficult to recover. The disappointment at being beaten on penalties by Real Madrid was profound, exacerbated by the feeling of injustice at how it happened.

Having a crucial, title-race impacting game against Bara just four days later was far from ideal. It was hard to imagine how Atltico would pick themselves up, physically and emotionally, and be able to compete here for 90 minutes.

But compete they did. Bara dominated early on, but Atltico soon wrested control of the game away from the visitors, going ahead through lvarez, and doubling their lead thanks to Srloth. Even when Barcelona had levelled the game at 2-2, all didn't look lost. Atltico didn't collapse right away, continuing to look for a third goal, with Srloth going close -- flagged offside -- and then Nahuel Molina getting in behind the defence on the right. A 2-2 final score would have been fine, giving Atltico hope, something to hang onto.

But it didn't end there. Bara's two goals in added time, with Atltico's legs tiring, meant more late heartbreak at this stadium. It won't hurt as much as the Champions League elimination to their bitter rivals -- nothing would -- but it adds to the feeling that Atltico's season is now spiraling out of control in its most decisive phase. That Copa del Rey semifinal second leg on April 2 feels even more important now. -- Kirkland