Barça-Atlético Madrid de Liga: Time.news, goals and result

2023-04-23 18:10:48

BarcelonaLike that rose that is given to the couple, between nerves and tickles in the stomach, when they celebrate the first Sant Jordi together. This is how Ferran Torres wanted to reconcile with a Camp Nou that has looked at him with distrust from the first day. The Valencian winger is hanging on to be the first big signing – at least financially – since the bitter farewell to a Messi that much of the stadium continues to claim in the 10th minute. If Barça were a novel, only the most daring writers could have imagined that, after three consecutive games without seeing a goal, it would be Ferran Torres who would put an end to Barça’s particular drought. A questionable secondary has become the unexpected protagonist thanks to a technical, precise and fine finish from the front. Xavi surprised by starting him and Ferran restored his confidence by inventing a delicious slot to open the scoring and change the narrative of the match (1-0).

Starting with Ferran Torres’ goal, the wonderful beat of Sant Jordi everywhere in Barcelona and the country has ended up in the Camp Nou. Barça remembered how to score goals and wanted to score more. Opening the can has not only changed the face of Ferran, who needs to score goals at home, but also of the whole team. Because the staging had been faulty. Not even a minute had passed since Marcos Alonso’s and especially Busquets’ blunder had ended with Lemar tipping the ball over to Badia and provoking an action in which Griezmann sent a shot over the crossbar. Ter Stegen stood motionless, dazzled by a sun that should have been spring, but burned like summer.

Fortunately, the finish of the French attacker, erected once again in the lighthouse of Atlético de Madrid, has been a scare. He put his hands on his head regretting not having scored and scratching his hair dyed fuchsia red, shrillness that never went down well with the Camp Nou crowd. It would not be the only occasion that the ex-Blaugrana would regret. Barça tried to impose their game through a possession that did not bother Atlético and Griezmann was the one who was most awake. After half an hour of the match, without many clear opportunities for Xavi’s team beyond a shot, from the ground and with the heart, by De Jong, the Frenchman has again created danger. He collected a rejection in the area to connect a shot that, now, Ter Stegen showed off.

While Sant Jordi’s day caused goosebumps, Barça controlled and controlled the ball, but their story was flat. Until, for the first time, the web set up by Simeone has been misaligned. It was for just a few seconds: enough for Raphinha to connect with Ferran Torres. The Brazilian, who insists no one beats him, served a good half-moon pass to the Valencian. Despite seeing how Robert Lewandowski accompanied him in the clearance, he played it alone. Brave decision for a player in Ferran Torres’ situation. If he had failed with the Pole on the edge, the Camp Nou would have written him off. But he was confident enough to be bold and, this time, it paid off. He has been working with a psychologist for months because he considered that, at Barça, he had hit rock bottom.

The expected return of Pedri and De Jong

With Ferran’s goal on the doorstep of the break, the Foios winger has left behind a bad first half, lost in interior positions and away from the wing, his theoretical natural habitat. On the day when we Catalans smile when releasing books, Xavi was releasing them reinforcements. With the return to the squad of Frenkie de Jong and Pedri, the coach has brought the Dutch out from the start, accompanying Busquets and Gavi. The surprise was the entry in the eleven of Ferran Torres. The man from Terrasse has preferred the Valencian ahead of a fourth midfielder like Kessié or the forgotten Pablo Torre, while the return of Pedri, injured since February 17 (with relapse included), had to be managed from the maximum prudence The canary appeared to play the last half hour of the game. Only Dembélé, the apple of Xavi’s eyes, and Christensen are left to return. The French will reappear this Wednesday in the visit to Rayo. The Danish will still have to wait.

Barça is recovering players. Not only injured, but mentally as well. Ferran Torres could have scored the second, but Oblak well stopped another shot just at the start of the second half. Some 45 minutes in which only Griezmann has again intimidated Ter Stegen a little, while the Blaugrana could have scored even more goals. Gavi saw his shot go off the post, Raphinha missed a cross from Lewandowski and the Pole himself sinned in a counterattack in which the Brazilian was all alone. In the end, victory for the minimum on the scoreboard, but very valuable in sensations. Madrid continues to have eleven points and the title of the League book will be written by Barça.

• FC Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Koundé, Araujo, Marcos Alonso (Eric Garcia, min. 61), Balde; Busquets, Frenkie De Jong (Kessié, min. 78), Gavi; Raphinha (Ansu Fati, min. 90+2), Lewandowski and Ferran Torres (Pedri, min. 61).
• Atlético de Madrid: Oblak; Molina, Giménez, Savic, Hermoso (Reguilón, min. 79), Carrasco; Witsel (Barrios, min. 60), Rodrigo de Paul, Lemar (Saúl, min. 67); Correa (Morata, min. 60) and Griezmann.
• Goals: 1-0, Ferran Torres (min. 44).
• Referee: Sánchez Martínez (Murcia Committee).
• Yellow cards: Marcos Alonso (min. 28), Busquets (min. 57), Griezmann (min. 75), Raphinha (min. 78), Savic (min. 80), Giménez (min. 81), Barrios (min. 83), Reguilón (min. 84), Morata (min. 87), Gavi (min. 90) and Saúl (min. 90+4).
• Red cards: None.
• Stadium: Camp Nou, 80,965 spectators.