Barcelona ended their two-game goalless draw streak with a crucial 1-0 victory over Atletico Madrid in La Liga on Sunday. Ferran Torres scored the lone goal of the game with a low finish from the edge of the box just before halftime, restoring Barcelona’s 11-point lead over Real Madrid in the league table. Atletico Madrid, who were previously in good form, suffered their first defeat since January when they last played against Barcelona.
Both teams had clear chances to score in the game, but Barcelona held on to their lead thanks in part to a brilliant save by Marc-Andre ter Stegen to deny Antoine Griezmann. Xavi Hernandez made some changes to the starting line-up, including bringing back Frenkie de Jong after an injury and keeping Pedri on the bench. Although Griezmann almost scored in the first minute, hitting the crossbar, it was Torres who scored the winner just before halftime, stroking the ball past Jan Oblak and into the bottom corner.
Barcelona’s defense played a key role in securing the win, recording their 23rd clean sheet of the season in La Liga. With eight games remaining, Barcelona is now a step closer to winning their first La Liga title since 2019.
