• Sunday, 22 December 2024

Atletico Madrid record long-awaited win at Barcelona to top LaLiga

Atletico Madrid record long-awaited win at Barcelona to top LaLiga

London, 22 December 2024 (PA Media/dpa/MIA) - Atletico Madrid leapfrogged Barcelona at the top of LaLiga after coming from behind to beat them 2-1 in dramatic fashion.

Substitute Alexander Sorloth scored the winner deep into stoppage time at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys as Atletico earned their first win away to Barcelona since 2006.

Sorloth beat Inaki Pena in the sixth minute of added time to complete the turnaround, with Pedri’s 30th-minute opener having been cancelled out by Rodrigo De Paul on the hour, moments after Raphinha hit the crossbar for Barca.

Atletico go three points clear of the Catalan side – who have a game in hand – having continued their remarkable winning run with a seventh successive victory in the league, and 12th in all competitions.

Hansi Flick’s Barca have now won only once in seven league games, losing four of those, including three home league defeats on the bounce.

They may be third in the Christmas table, with Real Madrid a point behind them ahead of hosting Sevilla on Sunday.

Fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao also came from behind to win 2-1, doing so at Osasuna with Alex Berenguer getting the decisive goal in the 74th minute.

Mallorca won 1-0 at Getafe thanks to Cyle Larin’s penalty, and Celta Vigo beat Real Sociedad 2-0 at home with Pablo Duran netting twice.

Napoli moved to the top of Serie A with a 2-1 victory at Genoa, the hosts’ first loss under Patrick Vieira.

Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Amir Rrahmani each scored first-half headers as Antonio Conte’s men went a point clear of Atalanta, who are at home against Empoli on Sunday.

Lazio won 2-1 at Lecce, who had Frederic Guilbert sent off just before the interval, while Bologna won 2-0 at Torino with goals from Thijs Dallinga and Tommaso Pobega.