Atlético had won seven league games in a row, and Fermín López’s double has put Barcelona three points clear

Atlético Madrid had won seven league games in a row and were ten minutes into the chance to go top of La Liga when Giuliano Simeone gave them the lead against Barcelona. By full time at the Metropolitano on Sunday night, Fermín López had scored twice, Barcelona had won 2-1, and Hansi Flick’s side go into the international break three points clear.

Barcelona have 33 points from 12 games. Real Madrid, who won 3-0 at Valencia on Saturday, are second on 30, and Atlético stay third on 28.

Atlético get the start they wanted

The home side had the better of the first half hour. Julián Álvarez was through one-on-one against Joan García in the fifth minute, stumbled, and saw his cutback cut out. Marc Pubill headed against the crossbar. In the tenth minute Álvarez got it right, squaring the ball for Simeone to sweep in first time.

Álvarez spent the summer trying to get to Barcelona, and his evening summed up how his season has gone. He set up the opener and then missed the chances that would have made it comfortable, including a lob over the bar around the hour. Diego Simeone stood by him afterwards, while making the point that Atlético need Álvarez at his best if they are going to win anything.

Fermín turns it round

The equaliser came on the stroke of half-time, and it had some luck in it. A deflection off Pubill dropped the ball to Fermín, who curled it first time past Jan Oblak.

Barcelona were the better side after the break. Lamine Yamal shot wide and then over soon after the restart, and in the 66th minute he slid a through ball to Fermín, who drove it low into the far corner with his right foot. Atlético barely threatened again. The best chance of the closing stages fell to Barcelona, when Yamal failed to connect with a low cross six yards out.

A fifth straight league win at the Metropolitano

Barcelona had won on their previous four La Liga visits to the Metropolitano, and this makes five. They have not had it all their own way on the ground: Atlético knocked them out of the Champions League there in April. But in the league this fixture keeps going Barcelona’s way, and this one came with Flick still short of players, Rodri among them after the hamstring injury he picked up against Aston Villa.

For Atlético the seven-game winning run is over, and this was a second home defeat in five days after Bayern Munich won 2-0 there in the Champions League on Tuesday. They are five points off the top with a fortnight to think about it.

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