Julián misses, Fermín doesn't: how Atlético let Barcelona off the hook

Rubén Uría goes through Atlético 1-2 Barcelona minute by minute: a first half of Atlético dominance without a cutting edge, the blow just before the break and a second half in which, in his view, the substitutions made the team worse.

Rubén Uría opens his account of the match with Simeone's starting XI: Oblak, Llorente, Grimaldo, Hancko, Pubil, Koke, Barrios, Giuliano, Baena, Kang-in Lee and Julián Álvarez. The opening minutes clearly belonged to Atlético. In the 5th minute, Julián found himself through on Joan García, tried to take the keeper on and got himself in a tangle. In the 6th, Pubil headed against the crossbar and, in the same end-to-end passage of play, Pedri also struck the woodwork.

The 1-0 came in the 9th minute after a superb counter-attack finished off by a fine pass from Julián, and Atlético kept up the threat: Hancko almost scored with a header, Kang-in Lee tested Joan García and Julián had another shot that somehow ended up trapped under the goalkeeper's legs.

The cold shower came in the 44th minute: Pedri drew several opponents towards him, Pubil failed with his clearance and Fermín beat Oblak. After the break Barça pressed harder, fatigue set in for Atlético and Julián wasted another one-on-one by attempting a chip. In the 65th minute Fermín made it 1-2 after a brilliant pass from Lamine. Uría ends with a clear criticism: the substitutions, far from improving the team, made it worse.