Goals: Atletico Madrid—Torres 1 - Garcia 30’; Barcelona—Neymar 9’, 41’ - Miranda (OG) 38’
WOW. Surgical counterattack by Barcelona. Messi, Suarez and Neymar finishes. 1-1. #beINCopadelRey https://t.co/6aMTbyVBSE
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTSUSA) January 28, 2015
Recap: Ninety minutes of enthralling football saw Barcelona defeat Atletico Madrid 3-2 on Wednesday.
It took all of 38 seconds for the hosts to capture a 1-0 lead. A reborn Fernando Torres opened the affair, sending the capacity crowd at the Vicente Calderon into a fervent frenzy. Barcelona promptly responded. Neymar—thanks to a magical ball from Luis Suarez—polished off a clinical countertack just eight minutes later.
Controversy struck in the 28th minute. A gifted penalty on a foul that occurred outside the box provided Atleti an opportunity to regain the lead. Raul Garcia ensured they did. But the cards did not remain in their favor. Goals from Joao Miranda (own-goal) and Neymar sealed Barcelona’s 3-2 victory.
Controversy on one end and Barça take advantage and another blistering counter. They lead 3-2 #beINCopadelRey https://t.co/ruRqbVzKST
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTSUSA) January 28, 2015
Key Moment: No moment better encapsulated a hectic first half than Neymar’s second goal of the contest. A goal-bound strike from Antoine Griezmann was blocked by Jordi Alba’s arm, but no penalty was awarded. Instead, a clinical counterattack sprung and Neymar buried any chance of a Madrid victory.
Man of the Match: These are the moments Barcelona envisioned when Neymar transferred from Santos. The 22-year-old finished with a brace.
FERNANDO TORRES DOES IT AGAIN IN THE OPENING MINUTE. 1-0 Atletico. #beINCopadelReay https://t.co/L2ODTktrRE
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTSUSA) January 28, 2015
Lesson Learned: El Niño Torres is back. The 30-year-old, often ridiculed for his porous form at Chelsea and later AC Milan, viewed a return to Madrid as an opportunity to rebuild his reputation as a proven goalscorer. Goals against Real Madrid could’ve been dismissed as a “dead clock being right twice a day,” but after Wednesday, that can no longer be the case. More than scoring form has returned to the Spaniard. Above all else, confidence is building beneath his feet. Movement, pressure, aggression and a finishing touch once again describes him. One title escaped Atleti, but with a resurgent Torres, the club remains very much alive for the remaining two (La Liga and Champions League).
Up Next: Atletico Madrid visit Eibar on Jan. 31 , while Barcelona host Villarreal on Feb. 1.
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (via WhoScored).
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