Atlético's irresistible scoring power at the end of the match

Diego Pablo Simeone normally does not greet the opposing coach at the end of a match, as he rushes down the tunnel to the dressing rooms. On Tuesday night in Montjuïc, he crossed paths with Hansi Flick and gave him a hug. Beyond the errors they saw in their teams, both coaches seemed to congratulate each other for the bacchanal of play and goals offered. A historic match that paid homage to those duels of the 90s between the Blaugranas and the Rojiblancos that were a guarantee of goals and alternatives in the scoreboard.

For Atlético, equalising Barcelona's two-goal deficit in the last ten minutes was yet another example of a general trend this season. Of the 81 goals they have scored, 28 of them, more than a third, have been scored after the 80th minute. The red-and-whites are the team in the five major leagues that score the most goals in that final stretch of games, ahead of PSG (20) and Bayern Munich (19). “The team has a competitive spirit that I love, they are gladiators. And we showed it once again. We went for the 4-3, we had Correa's chance, and we scored Sorloth's 4-4,” said an elated Simeone in the press room at Montjuïc. “They scored four goals against us and as a defender I am worried. But I am happy to see the drive we have in the team, we have shown that those who come on in the second half are just as important as those who come on from the start. “It is our strength,” Giménez said.

Of those 28 goals scored after the 80th minute, 16 of them have been decisive, 11 to win matches and five to draw them. The two scored by Llorente and Sorloth to equalise the 4-2 with which Barça took the score are the latest example of a team that rebels in the face of defeat like we have rarely seen.

Simeone does not hide his satisfaction because he sees a squad that combines tenacity to not give up games and a solid squad. At Montjuïc, Sorloth and Correa were once again the greatest exponents of the power of the substitutes that the Argentine coach has at his disposal. Between them they have scored 15 goals coming off the bench, eight for the Norwegian and seven for the Argentine. No one has scored more goals in Europe than Sorloth coming off the bench. At Montjuïc he was the scorer of the goal in extra time that gave Atlético the win in the league match. On Tuesday, again at the last minute, he scored to equalise. Two other goals of his on the threshold meant the 2-1 against Leganés and the 1-1 against Celta.

Correa did not score, but he did assist Llorente in the 4-3. The Argentine has scored goals as decisive in the final minutes as those that led to the victories against Athletic (0-1) and PSG (1-2) or the 1-1 draw in the league derby at the Metropolitano. On Tuesday, Simeone brought him on for De Paul. A gamble that the coach himself accepted as risky. “Right away, Rodrigo [De Paul] had just made a fantastic pass to Griezmann, and another that went just wide. So, I said: 'I'm screwing up'. But I understood that we needed a leg in the middle with Llorente and I put Correa on the right to give us that depth and courage to attack with more players,” explained Simeone.

Sorloth and Correa were the ideal complement to the game that Julián Alvarez was playing. He supported Atlético in their worst moments because he never stopped being a threat to Barcelona's advanced defence. He was the one who best read the spaces where he could appear to give continuity to the attacking play or to make individual runs.

“Julián Alvarez's performance was incredible. He ran all over the pitch, as an attacking midfielder, as a winger, as a centre forward,” praised Simeone. The Argentine striker has also contributed with late goals to crucial victories. He scored the 0-1 in Vigo and made history by scoring two goals in the comeback against Leverkusen (2-1) with Atlético playing with fewer men.