Agile Atletico beat big boys Barcelona Reds brace for Tottenham
Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), Jan. 10: Lionel Messi said Barcelona were guilty of playing like children on Thursday after Atletico Madrid staged a thrilling comeback to beat them 3-2 and set up a Spanish Super Cup final against Real Madrid.
Barca looked on course for a Sunday showdown against Real when they led 2-1 with nine minutes left but instead it will be a Madrid derby in Saudi Arabia to decide who lifts the trophy.
“It’s a shame because we switched off for a few moments and made children’s mistakes,” Messi said.
“We should have closed out the match. It’s a blow for us, especially as we were the better team. Our mistakes cost us dearly,” Messi added.
All five goals were scored during a wild second half in Jeddah that began with Koke putting Atletico in front, just 21 seconds after coming on as a substitute at the interval.
Goals from Messi and Antoine Griezmann turned the game on its head, only for Atletico to hit back with a late double, Alvaro Morata converting a penalty in the 81st minute before Angel Correa found a winner in the 86th.
In between,
Barcelona 2
also had two goals ruled out after VAR spotted tight offsides while Atleti were denied what looked a clear penalty at 2-2, after the ball clipped the hand of Gerard Pique.
A pulsating contest will have delighted the Spanish Football Federation, who have faced heavy criticism for taking the competition away from Spain to a different continent, and a country that has a longcondemned record on human rights.
Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde’s his strong team selection, that included Messi, Griezmann and Luis Suarez, suggested this was a tournament he was eager to win.
It remains to be seen how this defeat might affect the Spanish League title race, with Real Madrid and Atletico now enjoying the opportunity not only to claim a trophy but score a psychological boost too.
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London, Jan. 10: Runaway Premier League leaders Liverpool have put themselves in position for a recordbreaking campaign while Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United are embroiled in a dogfight for top-four places.
With a 13-point lead at the top of the table and a game in hand to further burnish their advantage, Liverpool go to Tottenham on Saturday as odds-on favourites to win the English title for the first time since 1990.
Jurgen Klopp’s side have been so dominant that City boss Pep Guardiola has already conceded the title race is over for his team.
The Reds, who have won 19 of their 20 league games, have the potential to establish themselves as a historically great team as they chase some of English football’s most sacred milestones.
Liverpool’s remarkable unbeaten run has reached 37 matches since they lost at Manchester City in January 2019.
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