Yamal lauds ‘statement win’ against Atletico Madrid

Barcelona produced a stunning comeback to defeat Atletico Madrid 4-2 on Sunday, reclaiming the top spot in La Liga with a game in hand over rivals Real Madrid.

Trailing by two goals, the Catalan giants mounted a remarkable turnaround, with Yamal netting in the 92nd minute and Ferran Torres sealing the victory in the 98th. The win saw Barca leapfrog Madrid, who had briefly taken the lead in the standings following their victory over Villarreal on Saturday.

“I think that after the anger, the feeling of impotence, not being comfortable in the game, we put our best foot forward and gave the best that we have,” 17-year-old Yamal told DAZN. “It was a very important game to win in the end, beating Atletico was a statement win. We put ourselves back as leaders having played a game fewer and we’re very happy.”

Barcelona and Real Madrid now stand level on 60 points, with Barca holding the advantage due to their game in hand. Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid fell further behind in the title race, trailing by four points after a disappointing week that also saw them eliminated from the Champions League.

“How we play, the confidence we have, it’s really good to see,” said Barcelona manager Hansi Flick, as his side continue to chase a potential treble. “We will try everything to win trophies. The match today gives us more confidence.”

After being punished by late goals from Atletico earlier in the season, Barcelona turned the tables this time, extending their unbeaten streak to 18 matches across all competitions.

Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth had given Atletico a commanding lead before Robert Lewandowski and Torres sparked the fightback, with Barca delivering the final blow in stoppage time.

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