Gavi did not reach for tactics. Asked about Atletico Madrid after Barcelona’s 2-1 win at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano on Sunday, he reached for the physical word.
“They’re a tough opponent because they know how to play against us well. They’re like a battle because the atmosphere is intense,” the midfielder said in quotes carried by Barca Universal, which cited Mundo Deportivo.
The game played out that way. Giuliano Simeone opened the scoring in the 10th minute, and Barcelona spent most of the first half pinned deep before Fermín López drew them level on the stroke of half-time. The forward then struck again in the 66th minute to settle it.
Gavi called the result a team victory and said Barcelona had managed the game well, a side he described as young.
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Cubarsi: ‘out of sorts’ before the break
Pau Cubarsi stayed closer to the technical side when he explained the turnaround.
“In the first half we came out a bit disconnected. They had a great first half, but at half-time we were able to fix the things we weren’t doing well and we took the victory,” the centre-back said in quotes carried by Barca Blaugranes.
The adjustment was positional. Hansi Flick moved Frenkie de Jong to right-back at the interval, replacing Brian Farinas, and Barcelona’s high press tightened until Atletico began to lose their grip on the ball.
Cubarsi used the result to frame the rest of the season, saying Barcelona would have a great La Liga season if the side kept the same level of commitment in every match.
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Three points clear at the top
The win moved Barcelona to 33 points from 12 matches, three clear of Real Madrid after their 3-0 win over Valencia on Saturday had briefly narrowed the gap. Atletico Madrid stayed third on 28 points, five behind the leaders.
La Liga now pauses for the international break before Flick’s side return to action against Villarreal.
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