Barcelona 2-0 Atletico Madrid: Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez strike to close in on La Liga title

Lionel Messi's career in 60 seconds

Barcelona closed in on La Liga title after beating 10-man Atletico Madrid 2-0 in Saturday's top-of-the-table showdown at the Nou Camp as late strikes by Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi gave the Catalans an 11-point lead at the top of the table.

Atletico began brightly but their gameplan went out of the window when Diego Costa was shown a straight red card in the 28th minute for a verbal tirade at referee Jesus Gil Manzano.

Atletico produced a gutsy second-half display, expertly shackling Barca, but the Catalans finally found a way past the visitors' outstanding goalkeeper Jan Oblak with a superb curling shot from Suarez in the 85th minute.

Moments later Messi sealed victory and quite probably the league title with an irresistibly cool finish into the net and Barca's fans jubilantly chanted "champions", crowing at their surely unassailable lead at the top with seven games remaining.

Atletico midfielder Koke conceded that Barca had wrapped up the title but questioned the decision to send Costa off.

"Barca are practically champions. It was a very strange game, we were doing so well until the red card but all the small details went their way," Koke told reporters.

"Whenever we come here something strange happens, we've had a lot of red cards against Barca and not all of them have been fair. When you have 10 men against one of the best teams in the world it's normal that it's a struggle."

Suarez highlighted his side's character for winning such a difficult game so soon after their gruelling 4-4 draw against Villarreal in midweek.

"This was another game which shows just how hard it is to win the league so we deserve lot more credit for what we're achieving," Suarez said.

"We've now got a very big advantage over Atletico. There are still some games left but we took two steps towards winning the league today."

Atletico realistically needed to win at the Nou Camp for the first time since 2006 to stay in the title race and they played with ambition and intelligence in the opening stages, keeping the ball for long periods and depriving Barca of space.

But they were rocked by Costa's moment of madness which killed their early momentum and left them with little choice but to defend for the remaining hour of the game.

Striker Costa reacted angrily to not being awarded a foul after being tackled by Jordi Alba and gave a long verbal response to the referee, who to his disbelief pulled out a red card.

Costa had to be shepherded off the pitch by Barca's Gerard Pique as he struggled to control his temper while his team mates Diego Godin and Jose Gimenez earned bookings for venting their anger over the decision.

Atletico coped superbly with the setback and numerical disadvantage, controlling the space for the majority of the game.

Messi still carved his way through the middle of the pitch on two occasions, creating openings for Suarez and himself but both South American forwards were thwarted by the titanic presence of Oblak.

Atletico naturally had limited opportunities down the other end but were not far from finding a goal when Antoine Griezmann picked out Rodrigo from a free kick but the midfielder headed over the bar when Gimenez was stood behind him, in a better position.

Diego Simeone's side could not last the distance, however, and as their legs inevitably tired, Barca's attacking quality made the difference.

"We knew what the game would be like, Atletico are very organised and after the red card we tried to attack more but it wasn't easy," Suarez said.

"But we kept going, we showed a great attitude and kept testing their goalkeeper who was the hero of the game."

Reuters

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[6 April 2019 19:48 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

1 minute

Two of the more predictable formations in world football. 4-4-2 for the visitors, 4-3-3 for the home side.

Immediately Barcelona set about their work, Lionel Messi buzzing about, creating space for the ever-marauding Jordi Alba who can't find a teammate with his cutback.

[6 April 2019 19:49 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

2 minutes

Rodri and Thomas Partey combine nicely in the Atletico midfield as the visitors work the ball forward for the first time, but Koke is crowded out in the right corner, Jordi Alba showing well again from a defensive point of view on this occasion.

[6 April 2019 19:51 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

4 minutes

Atletico settle in to a deep shape with all eleven inside their own half but it does little good, the right side of Barcelona working the angles for Sergi Roberto to latch on to a diagonal pass.

Another attempted pull back is cut out.

[6 April 2019 19:55 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

7 minutes

Antoine Griezmann gets a bit of a reaction from the Barcelona fans as he touches the ball for the first time, despite attempts from a couple of club dignitaries to prevent such a response from the notoriously vocal Camp Nou crowd.

Diego Costa collides with Clement Lenglet in a somewhat reckless fashion, the use of an elbow perhaps questionable, though the referee settles for a talking to with the combative Atletico forward. He's sticking close to Lenglet, trying to worry him, particularly after the French defender's frailties have been exposed a touch recently. 

[6 April 2019 19:56 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

9 minutes

That's more of what you want to see from Diego Costa, getting between Lenglet and Jordi Alba to head the ball goalwards, though failing to keep it down and offside regardless.

[6 April 2019 19:57 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

10 minutes

Philippe Coutinho is hugging the left touchline and looking to come inside when he picks up the ball, firing against an Atleti defender and winning a corner, which he will take.

[6 April 2019 19:58 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

11 minutes

Barcelona opt for the short corner and work the ball around the houses and down the opposite wing where Luis Suarez has found space, but his mishit attempted cross sails beyond Jan Oblak's goal.

[6 April 2019 19:59 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

12 minutes

There is space out there.

Philippe Coutinho and Luis Suarez are the pair looking to combine as the former's chipped diagonal flicks off the latter's extended toe and rolls out of play before the Uruguayan can profit.

[6 April 2019 20:02 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

14 minutes 

Off the woodwork!

Jordi Alba with a huge chance.

Lionel Messi delightfully finds his rampaging left-back and Alba takes it nicely, lifting the ball over the hulking frame of Jan Oblak but watching it agonisingly cannon against the upright and back into Oblak's grateful grasp.

[6 April 2019 20:03 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

16 minutes

Sterling defensive work from Philippe Coutinho.

Santiago Arias, preferred at right-back to the venerable Juanfran, is free at the far post but takes a moment too long controlling the ball, allowing Coutinho to rush across and get in the way of the eventual shot on goal.