Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona: Refereeing controversy to comeback, 5 talking points in thrilling LaLiga match

In a thrilling encounter at the Metropolitano Stadium, Barcelona staged an incredible comeback to defeat Atlético de Madrid 4-2 and reclaim top spot in La Liga. Let's look at five talking points in the match.

Alvarez scores again
The match got off to a blistering start, with Julián Alvarez opened the scoring on the stroke of halftime, courtesy of a brilliant assist from Antoine Griezmann. This big goal would serve as a major confidence booster for him after the penalty blow in the match against Real Madrid in the Champions League.

Griezmann shines
After the assist for the opening, the Frenchman played a pivotal role in the second goal as well, which came via a well-crafted move that exposed Barcelona's high defensive line. Substitute Alexander Sørloth capitalized on the opportunity, scoring his sixth consecutive goal against the Catalan giants.

Refereeing controversy
For the second Atletico match in a row, refereeing controversy erupted as Rodrigo de Paul's hand ball in the lead up to the second goal was not considered by VAR. Barcelona players protested, but to no avail.

Incredible Barcelona comeback
As the clock ticked past the 70-minute mark, Atlético seemed poised to secure a comfortable victory. However, Barcelona had other plans. Robert Lewandowski sparked the comeback, expertly finishing a pinpoint pass from Iñigo Martínez. Six minutes later, Ferran Torres leveled the score, heading Raphinha's cross past Jan Oblak.

With both teams pushing for the win, the match became an end-to-end thriller. In the dying embers of the game, Lamine Yamal's speculative shot from outside the box took a wicked deflection off Reinildo, leaving Oblak helpless. Torres then sealed the victory with a stunning fourth goal, securing a famous win for Hansi Flick's side.

Barcelona on top of the table again
With this important win, Barcelona is now perched atop the La Liga table, ahead of Real Madrid on goal difference and four points clear of Atlético, with a game in hand on both title rivals.