Barcelona drop points again as Messi reaches new milestone
Barcelona vs Atlético Madrid: as it happened
Three penalties and an own goal accounted for all four strikes as Barça and Atlético played out a pulsating 2-2 draw at Camp Nou that leaves the reigning champions a point behind Real Madrid with Zinedine Zidane's side hosting Getafe on Thursday.
Diego Costa scored the first own goal of his professional top-flight career to hand Barcelona the lead but the Spain striker was handed the chance for redemption shortly afterwards from the spot. Marc-Andre Ter Stegen made the save but was pulled up for having both feet beyond his goal line and Saúl made no mistake with the retake.
Leo Messi gave Barça the lead again from 12 yards as he hoodwinked Jan Oblak but Yannick Carrasco, who had terrorised the home defence all evening, went down under a challenge from Nelson Semedo that Saúl converted to level the contest.
Late assaults from both teams came to nothing and all eyes wil be on the Barcelona papers in the morning with Quique Setién under a lot of pressure following three draws from four games. Real Madrid meanwhile will count their good fortune after their city rivals provided a helping hand as Zidane's side attempt to wrest the Liga championship from Barça's grasp.
Here's a look at the table after that rather extraordinary game!
Atlético clear, throw to Barça! Griezmann lines up a volley but the ball is nicked off his boot and the whistle blows! 2-2 it finishes and Barça remain second in the table with Real Madrid to play Getafe on Thursday for the chance to open up a four-point gap.
Free kick to Barça on the left on the edge of the area! Final opportunity of the match surely. Messi lining it up...
Atlético carve out a chance but Félix is just beaten to the ball on the edge of the area! Barça go flying up the other end but Atlético fall back in such ordered fashion that the attackers face a brick wall.
Barça pushing but Atlético are not letting anything through in the final few minutes. Ansu and Suárez combine but again the move breaks down.
Thomas has a pop from distance but his shot flies wide of Ter Stegen's far post.
And here comes the change! Griezmann on for Vidal. Four minutes added...
Ansu! The teenager gets the better of Arias in the air and nods the ball towards goal but Oblak is there.
Time running out for Barça here now... Setién and his assistant Sarabia in discussion on the touchline but no sign of a final gamble from the Barça boss.
Oblak comes out for a Messi cross that Vidal was bearing down on. Atlético break and Morata jinks about in the area before whacking a shot into the feet of Lenglet.
Still no sign of Griezmann, although he has been warming up for a while.
A raft of changes... Ansu Fati on for Barça, Lemar and Vitolo enter the contest for the visitors.
Lodi tries his luck from a very long way out and his shot thuds into a hoarding wide of Ter Stegen's post.
Messi tries to wriggle through the massed ranks of red and white but the Atleti defence holds firm.
Messi whips in a free kick and Busquets meets it but he can't guide his header on target.
Carrasco flattens Messi with a stamp, unleashes a stream of abuse at the ref and finds his way into the book.
Morata is on as we get back underway for the final 15.
Costa rounds off his evening with a yellow for a challenge on Puig and gives the ref a mouthful. He'll be off during this rehydration break with Morata ready to come on.
Vidal again! The midfielder almost gets on the end of an Alba cross but just can't reach it!
João Félix came on during that Barça penalty shout and he tests Ter Stegen with a speculative shot from distance.
20 minutes for Barça to engineer a victory in Camp Nou... or for Simeone to break his league duck against the only side in Primera he has never got the better of.
Vidal! Great vision from the Chilean, who takes a quick free kick to Semedo, charges forward, receives the return ball and hammers a shot just wide!
Barça feel they have a penalty as Piqué goes down under a challenge with Giménez. They've been given before in fairness but Hernández Hernández says no dice this time, much to Piqué's chagrin.
Corner for the home side after a fine Barça move is halted in its tracks by Arias, who doesn't mess about and just boots it behind.
Barça come forward again through Messi and Atlético fall back to defend. Messi tries to go over the top and Oblak comes out to claim it. Surely both coaches will be looking to their benches now wondering who might prove a decisive addition to the fray.
No retake this time... had Ter Stegen been collared for coming off his line a second time he'd have been off. He was so close to denying Saúl though that he thumped the post in frustration.
Gooooooooool! Saúl! He goes for the same spot, Ter Stegen guesses correctly and gets a glove to it but it's too venemous for the German to keep out and creeps in at the left post!
Penalty! Incredible! Semedo clips Carrasco in the area and Hernández Hernández points to the spot!
And the Argentinean finds his way into the book after hoofing the ball away in disgust after a challenge with Lodi.
Thomas tries to summon his inner Messi and takes on the entire Barça back line... he almost pulls it off as well.
Messi! What a ball from the Argentinean, who lands it right on Riqui Puig's boot. But a combination of Giménez and Oblak do enough to deny the La Masia graduate.
Costa! It really is not his night! Arias finds the striker at the far stick, Ter Stegen is out of position, Vidal is beaten in the air... and Costa sends it wide of the post with his head.
Barça stroking it about with confidence now after that goal. Busquets at the heart of everything the home side do. The midfielder has missed five league games this season. Barça won just one of them.
Movement on both benches now... changes afoot.
Felipe goes in the book for an ugly challenge on Busquets.
Gooooooooooool! Messi! With a little chip over Oblak, who was completely wrong-footed by the Argentinean's trickery.
Penalty! Barça! Semedo goes down under a challenge and there is some debate as to whether he was outside the area...
Barça knocking it about, Atlético snapping at their heels...
Back underway at Camp Nou!
Atlético have got a fair bit of pace on their bench. Morata, Félix, Trippier, Lemar... Simeone will be eyeing throwing them on against knackered defenders at some point. For now, no changes on either side.
Players back in the tunnel, second half approaching!
Barcelona: Griezmann benched for second game in a row for the first time
It isn't going exactly as Griezmann would probably have liked at Barcelona... will we see him in the second half? With fiev subs available you'd assume so but he doesn't seem to havwe convinced Setién of his ability since the restart.
Saúl and Lodi have been leading the rearguard for Atlético with three tackles each in that opening 45.
There's a stat to sum up Barça's half... seven shots in total, five of them from the boot of Messi.
We reckon Atleti fans will be fairly happy with that... Messi aside they are keeping Barça quiet up front and causing problems when they get forward. For Setién, it's hardly been a half to quell growing unrest around Camp Nou.
And that's the half! That retaken penalty will be the major talking point after the opening 45 and Barça's players are still discussing the finer points of the rule with Hernández Hernández as the teams head for the tunnels.
Atlético go close and win a contentious corner! The ball is pinging about in the area and Costa almost gets it down for Correa but it's out and Barça are not happy as they protest Costa used his arm to control the ball there.
Saúl and Rakitic get into a duel on the right that the Croatian wins, sending the Atleti man out over the byline.
Four minutes added...
Suárez tries to force his way through in the area but Arias is equal to the incursion. It's been a very quiet half from the Uruguayan.
Oblak! Messi's strike clips the wall and the keeper is forced to make an adjustment to palm the ball to safety while going the wrong way. What a stop from the big Slovenian.
Barça still pummelling the Atleti left... and they're rewarded when Thomas loses his cool and clatters into Puig. Free for Barça, a fair distance out but Messi looks like he fancies it.
Vidal again draws the ref's whistle into business, this time for a foul on Lodi.
Wonderful defending from Saúl who reads an Alba cross perfectly and swings a high boot at it with Suárez lurking with intent.
Things have slowed down a little now but Messi appears to be targeting Lodi all of a sudden, doubling up with Semedo. We'll see where that leads.
Saúl goes in the book for a cheeky little challenge to break up a Barça attack.
Back underway and Atleti are on the attack again straight away through Correa, whose touch deserts him in the area and Ter Stegen mops up.
The Barça players are still complaining to the ref about that penalty decision as they slug their water.
Half an hour in, rehydration break... it is broiling in Spain at the moment and it's º24 in Camp Nou at half ten at night.
Messi! Alba finds his captain with a fine ball and for once, the Argentinean pounds a first time shot well wide. He looks at his boot in suitable disgust.
Vidal is incensed as he is pulled up for a foul on Lodi. It was a bit cure from the Atleti left back, who has been a resoinding success under Simeone and a snip at around €10m.
Messi is down after clattering into Saúl. It was accidental but the Barça captain takes a decent clock in the chops. He's fine to continue though.
Messi! The Argentinean looks up, sees Oblak a little out of position and curls a glorious effort beyond the grasp of the Atleti keeper. Looked like it might have even shaved the post it was that close!
Piqué goes in the book.
The Spain international sends Ter Stegen the wrong way and finds the bottom corner with his left. We can already see the headlines in the morning if Barça are denied three points after that spot of drama.
Retake! Ter Stegen is a touch off his line and Hernández Hernández plays it by the book, while sticking the Barça keeper in his. Another chance for Costa. Replays suggest Ter Stegen had at least a stud on the line.
Saved! It is not Costa's evening! He sends it too close to Ter Stegen, who read it perfectly, and the German makes the stop!
Penalty to Atleti! Vidal takes out Carrasco with a trailing leg and even the Chilean doesn't bother to argue. Who else... Diego Costa grabs the ball....
That will have Simeone thinking... it's not often Atleti go behind so early or under such bizarre circumstances.
Unbelievable! Costa beats his own keeper! Messi crosses, it hits the Spain striker and spirals beyond the grasp of Oblak! Barcelona lead!
You knew he was going to try! Messi hammers it low and hard and Diego Costa of all people is there to make the stop at the near post.
Barça decide to slow things down a bit and stroke it about looking for a weakness in Simeone's set-up. The home side win a free out on the left, on the byline. Messi eyeing this one up...
Rakitic! The Croatian got hold of that one on the edge of the area and had Oblak at full stretch to put it behind for a corner. Great shot, great save!
Close from Atlético! Carrasco whips a free kick in and it avoids both his onrushing teammates, the Barça back four and Ter Stegen, narrowly missing the far post! The Atleti bench were already up, they thought that was in!
Ufffff! Lodi plays a beautiful cross in and Jordi Alba does enough to put Marcos Llorente off his stride. Would have been a corner, but the former Real Madrid man was adjudged to have fouled the Barça defender.
Lovely from Barça! A lightning break following a loose ball from Atleti and Puig squares for Luis Suárez, whose shot is a bit too tame to trouble Oblak. He had more time than he thought there, the Uruguayan.
We're off! Atleti get the ball rolling!
We're about to get underway in Camp Nou... players in the tunnel. Here's a reminder of how the table looks going into this one.
| T | MP | W | D | L | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 71 | 32 | 21 | 8 | 3 |
| 2 | 69 | 32 | 21 | 6 | 5 |
| 3 | 58 | 32 | 15 | 13 | 4 |
| 4 | 57 | 33 | 15 | 12 | 6 |
| 5 | 52 | 32 | 14 | 10 | 8 |
"When there are no wins and you don't win, everyone gets a point across," Setién said in his pre-match press conference. "The relationship we have with the staff is good. It is true that at specific moments we do not agree.
"Yesterday we talked about many topics but we focused on the topic of football. We have to improve and do things better. The situation we are experiencing, in which we are superior but do not generate goals, frustrates us. But the situations are normal. It is something we can change."
Warm-up all but complete and the players will be out shortly for what could be a make-or-break for Quique Setién's short reign at Barcelona. The Camp Nou boss has come under fire for his methods and he has used a fair few formations since January, none of which have yet really brought the best out of the talent at his disposal.
Big decisions there from Setién and Simeone, but so often in these games it's the men at the back who can prove decisive and none more so than Atlético's number one.
And João Félix does likewise for Atlético! Ángel Correa is preferred in attack with Yannick Carrasco and Marcos Llorente out wide.
Atlético beat Barça in the Spanish Super Cup back in January but it's been a fair while since the Rojiblancos tasted victory in the league: 10 years ago, a 2-1 victory at the Calderón. Since then all Atleti have managed has been five draws, with four of those ending 1-1.
LaLiga countdown: remaining fixtures for Real Madrid and Barcelona
There was a bit of griping about Real Madrid always playing before Barcelona in the run-in but we fancy that supporters of Zidane's side aren't too bothered now with the boot on the other foot. But who has the more attractive fixture list as the title race goes down to the wire?
Barça's results since the restart... two draws for Setién's reigning champions.
Another player who has not lived up to his price tag is Félix, who arrived at Atlético to much fanfare but has shown only flashes of the talent that persuaded Simeone to part with €126 million for the Benfica youngster. It will be interesting to see what effect he has on the game this evening.
Barcelona player ratings vs Celta Vigo
Griezmann was on the bench for the draw against Celta so Setién may decide to roll the dice against Atlético. He really can't afford to lose this one...
Sergio Busquets returns for the home side but all eyes will be on Antoine Griezmann as he faces his former side. The Frenchman has been a shadow of the free-scoring focal point of the Atlético side he departed Camp Nou for and may even start on the bench in favour of Ansu Fati.
What with facing Messi etc, we can probably expect Simeone to opt for a more defensive approach this evening. A 4-2-3-1 seems likely, with Diego Costa let off the leash to run as much amok as he can while João Félix and Marcos Llorente pull the strings in behind. Koke is suspended so Thomas Lemar may get a run out.
Atlético meanwhile have been largely what you'd expect from Diego Simeone's side since the restart, scoring just the single goal in a draw with Athletic and two wins against Valladolid and Levante. A 5-0 drubbing of Osasuna can be put down as an anomaly. Not since February 2018 have Atleti managed five in LaLiga.
Barcelona: president Bartomeu holds crisis talks with Setién
Here's the full story on the Setién-Bartomeu summit. The coach has also denied talk of a rift with Leo Messi, which usually only ends one way.
Anything other than a victory could leave Quique Setién in a very uncomfortable position. Barça president Josep Maria Bartomeu has already had a word with the Azulgrana tactician, who only arrived to relieve Ernesto Valverde of his position in January. The former Betis coach has been in charge for only 13 games but got a stern talking to after his side drew 2-2 with Celta last time out.
Here's how the table looks ahead of this evening's game.
| T | MP | W | D | L | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 71 | 32 | 21 | 8 | 3 |
| 2 | 69 | 32 | 21 | 6 | 5 |
| 3 | 58 | 32 | 15 | 13 | 4 |
| 4 | 54 | 32 | 14 | 12 | 6 |
| 5 | 52 | 32 | 14 | 10 | 8 |
Tonight's game could prove to be pivotal in the title race this season. Barça will take to the turf at Camp Nou trailing Real Madrid by two points after Zinedine Zidane's side made hard work of a 1-0 victory away at rock-bottom Espanyol. Drop more against Atlético and the reigning champions will be very much playing catch-up for the remainder of the season.
If you're wondering what time the game is on where you are in the world, you can check our handy guide to find out.
Hello and welcome to AS English's live coverage of Barcelona vs Atlético Madrid from Camp Nou. Kick-off is at 22:00 CEST.