Barcelona 4-2 Atlético Madrid summary: score, goals, highlights, LaLiga 2021/22

Barcelona 4-2 Atlético: match summary

For 30 or so first-half minutes, Camp Nou was treated to what Xavi's Barcelona revolution could look like, when all the component parts are firing. That the hosts' best spell of the game coincided with one of the poorest half hours Atleti have punched in under Diego Simeone should not detract from an effervescent Barça display that bodes well for the rest of the campaign in Catalonia and was sufficient to create a half-time cushion of three goals to one that Atleti only briefly threatened to claw back. 

Atleti took the lead through a sweeping move finished off by Yannick Carrasco but Barça responded immediately through Jordi Alba, Gavi and the unlikely boot of Ronald Araújo, who blasted a rebound from a Gerard Piqué post-smacker past an uncharacteristically leaden-footed Jan Oblak to send Camp Nou's rafters a few feet into the air.

After the break Simeone effected a triple change and it had an immediate effect, Luis Suárez bagging on his old turf to give the visitors hope. Xavi responded in kind but the Barça boss' designs were thwarted when Alves saw red for a needless kick on Carrasco, leading to the introduction of Sergiño Dest and the effective end of Barça's willingness to attack. 

Atleti though were unable to capitalize on their numerical superiority, with the hosts throwing up a solid rearguard action. The end result is that Simeone's side are in the Europa League next season as it stands, and Xavi's arrival at Camp Nou has had the desired effect on the wreckage Ronald Koeman bequeathed, a situation that can only improve when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is fully incorporated and Ansu Fati is fit again.

Confirmation that Barça have leapfrogged Atleti into the final Champions League place.

The whistle goes and Barça run out 4-2 winners! Wass falls to the floor and hopefully that's nothing serious for the Atleti new boy.

Wass is carrying an injury and can barely move. Atleti out of options and it's essentially 10 v 10 now.

Atleti win a free kick deep in their own half. Time is not on the visitors' side.

It's taken short, De Jong heads for the flag and wins a corner.

Ferran gets the ball out on the left and heads for the corner flag. Atleti concede a free kick that Barça are in little hurry to take.

Six minutes added!

Busquets goes down after a brush from Herrera, the Atleti man goes in the book.

Wass into the book for cutting Auba down in full flight. He had little choice there and took the hit.

Reinildo gets the ball to feet in the area and manages to get tangled up.

Busquets breaks up an Atleti foray into the area and simply hoofs the ball to Oblak.

Barça have dropped back into their own half now, very little intent from the hosts to launch another attack at this stage.

Xavi is still on the touchline, it must have been his number two who saw red. The Barça boss gets a yellow this time for complaining about a challenge on Nico.

Atleti try to thread the ball through a wall of Barça shirts and Piqué hooks it clear for a corner.

Ferran goes down just outside the area under a challenge from Wass and the ref waves plays on. Xavi complains vociferously and it looks like the ref has sent him off!

Time running out for Atlético, just over 10 minutes of the 90 left. Another goal now would set up quite the finale.

Another change from Simeone, Herrera on for Koke.

Xavi forced into another change as a result, Sergiño Dest on to shore things up, Gavi the fall guy.

And it's red! Alves adjudged to have stuck his studs in on the Atleti winger. The replays do show a little niggle from the Brazilian but a yellow might have been sufficient. Off he goes to an ovation anyway and Barça are down to 10 men!

VAR having a look...

Carrasco is down in a heap after a clash with Dani Alves. No intent, but the Belgian got a wallop on the knee and he is in agony.

Xavi reacts to the new situation by replacing Pedri with Nico.

Atleti try to work a one.two with Koke and Carrasco combining. The visitors are a different side all of a sudden.

Change for Barça, Aubameyang on for his debut as Adama makes way.

Corner for Atleti. Simeone's subs have had an immediate effect on the side.

Atleti pull one back as the Uruguayan nods home from close range, the static Ferran Torres playing him onside. Suárez diplomatically holds his hands together in apology. Half an hour to go and Atleti are back in with a shout.

Carrasco! The Belgian goes for goal from a free kick and Ter Stegen is forced into a finger-tip save.

Triple change for Atleti, Reinildo, Cunha and Correa on for the visitors, Félix, Hermoso and Lemar off.

Jordi Alba into the book for flooring João Félix. Atleti waste the free kick.

Here's how the table looks now on the basis of this result.

The Brazilian laps up the applause of Camp Nou as Barça tear Atleti's back line apart again for the Brazilian to lash home from just inside the area. It's a rout now.

We're back underway!

Change for Atleti, Vrsaljko heading off and Daniel Wass coming on, defender for midfielder. Simeone clearly going for it in the second half.

And there's the whistle! Simeone stalks to the tunnel. Barça have been by far the better side in the opening 45.

One minute added

Simeone will be very happy to get his side in at the break to figure out how to stem the Barça tide. The hosts are cutting Atleti open at will.

Piqué smacks the post with a header and Araújo pounces on the rebound to thrash home from close range! Barça are playing extremely well here and it's now 3-1!

A bit of handbags between Gavi and Lemar and the ref calls them over for a little word. Simeone gets involved as well, to the displeasure of Camp Nou.

Savic! Atleti swing in a cross from a short corner and the defender meets it with a firm header that narrowly inches wide.

Carrasco buys Atleti a bit of breathing space as he gets the decision in a tussle with Alves. The visitors are under the cosh a little at the moment.

Alves is a real thorn in the side on the Barça right and his whipped cross is skewed out for a corner by Vrsaljko.

El Cholo's ploy almost gifts Barça a third as Carrasco gets into a right old mess trying to clear under pressue from Adama. A decent winger he is, a decent left back the Belgian is not.

Simeone issuing instructions from the touchline, looks like he's asking Carrasco and Lemar to switch flanks to keep Adama under wraps.

Pedri! The Barça youngster repays the favour at the other end under pressure from Hermoso.

Félix! Koke finds the Portuguese unmarked inside the area but he makes a mess of his effort and it bounces harmlessly into the gloves of Ter Stegen.

Adama chalks up an assist on his second debut for Barça, landing the ball on Gavi's head for the winger to nod past Oblak from inside the area. If we were being overly critical, the keeper might have moved a little quicker to that but he was planted to meet the threat from the right.

Félix! The Portuguese youngster twists and turns to buy himself a yard and flashes a shot just wide of the far post.

Nice delivery from Alves, looking to tee Alba up for a repeat of the goal, but Vrsaljko does enough to put the Barça defender off.

Ufffff, Adama perhaps lucky to avoid a booking there as he clobbers Hermoso in the chops during a tangle.

What a start in Camp Nou... Barça and Atleti fixtures tend not to ooze goals but we've had two inside the opening 10 minutes. 

The ball is floated to the far side by Dani Alves and the Spain left back meets it with a volley that loops over Oblak and into the top corner! What a strike, and we have ourselves a game! 

Goooooooooooooool! Goooooooooooolazo! Jordi Alba!

Koke plays a defence-splitting pass to Suárez, who squares for the Belgian to sweep a shot past Ter Stegen! Atleti strike first!

Piqué equals Puyol

Ferran! A nice move from Barça, Adama to Pedri to the false nine, and he turns and shoots inside the area, flashing his effort just wide of the post.

It will be interesting to see what role Dani Alves plays today. Xavi has been experimenting with a back three with the Brazilian pushing up into midfield and dropping back when required.

Adama goes on a run down the right and is floored by Vrsaljko. Huge cheer from Camp Nou for the new arrival.

We're off! Atleti get the ball rolling in Camp Nou!

A quick confirmation of the line-ups...

The teams are in the tunnel now and we're about to get underway. Sweet Child O'Mine blares out over Camp Nou, slightly bizarrely.

Another fine Messi

This will be the first Barça - Atleti fixture without Leo Messi since the 2005-06 Liga season. The Argentinean played a total of 43 games against Los Colchoneros, winning 24, drawing 11 and losing eight, while scoring 32 goals, making Atleti his second-preferred victim in LaLiga behind Sevilla.

Barça - Atlético head to head

It's been three years and four fixtures since Barcelona beat Atleti in LaLiga, back in December 2019, and a little further back, in April of the same year, since they did so at Camp Nou.

Atlético Madrid team news

Starting line-up: Oblak, Vrsaljko, Savic, Jiménez, Hermoso, Carrasco, De Paul, Koke, Lemar, João Félix, Suárez

Barcelona team news

Starting line-up: Ter Stegen, Alves, Araujo, Piqué, Alba, Busquets, De Jong, Pedri, Adama, Ferran, Gavi

Barcelona vs Atlético Madrid live coverage: welcome

Hello and welcome to AS USA's live coverage of the pick of the weekend LaLiga games, as Barcelona host Atlético Madrid on matchday 23 of the Primera División season.

Kick-off is at 10:15pm ET (4:15pm local time) and the line-up are in, so let's get straight into the team news.