Barcelona concluded the league phase of the Champions League with a 2-2 draw against Atalanta, securing second place in the group standings.
The first half of the match was largely uneventful, with both teams adopting a cautious approach that kept most of the action far from either goal. About ten minutes before the halftime whistle, Atalanta seemed to break the deadlock when Davide Zappacosta found the net. However, as has often been the case this season, Barcelona’s defensive line executed an effective offside trap. After a thorough VAR review, the goal was disallowed, much to the frustration of Atalanta’s players and fans.
Barcelona came out of the tunnel for the second half with renewed determination and immediately capitalized on Atalanta’s high defensive line. Raphinha delivered a well-timed pass to Lamine Yamal, who skillfully rounded the goalkeeper and managed to slot the ball into the net despite the close attention of a defender, giving Barcelona a 1-0 lead.
Atalanta, however, did not take long to respond. In the 66th minute, Éderson displayed impressive footwork to evade Gavi and unleashed a powerful shot from outside the penalty area. The ball flew past Wojciech Szczęsny, leveling the score at 1-1. Barcelona regained the lead just five minutes later when Ronald Araújo connected with a corner kick and headed the ball into the net, marking his first goal of the season.
The joy was short-lived, as Atalanta struck back in the 79th minute. Mario Pašalić took advantage of a defensive lapse to score the equalizer, making it 2-2. Despite Barcelona’s efforts to find a decisive winning goal, the match ended in a stalemate.
The draw meant Barcelona missed an opportunity to surpass Liverpool, who had suffered a defeat, and claim the top spot in the group. Nevertheless, the Catalan side advanced to the next stage of the competition, securing one of the coveted top two positions. They now await the outcome of the playoff round to learn which opponent they will face in the round of 16.
