The defeat of FC Barcelona against Atlético de Madrid (1-2) was a hard blow for the blue and red team. And how could it not be? The team led by Hansi Flick let slip a key opportunity, as, had they been more clinical and lucky in front of Jan Oblak's goal, they would have easily secured the victory. This is clearly reflected in the statistics, as the Barça had seven clear goal-scoring opportunities and only managed to convert one, unlike the Atlético team, which, with fewer chances, managed to be more damaging.
Beyond this, the match against Atlético de Madrid had all the ingredients to emotionally affect Barcelona. Losing in the last minute a match they dominated for most of the time, with that fateful goal from Alexander Sørloth in the 90+6 minute, marks the third consecutive home defeat and closes out the year 2024 outside the top spot in LaLiga EA Sports, a position they had held since the start of the season in August.
Hansi Flick's speech did not have much success in lifting the spirits of the Barcelona dressing room
At this point, the defeat hit Barcelona so deeply that, as reported by 'SPORT', despite the internally optimistic and energetic message from Hansi Flick to the team, apparently it failed to boost the morale of a group that still could not come to terms with what had happened. The same source indicates that, regardless of the fact that the German coach praised his players' response on the field and expressed satisfaction with their performance, he could not counteract the despondency that gripped the Barcelona squad.
This is evident in statements like that of Raphinha, who dubbed himself 'guilty' of the Barça defeat, and other Barça players such as Pedri González, who had a stellar performance against Atlético de Madrid with a goal and an offensive 'show', and Iñigo Martínez, crestfallen by the defeat. Some left angry for not playing, some for feeling they had failed, and some for not being able to contribute as much as they would like. A variety of feelings that may have contributed to the loss of a crucial match that at times seemed to be in the bag.
Barcelona must start afresh for 2025
However, it is clear that, despite this possibly being the worst way to end the year for this overpowering Barcelona, not everything is despair. Many positive aspects can be drawn from the match against Atlético de Madrid, as expressed by Hansi Flick, who, beyond the unfavorable result, pointed out the key takeaways from this clash and emphasized that he expects exactly that from them for the remainder of the season, at least in terms of attitude.
In this sense, the Christmas break proves to be extremely opportune for a team that needs to 'disconnect' after such a devastating defeat, to return with renewed energy and in their best form to face a 2025 that, from its early stages, promises a packed schedule for the Barça squad: beginning with their debut in the Copa del Rey against UD Barbastro (01/04) and the dispute of the first title of the season, the Supercopa de España, with an exciting first match against Athletic Club (01/08).