Lionel Messi the difference but Barcelona's teamwork key to beating Atlético | Sid Lowe


A Lionel Messi free-kick won the match for Barcelona but their teamwork and sacrifice is what saw them past Atlético Madrid

Diego Simeone was sitting under the main stand at Europe’s largest stadium but for a moment, he was back in a playground 10,000km away. There two kids stand a few metres apart and edge towards each other, one step at a time, in turn, heel to toe, “bread” and “cheese” accompanying every tiny advance. Eventually one treads on the other – the winner now and, let’s face it, the winner in the game too.

“Pan.”

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Villarreal 0-2 Girona, Sevilla 2-0 Athletic Bilbao, Deportivo La Coruña 1-1 Eibar, Leganés 2-0 Málaga, Real Madrid 3-1 Getafe, Levante 1-1 Espanyol, Barcelona 1-0 Atlético Madrid, Real Sociedad 2-1 Alavés, Valencia 2-0 Real Betis

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