Defending champions Barcelona staged a remarkable comeback in the 19th round of the 2025/26 La Liga season, defeating Atletico Madrid 3-1 after trailing by one goal, thanks to goals from Rafinha, Olmo, and Ferran Torres. Manager Flick stated in an interview that he believes Barcelona's performance in this match elevated them to another level.

Molina launched a long pass in the 19th minute, and Baena received the ball, surged into the penalty area, and slotted it home to give Atletico Madrid a 1-0 lead. In the 26th minute, Pedri played a through ball to Rafinha, who received it, rounded Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Oblak in the penalty area, and slotted the ball into the empty net to level the score at 1-1 for Barcelona.

In the 65th minute of the second half, Lewandowski played a through ball to Olmo, who received the ball despite the defense and slotted it home, giving Barcelona a 2-1 lead. In the final stages, Balde crossed from the left, and Ferran Torres seized the opportunity to fire a shot into the net, extending Barcelona's lead to 3-1.

Ultimately, Barcelona staged a remarkable comeback, defeating Atletico Madrid 3-1 at home. With their fifth consecutive victory, Barcelona currently sits atop the league table with 37 points, one point ahead of second-placed Real Madrid, making the title race extremely competitive.

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said, "I think we've taken our performance to another level. We were facing a strong team. We fought as a team, and that's what I saw in this game. It was very good, really fantastic."

“I am very pleased. It is very important that new players are constantly coming on. Some players in the team are not at 100%, so we need to make adjustments. We have more control of the game and create more space, which is very positive.”

Flick also said, "Rafinha is very important to us, and his return is a great thing for the team. We saw his role again in this game, and the same in the last game, so I am very happy."

In addition, Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone said, "Alvarez has been showing a very high level of performance since he joined the team, but he is also a normal person and there are times when he is not in good form."

"I'm satisfied with the game. We played a very good match against a team that played very well, and they kept looking for ways to counter us."

Diego Simeone added, "Our defense could have been better, but they were very strong. We had more chances in the second half, but we lacked the decisiveness that sometimes disappears suddenly. The 1-3 result may not fully reflect the course of the game, but I will carry many positive things into the next game."