A rampant Barca scored four desires in forty minutes at Camp Nou before surviving a late fightback from Atletico after Luis Suarez headed in in opposition to his former club and Alves noticed purple with 20 minutes left.
A statement victory returns Xavi Hernandez's into the pinnacle four for the first time for the reason that September, with Atletico now two points at the back of in fifth. Atletico took an early lead through Yannick Carrasco but Barcelona got here storming again, Alba equalising with surely one of the desires of the season before Gavi, Ronald Araujo and Alves all struck to go away Atletico dealing with an annihilation. Instead, Suarez headed in and Alves was despatched off as tempers flared. But Barcelona hung on, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, signed from Arsenal, coming on off the bench to make his debut in the 2nd half.
With Barcelona in containment mode, Aubameyang's have an impact on was restrained and it turned into some other January signing, Adama Traore, who made the biggest impact with an electric first-1/2 overall performance. Barca had been 9th within the league, six factors at the back of Atletico in fourth, whilst Xavi was appointed educate. Now, they're in the using seat to seal qualification for the Champions League, which might be so essential to their economic recuperation.
Barca got here into the sport at the again of a dramatic transfer window that still saw Ferran Torres delivered in. Traore, a La Masia graduate, and Torres both started out but Aubameyang, who have been sidelined by using Arsenal in current weeks, was best deemed suit sufficient for the bench, together with Ousmane Dembele, who Xavi welcomed back into the fold notwithstanding threats of exile last month from the club.
Dembele is yet to extend his deal, which expires inside the summer season, and he was whistled earlier than kick-off. He was not introduced in the second half of, although such turned into the drama of the contest by way of then, possibly the crowd won't have noticed. Atletico were beforehand on eight minutes but the relaxation of the primary half of belonged to Barca. Traore became at the coronary heart of it, making the sport his very own for a whirlwind half of an hour. He pressed and harried and terrorised Atletico, until Simeone even had to convey Carrasco over from the proper for canopy.
Traore become concerned in Alba's equaliser too, his go poked out to Alves, who floated the ball to the alternative side, wherein Alba had time to modify his toes and permit fly with a lovely volley. The ball flew over Jan Oblak and into the some distance nook. Barcelona had been on top and Traore in complete flow. He stopped Mario Hermoso, then surged past him, lifting a pass off the road and into the place wherein Gavi headed in a 2d. Pedri need to have made it three but fired over and as Atletico hoped for half of-time, Barcelona struck once more, Alves' chip headed onto the crossbar and the ball bouncing up for Araujo to damage in.
Four minutes after the restart, Barca made it four, Gavi's reduce-back locating Alves, who arrowed a end into the nook. Alves milked the celebration, posing along with his palms outstretched after his first Barca league intention for the reason that 2013. But the birthday celebration environment changed into popped whilst Suarez decreased the distance to two via heading in from near variety.
Aubameyang in brief broke the anxiety through coming on to rapturous applause for Traore but Alves turned into then sent off after scraping his studs down the lower back of Carrasco's leg. Atletico had 20 minutes to attain two and the game almost boiled over when Xavi's assistant Oscar Hernandez turned into shown a purple card for his protests and Xavi saw yellow. A 1/3 for Atletico and Barcelona would possibly have caved however it in no way came.
