Atletico de Madrid 1 - 2 Barcelona: Lionel Messi inspires Barca comeback win at Atletico Madrid

Posted Sunday, September 13, 2015 by PA

Lionel Messi came off the bench to inspire Barcelona to a 2-1 come-from-behind win over Atletico Madrid at the Vicente Calderon Stadium on Saturday night.

Messi had been left out of the starting line-up after missing a day of training this week for the birth of his second child - but his introduction on the hour made an immediate impression.

Barcelona fell behind to a Fernando Torres opener early in the second half but Neymar's free-kick immediately levelled the scores before the Argentinian stepped up to seal victory 13 minutes from time.

Both sides went into the game with unbeaten records and having not conceded a goal in their opening two Primera Division matches.

Atletico had followed up an opening-day win over Las Palmas with an impressive 3-0 triumph at Sevilla last Sunday, while Barcelona eked out 1-0 victories over Athletic Bilbao and Malaga respectively.

And the visitors had the better of an untidy opening spell with Luis Suarez somehow contriving to fire against the bar from point-blank range after getting a touch on an inswinging Ivan Rakitic corner.

Neither side did much more to threaten before the break, with Neymar seeing half-hearted penalty appeals waved away and Torres having little chance to make an impression in and around the Barcelona box.

But the game burst into live five minutes into the second period when the former Liverpool and Chelsea man burst onto a first-time pass from Tiago before planting the ball firmly past visiting keeper Marc Andre ter Steigen.

The hosts' lead lasted less than four minutes before Barcelona were level, Neymar bending a delicious free-kick past Jan Oblak and into the top corner of the net from 25 yards.

Messi replaced Rakitiic on the hour and immediately swung the game in the visitors' favour, teeing up two fine chances for Neymar as the hosts found themselves pinned back in their own half.

And Messi grabbed Barcelona's second on 77 minutes when Jordi Alba's pass was touched on by Suarez into the path of the Argentinian who coolly slotted past Oblak to give his side the lead.

Messi's one-man show continued as he jinked through the rapidly disillusioned Atletico defence and also fired just wide from a set-piece as Barcelona kept their 100 per cent start to the season intact.