Barcelona wrapped up the inaugural League Phase of the Champions League in second place after a thrilling 2-2 draw against Atalanta at the Montjuïc Olympic Stadium. Despite leading twice in the second half, the Blaugrana were unable to hold off the visitors, who mounted a strong comeback to secure a point. While Barça missed the chance to overtake Liverpool for the top spot, they can take pride in their performance, especially in a lively second half, and focus on domestic competitions until the knockout stages in March.
The first half was dominated by Atalanta’s high press and man-marking tactics, which left Barça struggling to create meaningful opportunities. The hosts relied on long-distance efforts from Lamine Yamal and Raphinha that posed little threat, while Atalanta came closer to breaking the deadlock with dangerous headers and a disallowed goal from Davide Zappacosta due to a narrow offside. It was a frustrating 45 minutes for Barça, who were clearly outplayed by the visitors’ intensity and tactical discipline.
Barça came out firing in the second half, with Lamine Yamal opening the scoring just 90 seconds in after a brilliant assist from Robert Lewandowski. The game sprang to life, with both teams trading chances and Atalanta eventually leveling through a thunderous strike from Éderson. Ronald Araujo restored Barça’s lead with a towering header off a Raphinha corner, but Atalanta fought back again, equalizing through Mario Pasalic’s cool finish with 10 minutes to play. The final moments saw Ferran Torres nearly score a winner for Barça, but Atalanta held firm, despite being reduced to 10 men late on due to an injury.
Though a victory would have secured first place, Barça can be satisfied with their second-place finish, which offers a favorable draw in the knockout stages. The thrilling second-half display showcased their attacking potential, and the team now has the opportunity to focus on their La Liga and Copa del Rey campaigns before the European competition resumes. Barcelona scored 28 goals in 8 games, the most by any team in the UEFA Champions League group stage.
