Lamine Yamal’s magic was not enough for Barcelona as the Spanish side twice surrendered a lead to draw 2-2 with Atalanta in the Champions League on Wednesday. The 17-year-old winger quickly emerged as the Catalan side’s most dangerous player and opened the scoring, but the visitors’ were able to cancel out the Euro 2024 winner and deprive Hansi Flick’s men of finishing top of the league phase of the competition.
Amid Barca’s slow start and some promising moments from the Italians, it was Gian Piero Gasperini’s team who first put the ball in the net in the 36th minute, capitalising on some awful Barcelona defending as the ball fell to an unmarked Davide Zappacosta to fire home but a VAR review revealed he was offside.
Within 90 seconds of the second half, however, Barca hit them on the counter attack. As the ball came out to Raphinha, he sent it into Yamal’s path and he took it around the goalkeeper and followed it in.
It was Yamal who kick-started Barca’s next dangerous attack as he picked out Robert Lewandowski with a pass. The Polish striker looked destined to score as he charged towards goal but he stumbled and fell as the ball missed the target. Moments later, Yamal weaved his way into a great position to score but his shot was saved.
Despite the promising moves, Barcelona still looked vulnerable and Atalanta finally exposed it in the 67th minute when Ederson received the ball outside the box, skipped past Pedri and fired in a beautiful goal.
Barca were back in the lead within five minutes, though, when a Raphinha corner found Ronald Araujo on his own at the back post and the defender headed in, but Atalanta refused to give up and pulled level through Mario Pasalic, who held off Jules Kounde and Araujo’s challenges to knock it through Wojciech Szczesny.
The Catalan side pushed for a winner and came close in the dying stages, but were forced to settle for a point.
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