| Event | 2013–14 La Liga (round 38) | ||||||
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| Atlético Madrid wins La Liga title | |||||||
| Date | 17 May 2014 | ||||||
| Venue | Camp Nou,Barcelona,Catalonia, Spain | ||||||
| Referee | Antonio Mateu Lahoz | ||||||
| Attendance | 96,973 | ||||||
TheBarcelona vs Atlético Madridfootball match that took place on 17 May 2014 at theCamp Nou inBarcelona,Spain, was played during the 38th and therefore last round of the2013–14 La Liga season. Atlético and Barcelona came into the match occupying the top two positions in the league, separated by just three points, and thus both teams could still claim the title.
It was the first time since 1951 and just the third time in league history theLa Liga title came down to a head-to-head match on the final weekend of play (the others in1945–46 and1950–51 each involved one of the clubs involved in 2014, withSevilla the other club on both occasions).[1] The result was a 1–1 draw, earning Atlético Madrid the point to win their first league title in 18 years, and their tenth overall.
In the 36th round of La Liga, Atlético lost 0–2 toLevante atEstadi Ciutat de València while Barcelona and Real Madrid only earned one point in their home games againstGetafe andValencia respectively. With two weeks to play, Atlético led the table with a 3-point advantage over Barcelona and one point more overReal Madrid.
After these results, Atlético could have won the league in the 37th and penultimate round if they earned one more point than Barcelona and Real. In this round, Atlético had a home tie againstMálaga while Barcelona visited relegation-threatenedElche and Real Madrid played atBalaídos againstCelta Vigo.
Despite both Barcelona and Real Madrid failing to win their respective games (Barcelona ended 0–0[2] and Real were out of the title race after losing 2–0[3]), Atlético could not win the title at home as they only could earn one point after a 1–1 draw.[4]
These results meant that the title would be decided in a head-to-head game atCamp Nou between Barcelona and Atlético, with Atlético having the advantage with a 3-point lead.[1] The reverse fixture ended 0–0 meaning Atlético needed to avoid defeat to clinch the title, otherwise Barcelona would successfully defend theirLa Liga crown due to having the better head-to-head record out of the two sides.[5]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atlético Madrid | 37 | 28 | 5 | 4 | 76 | 25 | +51 | 89 |
| 2 | Barcelona | 37 | 27 | 5 | 5 | 99 | 32 | +67 | 86 |
| 3 | Real Madrid | 37 | 26 | 6 | 5 | 101 | 37 | +64 | 84 |
Atlético Madrid forwardsDiego Costa andArda Turan became injured within the first 30 minutes, and were substituted off. Five minutes before half time, Barcelona took the lead into the break thanks to a goal byAlexis Sánchez after receiving a chest-pass fromLionel Messi.
In the 49th minute of the second half however, a header fromDiego Godín off a corner kick made the score 1–1. Eight minutes after the goal, Barcelona'sSergio Busquets could not continue playing.
In the 64th minute Messi scored, but Barcelona were denied the lead they needed as the goal was ruled out for offside. Eventually the game ended as a 1–1 draw, which handed theColchoneros their first league title in 18 years, and their 10th overall.[7]
| Barcelona | 1–1 | Atlético Madrid |
|---|---|---|
Sánchez 33' | Report | Godín 49' |
         Barcelona |      Atlético Madrid |
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Match rules
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%2c.JPG)
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atlético Madrid(C) | 38 | 28 | 6 | 4 | 77 | 26 | +51 | 90 |
| 2 | Barcelona | 38 | 27 | 6 | 5 | 100 | 33 | +67 | 87 |
| 3 | Real Madrid | 38 | 27 | 6 | 5 | 104 | 38 | +66 | 87 |
It was the first time since the2003–04 La Liga that a club other than Barcelona orReal Madrid won the title. It was also the first time in the 67-year history of theCamp Nou stadium that a visiting team had clinched the title in the stadium.
The draw meant that Barcelona would finish second, regardless of Real Madrid's result against Barcelona'scity rivalsEspanyol, asBarça would at worst have the better head-to-head record over theirClásico rivals (winning 2–1 at home and 4–3 away). Nonetheless, Real Madrid won 3–1, meaning second place was instead decided on the head-to-head tiebreaker.[8]
Just after the game,Gerardo Martino resigned as Barcelona's manager after one season in charge. The club only won theSupercopa de España, they were eliminated by Atlético Madrid in the quarter-finals of theChampions League and lost 2–1 against Real Madrid in theCopa del Rey Final. Two days later,Diego Godín was namedPlayer of the Month for May.[9]
After celebrating the league title inMadrid, Atlético played in theChampions League Final seven days later, against theirlocal rivals Real Madrid. Despite a header fromDiego Godín in the first half of the game,Sergio Ramos equalised for Real Madrid in the 3rd minute of second half stoppage time.[10] In extra time, the Atlético players were visibly exhausted and eventually lost 4–1.[11]
