When he scores half of what he has, we'll be amazed: Atlético de Madrid vs. Barça hot tips

BarcelonaBarça's hard-fought victory at Atlético Madrid thanks to a solitary goal from Ferran Torres (0-1). The Blaugranas, ahead of Atlético Madrid in the qualifying round, are now finalists in the Copa del Rey. Here are some quick notes.

Knowing how to suffer. The treble, which would be the third in sixteen years, continues to beat strongly in the hearts of the culés. Real Madrid also aspire, but the feelings of this Barça are diametrically opposed to those of the Whites, capable of making a fool of themselves in any scenario. At the Metropolitano, Flick's disciples sublimated their game in the first half and did little more than survive the second. However, it cannot be said, or even insinuated, that the spoils achieved against Simeone's team were unfair or even excessive. Quite the contrary: the suffering was noble and grounded. Special mention to Kounde and Iñigo Martínez, imperials in this timid agony.

It will be a weapon of mass destruction. At 17 years old, Lamine Yamal is Barça's finest exponent. Pedri aside, there's no Barça player as decisive—both in presence and absence—as the winger from Rocafonda. Normally, he's in contention for the Ballon d'Or, and depending on the occasion, he might win it. This prodigy shouldn't be overlooked just because he's a regular. It's not out of habit that we should forget that anyone who inspires Barça fans is a minor. Just thinking that Lamine will blow out 28 candles in 2035 shows how brutally opponents suffer him today, as if he were the devil, and how he improves absolutely every play that passes through his legs. When he scores half the chances he has, we'll be amazed. In the meantime, let him start assisting...

A very light red. If the excitement continued in the second half, it's because Barça didn't capitalize on all their chances in the first half and also because Munuera Montero, who set the booking bar quite low from the start, forgave a sending-off that everyone but him saw. Azpilicueta violently tackled Raphinha, received a yellow card, and VAR called in the Andalusian referee to revise the punishment upwards. It's true that it was only the first foul of the match and the tie would have lost its charm, but since when have the rules been applied taking this variable into account? No, justice can't be doled out based on the minute played.

The team supports the club. It may sound cliché, but it's exactly like that. It was rightly said when Messi was setting records and leading a Barça team that won league titles with insulting authority while Bartomeu's board ran the club recklessly in the offices and courts. The same maxim applies when we see the current Laporta handling the victimhood he so criticized Núñez for explaining. the umpteenth financial sleight of hand. The Barça president has no one to audit his accounts, he associates with strange suppliers, he has silenced criticism at Montjuïc, he has been overly optimistic about the Camp Nou, and he is under indictment for alleged fraud. In return, he has the good fortune of having signed Flick and a very loud charisma. When the ball stops going in, who will cover his shame?