Atalanta had to win the match against Barcelona to cross 15 points to qualify directly in the next round but failed to register a win making them 9th in table after group stage match.
Barcelona Drew 2-2 With Atalanta Pushed Nerazzurri Out Of The Top 8 And Shut The Door Of Direct Qualification Real Madrid
The first half of the game was not engaging with several chances created from both sides but the game opened up a little bit after the second half where all 4 goals came equally from both sides. Yamal broke the deadlock by finishing a super cross-field pass given by Raphinha that helped Barca to take the lead and sit top of the table for a limited time before Liverpool scored against PSV.
Atalanta Gave Tough Competition to Barcelona to Ensure Top 8 Position
Atalanta replied after 20 minutes and Ederson showed some individual brilliance with a small trickery and pulled a bullet that hit the net. Before this, one goal from Atalanta was called off with VAR intervention due to offside in the first half of the game.
Barca again took the lead at 72 minutes from a corner that was again delivered by Raphina and finished by Araujo. The Brazilian has 8 goals and 4 assists in the UEFA Champions League this season which is truly remarkable for the Catalans. In this game, Raphina was involved in two goals scored in the Olympic Stadium to ensure a point from the game.
Draw of Barcelona Made Real Madrid and Atalanta Play Two Extra Game to Enter Round of 16
If the scoreline stayed 2-1 then Real Madrid would have the chance to qualify but the equaliser from Pasalic destroyed the hope for Los Blancos. The Pasalic positioned himself between two defenders and surprisingly Araujo and Kunde failed to clear the ball or intercept, enabling the Dutch to beat GK and finish it.
With the scoreline, Atalanta failed to directly qualify for the game however they will have the chance to make it into the round of 16 through a playoff game that would be played in two legs and the playoff draw would be held on the 31st January 12:00 CET.
