Meeting for the third time since the end of February, Atleti were desperate to finally get the better of Barca, as Los Colchoneros were still reeling from a disastrous March in which they crashed out of the UEFA Champions League and all but surrendered their LaLiga title hopes.
That desperation perhaps contributed to an early overzealous tackle from Cesar Azpilicueta, who was no doubt holding his breath as referee Jose Luis Munuera Montero opted against upgrading a yellow card for a studs-up challenge on the back of Raphinha’s leg.
Lamine Yamal soon ushered in a period of Barcelona dominance, bending narrowly wide after cutting inside with a brilliant first touch.
There was plenty of bite to the contest as the tough tackling continued, but it was the visitors who were firmly in the ascendancy, capitalising on their first-half superiority through Ferran Torres, who poked Yamal’s threaded ball past Juan Musso while on the stretch.
A sharp breakaway could have doubled Barcelona’s advantage ahead of the break, yet Raphinha was unable to add to the scoreline, rifling a low shot at Musso from a tight angle.
Searching for fresh impetus, Diego Simeone made a triple alteration at half-time. After levelling the tie with a stoppage-time strike in the first leg, substitute Alexander Sorloth was heavily involved again here, firing into the side netting shortly after coming on.
Atleti were much-improved, but Barca remained threatening, almost extending their lead through Raphinha’s neat touch and low strike.
The home fans’ celebrations were swiftly cut short midway through the second period, as a marginal offside denied Sorloth, who had raced through on goal to bury a low strike. In stark contrast to the first leg, clear-cut opportunities were proving hard to come by, with Atleti successfully restricting the visiting side after the half-time reshuffle. Nonetheless, an elusive equaliser never materialised, handing Barcelona a fourth away head-to-head triumph on the bounce.
A sixth successive match without a win (D1, L5) highlights Atleti’s recent struggles, with a nine-point gap in LaLiga meaning their last realistic hope of claiming silverware end with this defeat.
Now unbeaten in 21 games across all competitions (W18, D3), Hansi Flick’s side remain on course for a spectacular quadruple, having already claimed the Spanish Super Cup ahead of a trip to Seville to face rivals Real Madrid.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)