Atletico Madrid must not be in a hurry after beating Barcelona to go top of La Liga, says Jan Oblak.
Alexander Zorloth’s last-gasp strike sealed a smash-and-grab 2-1 win for Diego Simeone’s side at the Estadio Olimpico Luiz Kompany on Saturday.
Atleti, who had not had a shot in the first half, equalized through Rodrigo de Paul, who canceled out Pedri’s opener, before Sorrowth sent them top of the table.
It marked Atlético’s first away win against Barça in La Liga since February 2006, their second-worst away winless streak in their history against the same opposition in the competition (19 games), after a run of 20 without a win against the Blaugrana. Between 1945 and 1963.
But Oblak is keeping his feet firmly on the ground.
“I haven’t won since I came to Barcelona. It was difficult, but we got three points. Let’s continue in this vein,” Oblak told Movistar, after pulling off a string of brilliant saves to keep Barca at bay.
“We started badly, with a bit of fear that no one understands, because we are in very good shape. After 1-0 we managed to keep the second one unbeaten.
“The league is very long. Today is not the point, it’s three points and many points left. A month and a half ago we were far away and now we are here.
3 – Rodrigo de Paul has scored three goals in his last four matches @LaLigaSame as his previous 53 games in the competition. He scored 50% of the goals #Atlético de Madrid Came from out of the box (7/14). the punch pic.twitter.com/rkrHdtiOXe
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) December 21, 2024
After restoring parity on the hour mark, De Paul has now scored three goals in his last four La Liga appearances, equaling his previous 53 appearances in the competition.
“When you suffer more, you enjoy it more. We were up against a great opponent. It had been years since Atletico had won here, and we were also playing for the top spot,” De Paul told Movistar.
“It’s exciting to be the leader. It is a great satisfaction. When your work pays off, you feel completely satisfied. It’s an honor to wear this shirt, and it gives me great joy when everything goes well.”
