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Barcelona players were reportedly keeping a close eye on proceedings in the Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid game between their two biggest rivals. The players saw how the game nearly descended into chaos due to fan troubles and they appreciated how the matter was dealt with.
Games between Spain's three biggest teams are always closely followed by players on each side and La Blaugrana were the ones watching this week. They lost to Osasuna on Saturday and could have seen either of their rivals close the gap on them in Madrid.
A report from AS indicates that the Barcelona players were pleased with how the referee Mateo Busquets Ferrer handled the developing situation in the game. The official stopped the game in the 69th minute after fans hurled objects at the players.
The Atletico Madrid fans mostly targeted goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois with their missiles after Real Madrid went ahead in the 64th minute. The referee stopped the game for 15 minutes while the Atletico Madrid players and manager went over to plead with the fans for calm.
Some of La Blaugrana's players were unaware of what had caused the game to be halted temporarily. On learning about the situation, they were able to understand the reason for the stoppage.
Barcelona's dressing room was of the opinion that such behavior from the fans should not have been tolerated and they hailed the maturity of the referee. They were also pleased with the outcome of the game, which saw both of their rivals drop points.
Barcelona retain top spot after Madrid derby stalemate
Barcelona remains on top of La Liga with a three-point cushion after the draw between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid on Sunday, September 29. All of Spain's top three sides dropped points on Matchday 8 as the 2024-25 season continues to unfold.
Hansi Flick's side were in action first, and following wholesale changes and squad rotation, they fell to a shock defeat in Pamplona. Osasuna picked up a first home win over them since 2012, claiming a 4-2 win and ending their 100% start to the season.
Following the defeat, second and third-placed Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid could narrow the gap on the leaders. A late goal from Angel Correa, however, canceled out Eder Militao's opener, resulting in shared points at the Wanda Metropolitano.
The results from the weekend mean that Barcelona stayed in the top spot with 21 points from eight games while Real Madrid are second with 18 points. Atletico Madrid are a further two points behind in third place as the title race begins to heat up in Spain.
