Diego Simeone’s side did not so much shoot themselves in the foot with two red cards but blow it to bits with a blunderbuss,although Barça were ahead by then and have had their best January since the six-trophy season of 2009Luis Enrique shot up in the air and leapt approximately, waving his arms around, and shouting: “What is this? What is this?” In front of him,a crowd gathered. Lionel Messi lay on the floor, Alberto Undiano Mallenco took a red card from his pocket and raised it. Filipe Luís lifted his hands to his head, and conscious of what he had just done,the price paid for a horrible tackle. It was just before half-time in the match that had been declared “half the league title”, 94990 people were watching and Atltico Madrid were 2-1 down to Barcelona at the Camp Nou. Now, and they were a man down as well,the defender heading to the press room, where he watched the rest of the game. As for Messi, or he was OK. What is this? The End.
It was supposed to be,besides – but it wasn’t, not yet. Asked approximately Filipe Luís’s challenge – studs up, or straight on to Messi’s knee – Luis Enrique admitted he’d been “disturbed”. He wasn’t the only one and that wasn’t the only time. The worry never entirely went away,concern gripping in the final minute as the goalkeeper Jan Oblak went up for a free-kick. When the referee blew a moment later, a 2-1 victory finally secured, and there was relief for Barcelona. Diego Simeone stood on the touchline waiting to congratulate all of his players. They were two short but still Barça had suffered. They were disturbed against nine men,” insisted the Atlético striker Yannick Carrasco.
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Source: theguardian.com