The Atlético de Madrid midfielder, Rodrigo De Paul, who scored the equalizer in his team's 2-1 victory against Barcelona this Saturday at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, expressed that victories like this one are the most enjoyable.

"The harder you have to fight, the sweeter the win is," said the Argentine player in remarks to Movistar+. "We were facing a great opponent. It had been a long time since Atlético Madrid last won here. We were playing for the top spot to end the year at the top—there were many factors at play."

De Paul also highlighted the impressive form of Diego Simeone's side, which now stands at the summit of LaLiga EA Sports with this win. "We’ve been working very hard. Twelve consecutive victories now, and this is all down to hard work. It’s very well-deserved to end the year this way," he added.

Match Summary Against Atlético de Madrid

Atlético de Madrid defeated FC Barcelona in Matchday 18 of LaLiga, winning 2-1 with goals from Rodrigo De Paul and Alexander Sorloth for the Colchoneros. For Barcelona, the only goal was scored by Pedri. With this result, Atlético de Madrid claims the top spot in LaLiga, taking the lead from Barcelona with 41 points, while Barcelona drops to second place with 38 points.