A new-look Barcelona continued with their recent ascendency with an entertaining 4-2 win over Atletico Madrid in a LaLiga match played on Sunday evening.
Jordi Alba, Gavi, Araujo and Dani Alves got the goals for Barcelona, with Yannick Carrasco and Luis Suarez on target for the visitors.
The match got off to an electrifying start as the visitors took the lead inside eight minutes.
Suarez produced a great pass that found Carrasco inside the penalty area, who took advantage of the situation to rifle a shot into the bottom left corner.
It was 1-1 in less than two minutes after Atleti took the lead as Alba got to the ball on the edge of the box and fired in a first-time shot without any hesitation, with the strike going straight into the top right corner.
Joao Felix came close to adding a second in the 20th minute as he shot after receiving a good pass, but his effort from the edge of the box went just wide of the right post.
Barcelona then took the lead almost immediately as Adama Traore played a hopeful cross into a crowded box and Gavi timed his jump perfectly and sent a header inside the left post from close in.
Stefan Savic then rose above the defence inside the box to meet a cross, but his header flies narrowly wide of the left post.
Ronald Araujo then made it 3-1 just before the break as he found himself in the right place at the right time to pounce on a rebound inside the box and gleefully rifled the ball home.
Barcelona continued the second half from where they left the first as Alves showed perfect technique and produced a first-time effort from just outside the box that goes into the bottom left corner four minutes after the restart.
Atleti responded just before the hour mark with their second goal and it came courtesy of former player, Suarez, who got to the end of a Jose Maria Gimenez header.
The hosts were then reduced to 10 men as Alves was given his marching orders from referee Jesus Gil Manzano after the VAR review.
The damage had already been done and Barcelona held on for the win to move to fourth on 38 points, two above Diego Simeone’s side in fifth.