Baena says Barcelona defeat left him awake all night as Atletico miss chance to go top

Atletico de Madrid midfielder Alex Baena says he did not sleep after his side’s defeat by Barcelona, claiming the frustration of missing a chance to move to the top of La Liga kept him awake throughout the night.

Atletico had been the stronger team for much of the match and created the clearer opportunities, but failed to take advantage of them. The result allowed Hansi Flick’s Barcelona to retain their position at the summit before the international break.

Under Cholo Simeone, Atletico produced an outstanding first half. Baena described it as “the best first half since I joined the team”, with his side creating several chances that could have settled the match before half-time.

However, Atletico were unable to turn their dominance into goals. Their energy levels fell in the second half as fatigue began to take hold, while Barcelona’s quality ultimately decided the contest. Fermin, who was in outstanding scoring form, completed his side’s comeback.

Speaking on Monday evening to Manu Carreno on the Cadena SER programme El Larguero, Baena said Atletico had done enough to win.

“We played our best first half for a long time and had much clearer chances than they did, but we did not take them. We deserved to win,” he said.

The defeat at Wembleyano was more than the loss of three points for Baena, who grew up in Roquetas de Mar. He said the result had affected him deeply and described the aftermath as one of the most difficult nights he had experienced since joining Atletico Madrid.

“I did not sleep all night because I went to bed angry,” Baena admitted.

The sending-off of Marcos Llorente and the dramatic events that followed were also unable to ease Baena’s frustration. Instead, the midfielder remained focused on the opportunities Atletico had failed to convert and the narrow gap between their performance and the final result.

His full interview with El Larguero also covered memories of the World Cup and the difficult period currently being endured by his team-mate Julian Alvarez after a demanding summer. Baena also referred to criticism from within the squad over the way a Celta de Vigo player had been treated.

Atletico’s missed opportunity came as the league schedule listed Barcelona, Villarreal, Getafe and Atletico Madrid for La Liga fixtures on 22 November 2026. For Baena, the central message from the defeat was that Atletico had been the better side and had come close to the summit, but had been punished for failing to make their chances count.