Barcelona’s hopes of finishing top of their Champions League group were dashed as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Atalanta at the Estadi Olímpic.
A win would have seen them overtake Liverpool in the standings, but the Catalan giants fell short despite twice taking the lead.
The first half saw Atalanta, who were without Nigerian star forward Ademola Lookman threaten, and they even found the net through Davide Zappacosta, but VAR ruled the goal out for offside.
Barcelona eventually broke the deadlock early in the second half when Lamine Yamal rounded goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi and slotted home after a fine build-up involving Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha.
Atalanta responded quickly as Ederson unleashed a stunning long-range strike to make it 1-1.
Barcelona regained the lead in the 71st minute when Ronald Araújo headed in from a Raphinha corner—his second goal of the season and first since signing a new contract until 2031.
However, defensive lapses cost Hansi Flick’s side, as Mario Pašalić equalized late on, muscling past Jules Koundé before slotting the ball through Wojciech Szczęsny’s legs.
With the draw, Barcelona finish second in their group but secure a direct spot in the last 16, avoiding the play-offs.
