6 goals, a red card each to Dani Alves and a Barça technical staffer, yellow to Xavi ... opening goal by Atletico Madrid, immediate response by Barça, decent showings by new acquisitions etc. would have made for fun viewing were I a neutral. However ah not in that camp ... so less tickled by the result although I hadda respect what Xavi is proposing cobbling together.
At 4-2, with time on the clock, a change in momentum/match dynamic were the only items to suggest rescue of a point. That not having happened, Barcelona moves into the CL spot.
AM still in de running but although 4 of the top 5 have a match in hand (exception being Sevilla) ... Sevilla and Real Madrid should have enough separation to make the insecurities a concern for Betis, Sociedad, Barcelona and Atleti.
In the midst of all of AM's frustrations is the not widely known fact that Simeone is so so so so close to being the "winningest" foreign coach in La Liga. Under normal service that achievement would have been put to bed by now. Won't be long.
At the other end of the table, Cadiz squandered an opportunity to dig some dirt out of the hole in which they are buried. A win would have seen them leapfrog Mallorca, but Mallorca walked away from the head to head with 3 points and a 5 point cushion. Might have been a good idea not to have passed on Diego Costa.