Atletico Madrid vs. Barcelona: Score and Reaction from 2015 La Liga Match

Lionel Messi came off the bench and scored his first La Liga goal of the season as Barcelona overcame Atletico Madrid 2-1 at the Vicente Calderon.

Fernando Torres put the home side in front early in the second half, before Neymar replied with an exquisite free-kick and Messi grabbed the decisive winner in the 77th minute.

A series of controversial decisions from the referee punctuated the match, in which Barca were denied two clear penalties for handball and Madrid one of their own for the same offence.

Messi started the match among the substitutes, having not trained with the team following the birth of his son, according to Squawka Football, while Marc-Andre ter Stegen made his league debut for the Blaugrana.

Paul White/Associated Press

For Atletico, Torres spearheaded the attack ahead of Jackson Martinez.

The first half was an uninspiring affair as neither team found much rhythm in the final third, though Barca were perhaps unlucky not to be leading at the break.

Ivan Rakitic's corner was flicked on for Luis Suarez at the back post, but the striker could only hit the crossbar from all of two yards—admittedly from a tight angle.

Barca should have had a penalty after Jose Gimenez's arm blocked Neymar's shot, but as football journalist Dermot Corrigan noted, they didn't receive a deserved spot-kick:

Atletico were similarly denied a penalty just three minutes after the restart when Torres' cross hit Javier Mascherano's arm, but once again the referee waved play on, per football journalist Rik Sharma:

The match sprang to life soon after, though, and the home side were in front as Torres raced on to a pass ahead of Mascherano to score his ninth career goal against Barca. Corrigan noted the significance of the strike:

Francisco Seco/Associated Press

Barca hit back just minutes later through Neymar, whose sumptuous 25-yard free-kick sailed into Atleti's top left-hand corner.

There was yet more handball controversy after Messi came on. The Argentinian star fed a sublime pass to Neymar as Barca turned the screw over Atleti, but Diego Godin's hand cleared the Brazilian's shot three yards out with Jan Oblak beaten.

The Blaugrana's continued pressure was eventually rewarded as Suarez atoned for his earlier profligacy, turning provider for Messi with a sublime caressed lay-off, and the 28-year-old made no mistake from eight yards.

GERARD JULIEN/Getty Images

Sharma wittily praised manager Luis Enrique's decision to introduce Messi:

By contrast, Martinez—who came on for Torres—struggled to make an impact, his match summed up by a late chance in which he could only hit the ball into the ground as his side failed to muster even a hint of a comeback.

The Blaugrana face Levante in their next domestic outing and should have few problems overcoming them at the Camp Nou.

Things could be trickier for the Rojiblancos, however, as they face a trip to in-form Eibar, who have won their first two matches of the season.

Post-Match Reaction

Per Barca's official Twitter feed, Neymar believed Messi's arrival raised his team-mate's performances, while Enrique was pleased with how his side fared against a title rival:

By contrast, Atleti boss Diego Simeone pulled no punches in his assessment of his side, per Corrigan:

According to Corrigan, Simeone also reserved praise for Messi, saying: "Messi determined things when he was on the pitch. He is a player used to breaking open games."