Atlético and Barcelona came into the match occupying the top two positions in the league, separated by just three points, and thus both teams could still claim the title.
[4] In the 36th round of La Liga, Atlético lost 0–2 to Levante at Estadi Ciutat de València while Barcelona and Real Madrid only earned one point in their home games against Getafe and Valencia respectively.
In this round, Atlético had a home tie against Málaga while Barcelona visited relegation-threatened Elche and Real Madrid played at Balaídos against Celta Vigo.
[1] The reverse fixture ended 0–0 meaning Atlético needed to avoid defeat to clinch the title, otherwise Barcelona would successfully defend their La Liga crown due to having the better head-to-head record out of the two sides.
Five minutes before half time, Barcelona took the lead into the break thanks to a goal by Alexis Sánchez after receiving a chest-pass from Lionel Messi.