Sleep never came. Atletico Madrid star Alex Baena broke his silence to lay bare the pain and anger of defeat to Barcelona, after his side squandered a golden chance to go top of La Liga before the international break.

Top spot was there for the taking, and by every measure Atletico were the closer to winning. Cholo Simeone's side delivered a superb opening 45 minutes, which Baena called "the best first half since I joined the club," carving out clear-cut chances that could have settled the tie early and extended their lead.

Then the chances went begging. Atletico's legs grew heavy, fatigue set in after the break, and Barcelona's quality decided it. Fermin, at the peak of his scoring form, completed the comeback to keep Hansi Flick's team top of the table.

Speaking on the "El Larguero" programme with Manu Carreno on "Cadena SER" radio on Monday evening, Baena laid out his regret over the missed opportunity and insisted his side deserved to win.

"We produced our best first half in a long time, and we had far clearer chances than they did, but we did not take them," Baena said. "We deserved to win."

For the Roquetas de Mar native, the Metropolitano defeat cost more than three points. It left a deep psychological mark and robbed him of sleep.

Baena admitted with striking candour: "I did not sleep all night because I went to bed angry."

Marcos Llorente's red card and the chaos that followed did nothing to settle him either, after a night he called one of the toughest since he joined Atletico Madrid.

Elsewhere in the interview, Baena revisited his World Cup memories and spoke about the difficult spell his teammate Julian Alvarez is enduring after a tough summer, one in which even his colleagues questioned the treatment handed to the Celta Vigo player.

The message was clear. Atletico were the better side and came within touching distance of the summit, but football rewards only those who take their chances. This time the regret ran too deep for sleep.