Barcelona’s perfect start to the 2017-18 La Liga season is no more after it ran into a roadblock at the Wanda Metropolitano Saturday night in Madrid.

But with eight minutes remaining and Barcelona finding few cracks in a stout Atletico Madrid defense, Sergi Roberto lifted a picturesque ball over the hosts’ roadblock and onto the head of Luis Suarez. Suarez nodded Roberto’s cross into the ground and past Jan Oblak to steal an away point.

Suarez came inches away from an 88th-minute winner when his outstretched boot just barely failed to connect with Andre Gomes’ centering pass. He sailed an 89th-minute shot over the bar as well.

Then it was Lionel Messi, whose magic had propelled Argentina to the World Cup just four days earlier, who lined up a free kick 20 yards out, and almost smack dab in the center of the field. It would be the last kick of the game. Madrileño tension build. Visions of an impending winner surely filled fans’ minds if they dared close their eyes.

But Messi sent the free kick right down Oblak’s throat. And down with it went Barcelona’s unblemished record.

But Suarez did preserve the unblemished record on a spectacular overall night in Madrid. Atletico was outstanding both with and without the ball. And it was the hosts’ two-way midfield general, Saul Niguez, who fired them into a first-half lead.

Antoine Griezmann also had two glorious first-half chances, one of them self-made with a nutmeg of Gerard Pique. But he was denied twice by Marc-Andre Ter Stegen.

Barcelona was largely predictable during the first half, and for significant portions of the second half as well. Manager Ernesto Valverde drafted Gomes into his starting 11 for the Portuguese midfielder’s first La Liga start of the season. His inclusion reshaped Barcelona into a 4-4-2 of sorts with Messi and Suarez up top. Atletico’s own 4-4-2 neutralized most of what Barcelona tried to do going forward.

Messi, in particular, was ever so slightly out of sync. He was still one of the best players on the field, if not the best, but his end product, unlike on Tuesday in Ecuador, was just off the mark. He awkwardly danced through the Atletico defense in the very first minute, but couldn’t quite sort his feet out in front of goal. He struck the post with a free kick early in the second half, and fired a late-second-half shot just wide of Oblak’s right-hand post.

But in the last 15 minutes, with Roberto and Gerard Deolofeu on for Nelson Semedo and Andres Iniesta, Barcelona sprung into life. It created as much in those 15 minutes as it did in the other 75, and very nearly preserved its perfection.

The perfect record, though, probably flattered Barcelona in the first place. And it will be perfectly pleased with 22 points from its first eight games, especially with Real Madrid still five points off its league-leading pace.

And especially given all the uncertainty swirling around the club in August. Amid unrest, criticism and rumors of decline, the Catalan giants have steadied themselves. In a way, Saturday’s second half was as good a representation of that as any of the wins. In the second-toughest fixture on its La Liga calendar, Barcelona came away with a result. And it showed plenty of spirit and fight in the process.

Related video:

– – – – – – – –

Henry Bushnell covers soccer – the U.S. national teams, the Premier League, and much, much more – for FC Yahoo and Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Question? Comment? Email him at henrydbushnell@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @HenryBushnell.