Robert Lewandowski scored an 87th-minute winner as FC Barcelona secured a hard-fought victory over 10-man Atletico Madrid to move seven points clear at the top of La Liga.
In a heated and incident-filled contest, Barcelona were frustrated for long periods despite Atletico playing the entire second half with 10 men. Nico González was sent off just before the break for denying Lamine Yamal a clear scoring chance.
Atletico had taken the lead in the 39th minute through Giuliano Simeone, who finished calmly to put the hosts ahead. However, their advantage lasted only three minutes, with Marcus Rashford equalising after slotting the ball through the legs of goalkeeper Juan Musso.
Barcelona pushed for a second goal before half-time, but substitute Marc Bernal missed a clear opportunity in stoppage time.
There was further controversy early in the second half when Gerard Martín was shown a red card for a strong challenge on Thiago Almada. The decision was later reviewed and downgraded to a yellow card, prompting protests from Atletico players.
With the numerical advantage, Barcelona dominated possession and created several chances. Musso produced a key save to deny Ferran Torres, but the pressure eventually paid off late in the game.
The winning goal came when Musso failed to hold a shot from João Cancelo, and the ball deflected off Lewandowski’s shoulder into the net.
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick praised his team’s determination after the match, stressing the importance of maintaining focus as the season enters its final stages.
With eight matches remaining, Barcelona lead the standings with 76 points, seven ahead of Real Madrid, who dropped points earlier in the day. The two sides are set to meet in a crucial fixture on 10 May.
Atletico Madrid remain fourth on 57 points and will face Barcelona again in the Champions League quarter-final first leg in the coming days.
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