Barcelona go seven clear after late Lewandowski winner against Atletico

At the Metropolitano, FC Barcelona edged past Atletico Madrid 2-1 in a tense and incident-filled LaLiga clash, with Robert Lewandowski scoring a late winner to push his side seven points clear at the top after Matchday 30.

The match had a bit of everything — goals, red cards, VAR drama and shifting momentum.

Atletico struck first in the 39th minute when Giuliano Simeone finished neatly to give the hosts the lead. But the advantage did not last long. Just three minutes later, Marcus Rashford brought Barcelona level, squeezing his shot through the legs of goalkeeper Juan Musso.

The turning point came just before half-time. Nico Gonzalez was shown a straight red card for denying Lamine Yamal a clear goalscoring opportunity, leaving Atletico to play the entire second half with 10 men. Even then, the game did not settle. Barcelona thought they had another advantage early in the second half when Gerard Martin was shown a red card for a heavy challenge, but after a VAR review, the decision was downgraded to a yellow, adding to Atletico's frustration on the night.

With the extra man, Barcelona pushed forward continuously. Ferran Torres came close, forcing a strong save from Musso, while substitute Marc Bernal missed a big chance late in the first half stoppage time.

The pressure finally paid off in the 87th minute. A shot from Joao Cancelo was not held cleanly by Musso, and the loose ball deflected off Lewandowski's shoulder into the net to complete the comeback.

Beyond the match, the result carries major significance in the title race. Earlier in the day, Real Madrid had suffered a 2-1 defeat to RCD Mallorca, with Vedat Muriqi scoring late to seal the result. That slip allowed Barcelona to open up a seven-point gap at the top, with eight matches remaining.

For Atletico, the frustration will be around the red card and key decisions that followed. For Barcelona, it was about finding a way to win in difficult conditions. It was not their cleanest performance, but it was an important one.

With the title race entering its final phase and a direct clash against Real Madrid still to come, Barcelona are now firmly in control. Their focus, however, quickly shifts to Europe, where they will face Atletico Madrid again in the Champions League quarterfinal in the coming days.