Barcelona edge Atletico with late Lewandowski winner

FC Barcelona strengthened their grip on the La Liga title race with a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over Atletico Madrid, thanks to a late winner from Robert Lewandowski.

The Catalan side now sit seven points clear at the top of the table with eight games remaining, taking a major step toward reclaiming the Spanish crown.

Atletico started brightly and took the lead in the 39th minute through Giuliano Simeone, who calmly finished to give the hosts an advantage in a tense encounter.

However, the lead lasted just three minutes as Marcus Rashford equalised for Barcelona with a composed finish through the legs of Juan Musso.

The turning point came just before half-time when Nico Gonzalez was shown a straight red card for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity, leaving Atletico to play the entire second half with 10 men.

Barcelona dominated possession after the break and continued to push forward, although they were frustrated by Atletico’s disciplined defensive structure.

Controversy followed early in the second half when Gerard Martin had a red card downgraded to yellow after a VAR review, a decision that angered the home side.

Despite Atletico’s resistance, Barcelona finally found the breakthrough in the 87th minute. A shot from Joao Cancelo was spilled by Musso, and the ball rebounded off Lewandowski’s shoulder into the net to seal a crucial victory.

The result puts Barcelona on 76 points, seven ahead of Real Madrid, who slipped up earlier in the day.

Meanwhile, Atletico remain fourth on 57 points and must quickly regroup as they prepare to face Barcelona again in the Champions League quarter-finals.

With the title race entering its final stretch, Barcelona’s resilience and experience could prove decisive, while Lewandowski once again demonstrated his ability to deliver in key moments.