Barcelona edge Atletico in dramatic 2-1 win, extend La Liga lead

KATHMANDU: FC Barcelona secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Atlético Madrid in a tense La Liga clash, stretching their lead at the top of the table.

Veteran striker Robert Lewandowski scored a late winner to seal a crucial three points for Barcelona, who now sit seven points clear of second-placed Real Madrid.

The match was fiercely contested from the start. Atlético were reduced to 10 men just before halftime when Nicolás González received a straight red card for denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity to Lamine Yamal.

Earlier, Atlético had taken the lead in the 39th minute through Giuliano Simeone, son of head coach Diego Simeone. However, Barcelona responded almost immediately, with Marcus Rashford leveling the score just three minutes later after rounding goalkeeper Juan Musso.

The second half saw further controversy as Gerard Martín initially received a red card for a heavy challenge on Thiago Almada, but the decision was downgraded to yellow following a VAR review.

Barcelona dominated proceedings after the break, repeatedly testing Musso. Their persistence paid off in the 87th minute when a shot from João Cancelo deflected off Lewandowski and into the net.

After the match, Barcelona coach Hansi Flick praised his team’s resilience in a high-pressure environment and urged them to maintain momentum in the remaining fixtures.

With eight matches left, Barcelona lead the standings with 76 points, followed by Real Madrid on 69, while Atlético Madrid sit fourth with 57.

The two sides are set to meet again on Wednesday in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal.