After Real Madrid's stumble, Barcelona closes in on the title with a 2-1 win over Atlético.
Barcelona extended their lead over Real Madrid to seven points in the La Liga standings, moving closer to retaining the title for the second consecutive season after defeating Atlético Madrid 2-1 in Matchday 30 on Saturday.
Atlético took the lead in the 39th minute through Argentine striker Giuliano Simeone, but Barcelona equalized through English winger Marcus Rashford in the 42nd minute before Atlético midfielder Nico González was shown a straight red card in the seventh minute of stoppage time.
The victory was secured by Barcelona's 2-1 win over Atlético Madrid. Barcelona capitalized on their numerical advantage, applying relentless pressure on Atlético Madrid in the second half. They squandered numerous scoring opportunities until substitute Robert Lewandowski finally broke the deadlock in the 87th minute. The Polish striker pounced on a rebound after a shot from Portuguese midfielder João Cancelo, who had skillfully maneuvered past the defense before unleashing a powerful shot into the net.
With this victory, Barcelona avenged their 4-0 defeat at the same stadium in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final (having won the return leg 3-0). They now sit atop the La Liga table with 76 points, seven points ahead of Real Madrid, who lost 2-1 to Mallorca earlier on Saturday.
This win, Barcelona's second against their rivals in the league (3-1), also boosted the morale of the Catalan team ahead of hosting Atlético again on Wednesday in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final. As for Atletico, their tally remained frozen at 57 points in fourth place after their second consecutive loss, as the team had fallen 2-3 in the derby against Real Madrid before the last international break.