Even with only 10 players, Barcelona managed to defeat Atlético Madrid, extending their lead at the top of La Liga to 7 points.

After seeing their title rivals Real Madrid unexpectedly lose to Mallorca earlier in the day, Barça knew that a positive result in the capital would consolidate their lead.

The match got off to a lively start at the Metropolitano Stadium, with Antoine Griezmann shooting straight at goalkeeper Joan García after a brilliant move that left Ronald Araujo unable to react, while on the other side, Fermín López missed a chance to score from Lamine Yamal's precise trivela pass.

Both teams continued to apply pressure throughout the first half, and the visitors almost took the lead when Yamal's delicate shot struck the outside of the post.

Atlético seized the opportunity, with Giuliano Simeone controlling a long pass from Clement Lenglet before curling a shot over García to score his fourth LaLiga goal of the season.

However, the home team's joy was short-lived, as Hansi Flick's players equalised just three minutes later thanks to Marcus Rashford, who combined well with Dani Olmo to score a powerful shot and beat Juan Musso.

Energised by the quick equaliser, Barça received another boost just before half-time when Atlético's Nicolás González was sent off for a late foul on Yamal.

The away team tried to increase the pressure from the outset of the second half, but they were fortunate not to be playing with 10 men on the pitch, as Gerard Martin's foul on Thiago Almada was reduced from a red card to a yellow card.

Eager to secure their fourth consecutive home win at the Metropolitano, Barça increased the pressure in the final 30 minutes, with Yamal's shot narrowly missing the target, followed by Ferran Torres' close-range shot being brilliantly saved by Musso.

The one-sided nature of the game showed no signs of improving when Flick brought Lewandowski on from the bench in the hope of finding the decisive goal in the final minutes.

The Polish player did not disappoint, as with only three minutes left, he was in the right place at the right time to score after Joao Cancelo's first shot was saved by Musso.

This was a defining moment for Blaugrana, helping them to maintain their lead until the end and extend their unbeaten run in all competitions to nine matches (eight wins, one draw) ahead of their highly anticipated UEFA Champions League quarter-final clash with Diego Simeone's team in the middle of the week.