MADRID: Robert Lewandowski inspired Barcelona to a 3-0 triumph at Atletico Madrid on Sunday to keep their faint La Liga title hopes alive.
Lewandowski scored either side of Joao Felix and Fermin Lopez to move Barcelona into second place, eight points behind leaders Real Madrid.
The resurgent Catalans, who reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League this week, became the first team to beat Atletico at the Metropolitano Stadium this season.
Barcelona were the last team to win at Atlético in the top flight, with Diego Simeone’s side now on a 25-game unbeaten run.
They crumbled against Xavi Hernandez’s side, who have won five in a row over Atletico and are unbeaten in 10 games since the coach said he would leave at the end of the season.
Barcelona moved two points clear of third-placed Girona, while Atletico are now fifth after Athletic Bilbao moved above them on Saturday.
“We believe until the end, (now we’re in) second place, we’re trying to reduce the points gap and fight for La Liga,” Lopez told DAZN.
“We are in a good dynamic and we want to extend it as long as possible.”
Spanish champions Barcelona lined up Hector Forte at left-back when Joao Cancelo was knocked up, while Andreas Christensen felt discomfort in the warm-up and was replaced by Lopez.
It meant Ilkay Gundogan was relegated to a central midfield role and Barcelona had to face Atlético without the balance the Dane has brought there in recent weeks, adding to the absence of Frenkie de Jong, Pedri and Gavi.
Atlético played 120 minutes against Inter Milan en route to the Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday, and although Barcelona replaced Napoli a day earlier, it was Simeone’s side who started the sharper.
Pablo Barrios spurned a good early chance for the Rojiblancos when he placed well wide.
Seventeen-year-old Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsi, recently called up to the Spanish squad for the first time, did well to block Alvaro Morata’s effort.
However, it was Barcelona who took the lead after 38 minutes against the run of play when they put together a slick move for the first time in the match.
Gliding forward from midfield, Gundogan found Lewandowski, who lined up for on-loan striker Felix to turn against his parent club.
The Portuguese striker scored the only goal when the teams met in December and again proved to be a thorn in Atlético’s side as he was booed throughout by the home fans.
Xavi was sent off for dissent before the break, but his team kicked on regardless in the second half.
Simeone sent on Antoine Griezmann and Memphis Depay, looking for another spark in the final third.
Lewandowski quickly doubled Barcelona’s lead with a deadly finish after Rodrigo de Paul put the ball away in the box.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen produced a superb save to deny Marcos Llorente and almost set up Barcelona’s third goal, but Lewandowski curled his shot wide after running onto his precise long pass.
Atlético were starting to tire after their midweek performance and Barcelona took advantage.
Lopez headed home after Lewandowski set him up with an inch-perfect cross, with the veteran Poland striker producing one of his best performances for the club since joining in 2022.
The goal capped off a great week for Lopez, who also scored in the win over Napoli.
Barcelona brought on midfielder Marco Casado, 20, in the closing stages of his La Liga debut as they saw their impressive win against 10 men – Atletico’s Nahuel Molina sent off for bringing down Vitor Roque late on.
“We’re a strong team at home… we paid the price the other day for all the effort (we put in),” Koke told DAZN.
“Now it’s the national team break and we have to recharge our batteries for what’s to come.
“The aim is to finish in the top four and we have to see where we are.
