OUSMANE DEMBELE’ STRIKE sent Barcelona three points clear at the top of La Liga with a tense 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid on Sunday.
Capitalising on champions Real Madrid’s defeat by Villarreal, Barcelona set out to make a statement victory at the Metropolitano.
Shorn of suspended top scorer Robert Lewandowski, Xavi selected Ansu Fati up front in his place, but it was Dembele who made the difference, finishing a slick move in the 22nd minute.
Atletico ramped up the pressure, with the superb Ronald Araujo clearing off the line from Antoine Griezmann at the death, but Diego Simeone’s side could not find an equaliser.
Both teams finished with 10 men after Ferran Torres and Stefan Savic were sent off for brawling with each other on the floor as tempers soured.
Defeat means Atletico languish in fifth, 14 points behind leaders Barcelona.
In Italy, Napoli moved seven points clear at the top of Serie A after they won 2-0 at Sampdoria and AC Milan threw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Roma.
Victor Osimhen poked Napoli ahead in the 19th minute before Eljif Elmas sealed the points with a perfectly-place penalty with eight minutes remaining at a soaking Stadio Luigi Ferraris in Genoa.
The win means Napoli lead both second-placed Juventus, winners over Udinese on Saturday who travel to Naples on Friday, and Milan by the same margin after seeing their advantage cut to five on Wednesday.
“Big game, big team, we have a great squad and the most important thing is to win,” said Osimhen.
“Now we go back, relax and then start training to prepare for the game with Juventus.”
After netting his 10th league goal of the season Nigeria forward Osimhen was also the victim of a brutal foul from Tomas Rincon, who was sent off in the 38th minute for chopping the 24-year-old down as he charged towards goal.
Milan thought they were still on Napoli’s heels after Pierre Kalulu’s first-half header and a fine finish from Tommaso Pobega at the San Siro gave them a commanding lead with 13 minutes remaining.
But Roger Ibanez’s header from a corner gave Roma the chance to snatch a point from an otherwise dreadful performance, and Tammy Abraham obliged in the second minute of stoppage time by tucking home the leveller after Nemanja Matic’s header was saved.
The closest the away side had previously come to scoring was three minutes before half-time when wing-back Nicola Zalewski cut inside and flashed a good shot just wide of Ciprian Tatarusanu’s post.
Jose Mourinho’s side were almost invisible in the second half and although Milan weren’t at their best they did enough to earn the win.
Abraham’s equaliser seriously damaged their bid to retain the title and Stefano Pioli’s team will now be hoping that Napoli drop points against Juve at the Stadio Maradona on Friday.
