Barcelona secured a narrow 2-1 victory over Atlético Madrid at the Estadio Metropolitano on Saturday evening, stretching their lead at the top of LaLiga to seven points, in the absence of Nigerian star Ademola Lookman, who remained an unused substitute, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The match promised a tactical spectacle, as the two sides prepare for a rare trilogy of encounters across domestic and European competition in the coming fortnight.

Lookman’s arrival in January had added a new attacking dimension to Diego Simeone’s side, with the Nigerian forward scoring four goals and providing two assists in his first six matches.

He became the first Atlético player to score in LaLiga, the Champions League, and Copa del Rey within that opening spell, and his influence has been pivotal in the club’s progression to the Copa del Rey final for the first time since 2013.

In his absence, Atlético started strongly and nearly took the lead early. Giuliano Simeone capitalised on a long ball from Clément Lenglet, controlling it before curling a clinical finish beyond Barcelona goalkeeper Joan García for his fourth league goal of the season.

The hosts’ advantage, however, lasted only three minutes, as Marcus Rashford combined neatly with Dani Olmo to sweep a low finish past Juan Musso and restore parity for the visitors.

Barcelona’s momentum grew when Nicolás González was sent off for Atlético on the stroke of halftime following a last-man challenge on Lamine Yamal. With the home side reduced to ten men, the visitors increasingly controlled possession, probing the Atlético defence with incisive passing and movement.

The decisive moment arrived in the 87th minute when Robert Lewandowski, introduced from the bench, capitalised on a rebound from João Cancelo’s effort to score the match-winning goal.

The strike extended Barcelona’s unbeaten run across all competitions to nine matches and gave them a crucial three points ahead of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg against Atlético three days later.

For Atlético, the absence of Lookman was notable. Since joining the club, the forward has provided eight goal contributions in 14 appearances across all competitions, including a commanding performance in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final against Barcelona, where he scored and assisted in a 4-0 first-half surge.

His creativity and goal-scoring threat will be crucial for Simeone as Atlético look to set the pace in the first leg on Wednesday.

The 28-year-old’s presence, or absence, will remain a key talking point as Atlético seek to respond in style.