Madrid, April 5 (NationPress) FC Barcelona made a significant stride toward clinching this season's La Liga championship with a 2-1 victory against Atletico Madrid, while Real Madrid faced a surprising defeat against Mallorca, also by a score of 2-1.

This outcome establishes a seven-point advantage for Barcelona at the pinnacle of La Liga with only eight matches remaining. The game’s decisive moment came in the 87th minute when Robert Lewandowski netted the winning goal following an impressive play by Joao Cancelo, who skillfully navigated through the defense before unleashing a close-range shot that was parried by Atletico's goalkeeper Juan Musso. The ball deflected off Lewandowski's shoulder and into the net, as reported by Xinhua.

The first half was lively, igniting in the 39th minute when Giuliano Simeone scored for Atletico with a composed finish, capitalizing on a long pass from former FC Barcelona defender Clement Lenglet, beating goalkeeper Joan Garcia.

Atletico's lead was short-lived, as just three minutes later, Marcus Rashford equalized with a low shot after a quick exchange with Dani Olmo.

Atletico suffered a setback in first-half injury time when Nico Gonzalez was shown a red card for a foul on Lamine Yamal at the edge of the penalty area.

In the second half, Barcelona dominated possession, with Musso making two outstanding saves to prevent Ferran Torres from scoring.

In an earlier match, Real Madrid was caught off guard by a 2-1 loss to Mallorca, who moved out of the relegation zone with this victory.

Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa included Kylian Mbappe in the starting lineup, while Vinicius Jr. began on the bench after a minor injury during international duty.

Both of Mallorca's goals stemmed from defensive lapses by Real Madrid, with Manu Morlanes finding space to score the opening goal in the 41st minute.

Although Real Madrid applied considerable pressure in the second half and appeared to secure at least a point when Eder Militao, returning from a five-month knee injury, scored with a powerful header, Mallorca responded quickly. Real Madrid's defense faltered again, allowing Vedat Muriqi to find the net in the 91st minute.

Real Sociedad achieved a 2-0 victory at home against relegation-threatened Levante, featuring a first-half header from Jon Martin and a late tap-in from substitute Brais Mendez.

However, Real Sociedad faced a setback in the second half when newly capped Spain international Ander Barrenetxea was forced to exit due to injury.

Real Betis continued their dismal form with a goalless draw against Espanyol, who remain winless in 2026.