Ten-man Barcelona tighten things up at the top of La Liga with a hard-fought 4-1 win away at Sevilla.
Hansi Flick’s side are breathing down the necks of Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid in third, and sit just two points adrift of Carlo Ancelotti’s side.
It was an absorbing contest from start to finish, which was left in the balance at half-time when Vargas cancelled out Lewandowski’s opener in the space of two madcap first-half minutes.
Fermin Lopez eased Barca’s nerves within a minute of being introduced ahead of the second half when he nodded home from Pedri’s delivery.
The midfielder was then sent his marching orders for a challenge on Djibril Sow, but that counted for little in the end, with Raphinha and Eric Garcia adding extra gloss to the scoreline.
This could prove to be a pivotal three points for Flick’s men, who are unbeaten in each of their last 11 games across all competitions, winning nine.