Atletico Madrid held their nerve in a combustible encounter at Estadio El Sadar to edge past Osasuna 1-2 and maintain their push toward the La Liga title — though a fractious display that yielded 11 yellow cards threatened to derail Diego Simeone's side's composure at a crucial juncture of the season.
The visitors took the lead from the penalty spot inside 15 minutes after Javi Galán was adjudged to have handled the ball. Ademola Lookman stepped up and dispatched the spot-kick with clinical precision to put Atletico in command before the hosts had settled into the contest at all. That early breakthrough proved decisive, though the manner in which it was seized — and the subsequent volatility — painted a picture of a fixture on a knife-edge from start to finish.
Osasuna's discipline crumbled as the first half wore on. Rubén García received a second yellow card on 30 minutes for a cynical foul, leaving the home side to chase the game with ten men. On 45+3, VAR denied the hosts a lifeline when Ante Budimir's penalty claim was overturned, adding to the sense of injustice that mounted with each passing minute. Budimir's subsequent outburst on 45+9 earned him a yellow card as tensions boiled over before the interval.
The second half descended into barely controlled chaos. Alexander Sørloth, introduced at the break, swept home Marcos Llorente's low cross from the right on 71 minutes to extend Atletico's advantage to 2-0 — a strike that ought to have settled matters, yet the relentless shower of bookings continued unabated. Llorente himself was shown a yellow-red card on 79 minutes, reducing the visitors to ten men and presenting Osasuna with a glimmer of hope in the closing stages.
Kike Barja, who had replaced the sent-off Rubén García, pulled one back in stoppage time on 90+1 to set up a grandstand finish, but Atletico held firm despite the numerical disadvantage. The goal gave Osasuna a lifeline they scarcely merited — with only four shots on target to Atletico's five, possession alone told the story of a side that dominated but could never quite put the contest beyond reach.
Juan Musso was named man of the match with a rating of 8.0, his commanding display in the Atletico goal crucial in repelling Osasuna's late barrage. Behind him, Llorente — despite his dismissal — registered 7.6 and orchestrated much of the visitors' attacking play, whilst Lookman's clinical penalty conversion capped a composed 7.5-rated contribution.
The result lifts Atletico to within touching distance at the summit with two fixtures remaining. Osasuna's tournament is all but concluded; they remain mid-table, their season having been undone by indiscipline and a shortage of cutting edge when opportunities arose — a sobering postscript to a campaign that promised much in patches.