Two former Manchester City stars were sent off after becoming embroiled in an on-pitch scrap during Barcelona's win at Atletico Madrid on Sunday.
Barca were level on points with fierce rivals Real Madrid heading into the clash at the Wanda Metropolitano, while Atletico were sitting outside the top four. It was a typically feisty clash, with five yellow cards and 24 fouls awarded in total.
The most bizarre moment came in the second minute of injury time though, when Ferran Torres became embroiled in a scrap with Stefan Savic. On the half-way line, Savic dispossessed Torres before bending down on the floor behind him.
Torres flicked the ball away as he was falling over the Atletico defender, but then grabbed Savic by the back of his head and flipped him around. Savic threw his weight onto Torres, with the Barcelona striker at one point left laying on the ground with the defender on top of him.
Torres was able to wriggle up though, grabbing Savic by the back of his shirt as the Atletico man put the attacker in a headlock. The duo then stood up together, still locked in the scrap, before pushing away from each other.
Though the incident happened off the ball, referee José Luis Munuera Montero showed both players a straight red card. In his report, Montero described his reasoning for handing both stars the same punishment.
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"Savic was expelled for the following reason: Holding an opponent by the neck with his arm with excessive force continuously, with the ball in play but not at a distance from being played between the two," he wrote.
"Torres García, Ferran was sent off for the following reason: Persistently grabbing an opponent by the hair, the ball being in play but not at a distance from being played between them."
Torres and Savic have a shared history of having featured for Manchester City at one point in their careers. Savic had a brief one-year stint at the Etihad from 2010 to 2011, making 21 appearances before joining Fiorentina.
Torres meanwhile joined City from Valencia in 2020, but opted to join Barcelona in last January's transfer window. Despite his sending off, Barcelona were able to secure all three points.
Ousmane Dembele fired into the far corner with a first-time finish in the first-half for a goal that would prove to be the winner. And boss Xavi was delighted to see his side move three points clear at the top of the LaLiga table, without the suspended Robert Lewandowski.
"It is a victory that does not imply only three points. It gives us a lot of morale. We have won, suffering, in a difficult field. I am proud of the team. Without playing in an excellent way, like the day of the derby or Intercity, we have won," the Barca boss said.
"We give a blow on the table to be candidates for the LaLiga title. We have been supportive. It is important to win without him [Lewandowski]. He is a basic piece. In that high pressure we have missed him. Ferran has done well, but we have missed him."
