Lionel Messi's late penalty saw bedraggled Barcelona scrape a 2-1 victory over Leganes on Sunday at a divided Nou Camp as the La Liga champions looked as if they had still not recovered from their harrowing midweek defeat against Paris St Germain.
Messi scored both goals, the second coming from a 90th minute spot kick, to earn an undistinguished victory that keeps Barca's title hopes flickering -- but it was another tough night for coach Luis Enrique, who was booed by some home fans.
The win leaves Barca second in the table on 51 points, one behind leaders Real, who beat Espanyol 2-0 at the Bernabeu on Saturday.
Real have two games in hand on both Barca and Sevilla, who are third on 49 points after their 2-0 home win over Eibar on Saturday.
Messi, anonymous in the 4-0 Champions League hammering at PSG, put Barca ahead in the fourth minute but Leganes were rewarded for a bold approach which saw them create numerous chances when Unai Lopez levelled in the 71st minute.
Neymar won a penalty late on which Messi converted to steal the win for Barca, keeping them within reach of leaders Real Madrid and temporarily easing the pressure on Luis Enrique.
The coach was jeered by a large number of the home supporters but received roaring approval from the most vocal section.
"The situation we were in made the game more difficult and Leganes gave us a lot of problems but I was impressed by the team's response in the final few minutes and the fans who supported us," Luis Enrique told reporters.
"The PSG result weighed heavily on us and we controlled the game although we lacked confidence at some moments. But we won the game and even though we did it with a penalty, it was very welcome."
The coach had made four changes to his side that had been outplayed in Paris, resting Gerard Pique, Jordi Alba, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets.
Yet his side got off to a flying start when Neymar fed Luis Suarez with a through ball into the area and Messi calmly knocked in the Uruguayan's cross.
Leganes, who are three points above the relegation zone in their first season in Spain's top flight, kept their composure and it took a series of fine saves from Barca's Marc-Andre ter Stegen to prevent an equaliser before halftime.
The visitors' equaliser came when there appeared to be little danger as Sergi Roberto went down in his own area under a challenge from Darwin Machis and Miguel Angel Guerrero laid the ball off for Lopez to smash past Ter Stegen.
The goal unleashed a cacophony of boos. Midfielder Andre Gomes was mercilessly whistled off the pitch when he was replaced by Andres Iniesta as the atmosphere turned toxic.
Guerrero came close to snatching a late goal but Ter Stegen repelled his effort while the keeper's team mates struggled to carve open any chances down the other end apart from one Rafinha effort that was blocked.
Yet Neymar kept probing down the left hand side and was rewarded when he was tripped by Martin Mantovani, leaving Messi to avert what would have been a second embarrassment in a week for his coach.
Earlier on Sunday, Italy international Simone Zaza scored his first goal for Valencia as the La Liga strugglers picked up their first win in four games to beat Athletic Bilbao 2-0 and move seven points clear of the relegation zone.
Villarreal won only their second league game of 2017 by winning 1-0 at Real Sociedad, while Celta Vigo thrashed basement club Osasuna 3-0.
Reuters
Mon Feb 20 2017
Barcelona's Lionel Messi scores a penalty against Leganes during the Spanish La Liga Santander between Barcelona and Leganes at the Camp Nou stadium, Barcelona. REUTERS
Dua warga emas maut, kereta terbabas bertembung lori ikan
Perjalanan tiga sahabat untuk belajar agama di sebuah Pusat Pengajian Pondok bertukar tragedi apabila dua daripadanya maut.
Jentayu dapat kelulusan ambil alih aset Telekosang Hydro, Jentayu Solar
Syarikat senaraian Pasaran Utama, Jentayu Sustainables Bhd menerima kelulusan utama bersyarat dengan Suruhanjaya Sekuriti Malaysia (SC) bagi memperoleh aset Telekosang Hydro dan Jentayu Solar, yang akan memacu kumpulan itu menjadi pemain tenaga boleh diperbaharui.
LTAT umum pelantikan Pengerusi, Ketua Eksekutif baharu
Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera (LTAT) melantik Jeneral Tan Sri Azizan Ariffin sebagai Pengerusi dan Mohammad Ashraf Md Radzi sebagai Ketua Eksekutif yang baharu berkuat kuasa Isnin ini.
BMI unjur harga minyak brent AS$85 setong 2024, AS$82 2025
BMI mengekalkan unjuran semasa harga minyak mentah Brent pada purata US$85 setong bagi 2024, tetapi menyemak semula unjuran bagi 2025 dengan menurunkannya kepada US$82 setong daripada US$84 setong sebelumnya.
SC tingkat standard tatalaku pengantara pasaran modal
Suruhanjaya Sekuriti Malaysia (SC) mengeluarkan Garis Panduan mengenai Tatalaku untuk Pengantara Pasaran Modal (Garis Panduan) yang disemak.
PETRONAS dagangan tumpu sektor serbaneka, mobiliti rendah karbon
PETRONAS Dagangan Bhd (PDB) cabang pemasaran Petronas untuk produk Petroleum dan stesen berperkihdmatan akan memberi tumpuan untuk berkembang kepada sektor serbaneka serta menyediakan penyelesaian mobiliti rendah karbon kepada pelanggannya
Anwar jumpa ketua cabang selepas hari raya selesai kemelut PKR Sabah
Presiden PKR, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim akan mengadakan sesi konsultasi dengan semua ketua cabang di Sabah selepas hari raya nanti untuk mencari formula terbaik mengatasi pergolakan yang berlaku.
Kaedah ROSA di KPJ kurangkan kecederaan, pendekkan masa pemulihan
Sebanyak 206 prosedur pembedahan ganti sendi lutut berjaya dilakukan menggunakan teknologi canggih Pembantu Pembedahan Robotik (ROSA) di Hospital Pakar KPJ, Kuching sejak Ogos lalu.
Pantau Agenda Reformasi: Bagaimana data PADU akan menambah baik penggubalan dasar?
Memahami keperluan untuk daftar PADU.
Dr. Hadhrami Bin Ab Ghani, Timbalan Dekan Fakulti Sains Data dan Komputeran UMK
Dr. Hadhrami Bin Ab Ghani, Timbalan Dekan Fakulti Sains Data dan Komputeran UMK
Selepas 50 tahun, bubur lambuk tetel Masjid Jorak Elahi tetap diminati
Bubur lambuk tetel Masjid Jamek Jorak Elahi, Bukit Pasir, yang diagihkan secara percuma sentiasa ditunggu-tunggu penduduk sekitar sini apabila tibanya Ramadan.
Penenun dari Sarawak tidak sangka dapat ke Barcelona dengan songket tenunannya
Ramtiniwaiti Ramlee, 38, bangga apabila mendapat jemputan daripada Nadi untuk mewakili negara di ibu kota wilayah Catalonia.
Barcelona jadi tumpuan 100,000 pemain industri teknologi global pada MWC 2024
Barcelona akan menyaksikan ratusan perbincangan, rangkaian, forum dan demonstrasi untuk mereka yang terlibat dalam teknologi mudah alih pada MWC 2024.
Barisan kejurulatihan Harimau Malaya buat lawatan teknikal ke Sepanyol
Kunjungan tersebut memberi peluang buat mereka menyaksikan sesi latihan pasukan utama FC Barcelona dan melawat fasiliti latihan kelab berkenaan.
Shakira 'diserang' babi hutan ketika berjalan bersama anak di Barcelona
Shakira merupakan mangsa terkini tabiat agresif babi hutan yang semakin 'menakluki' bandar raya itu.
UCL: Pemain Barcelona lain akan menyerlah tanpa Messi - Nagelsmann
Nagelsmann tidak percaya perpindahan Messi ke PSG sama sekali akan melemahkan Barca memandangkan masih ramai lagi pemain berkaliber.
Lionel Messi kini ejen bebas
Kontrak pemain itu berakhir semalam, di tengah spekulasi mahu meninggalkan Camp Nou yang dia panggil rumah sejak tahun 2000.
Kumpulan raver Barcelona nikmati muzik acara disko senyap, tetap jaga penjarakan fizikal
Para penggemar muzik itu menyambut hari pertama musim bunga dengan memakai set fon kepala seterusnya memulakan aksi gerak tari masing-masing.
Salah mahu kekal di Liverpool selama mungkin
Penyerang itu masih mempunyai kontrak bersama Liverpool sehingga 2023.
Pelumba pasukan Petronas Yamaha SRT tekad bangkit cemerlang di Catalunya GP
Quartararo yakin untuk sekali lagi mempamerkan persembahan memberangsangkan.
Messi ke Bayern? Kami tak mampu dapatkannya - Rummenigge
Messi, 33, kelihatan akan meninggalkan skuad Blaugrana itu selepas 19 tahun bersama kelab berkenaan.