Barcelona bounced back with a narrow 2-1 win at Celta Vigo, with Robert Lewandowski maintaining composure to convert a retaken penalty in the 97th minute.
The Polish striker propelled the visitors, who previously drew 3-3 against Granada, into the lead with a commanding angled shot.
Shortly after the restart, Iago Aspas equalized for Celta Vigo, who currently sit fourth from bottom in La Liga, with a strike deflected into the net.
However, Lewandowski secured victory for Barcelona from the penalty spot, leaving them seven points adrift of Real Madrid, who hold the third position.
Real Madrid, leading the table, are five points ahead of Girona, who were held to a 1-1 draw by Villarreal on Friday and are currently in second place.
Barcelona has accrued 24 points from goals scored after the 76th minute, the highest in La Liga this season. Additionally, they remain undefeated in four matches since head coach Xavi announced his decision to step down at the end of the season.
Xavi’s team is set to face Napoli in the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday, with the European competition representing their final realistic chance of securing silverware this season.
Atletico Madrid sits in fourth place, trailing Barcelona by three points, following their dominant 5-0 victory over visitors Las Palmas on Saturday.
Marcos Llorente and Angel Correa each contributed two goals for Atletico, with substitute Memphis Depay adding a late fifth.
Despite resting key players like France forward Antoine Griezmann, ahead of their midweek Champions League last-16 clash against Inter Milan, the hosts secured a comfortable win under the management of Diego Simeone.
In other matches, Cadiz remains entrenched in the relegation zone following a 2-0 loss against Osasuna, who currently occupy the 11th position in the league standings.