Barcelona holds onto the third spot in La Liga following a last-minute own goal that secured a draw against Rayo Vallecano.
Down at halftime after Unai Lopez’s impressive goal, Barcelona controlled the second half but squandered promising opportunities.
Their breakthrough came when Florian Lejeune, under pressure from Robert Lewandowski, inadvertently directed the ball into his own net.
Real Madrid, currently in second place, will play against Cadiz on Sunday, while league leaders Girona will host Athletic Bilbao on Monday.
Barcelona underwent six alterations from the lineup that staged a comeback to defeat Alaves before the international break, as goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen was absent due to injury.
In his place, Inaki Pena started and appeared uncertain from the beginning, conceding to Lopez’s powerful right-footed shot in the first half.
Frustrated by a disjointed performance, manager Xavi brought on former Manchester City captain Ilkay Gundogan from the bench, leading to Barcelona’s dominance in the second half.
However, despite launching 10 shots compared to Rayo’s three after the break, they still required assistance from Lejeune in the 82nd minute, as he inadvertently directed the ball past his own goalkeeper with Lewandowski ready to capitalize.