Barcelona returned to the summit of La Liga for the first time in two months after a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Rayo Vallecano at the Montjuïc Olympic Stadium on Monday night.
Despite delivering an underwhelming performance, the Catalans secured all three points thanks to a Robert Lewandowski penalty in the first half.
Rayo pushed them to the limit with relentless intensity, but Barça held on with 14 matches remaining in the campaign.
The hosts began brightly, exploiting gaps in Rayo’s high press to create early chances. Raphinha had two clear-cut opportunities but failed to convert, while Lamine Yamal also squandered a golden chance as Barcelona dominated the opening exchanges but couldn’t find a breakthrough.
The breakthrough arrived after a decisive VAR intervention. Iñigo Martínez was brought down in the box by Pathé Ciss, and though the referee initially waved play on, he reversed his decision after checking the replay.
Lewandowski stepped up and confidently slotted home from the spot, putting Barça ahead.
Rather than using the goal as a springboard for control, Barcelona found themselves under increasing pressure from a resurgent Rayo.
The visitors looked dangerous on the counter, with their wing play causing problems for the Blaugrana defense. Wojciech Szczesny was called into action, making key saves, while Pau Cubarsí and Martínez produced crucial defensive interventions.
Rayo thought they had equalized before halftime when Jorge De Frutos found the net, but the goal was disallowed.
The referee determined that Randy Nteka, in an offside position, had obstructed Martínez’s attempt to clear the ball before De Frutos struck. The decision proved a let-off for Barça, who were struggling to impose themselves as the first half came to a close.
After the break, the intensity only increased. Rayo maintained their high press, relentlessly pursuing an equalizer, while Barcelona sought to turn possession into meaningful chances.
Both sides had major opportunities in the second half. De Frutos came close again for Rayo, while Raphinha wasted yet another one-on-one opportunity for Barça.
Dani Olmo entered the fray and provided an attacking spark, but the match remained on a knife’s edge heading into the final 15 minutes.
As full-time approached, Barcelona’s composure deserted them. They repeatedly lost possession, leaving themselves exposed to Rayo’s counterattacks.
The visitors nearly punished them in the 90th minute when Adrián Embarba’s cross found De Frutos unmarked in the box, but the winger failed to direct his header on target, wasting Rayo’s best chance of the night.
Despite Rayo’s relentless push in stoppage time, Barcelona managed to hold firm and see out the game. While the result propelled them back to the top of the table, the performance left much to be desired.
It was arguably their worst display in recent memory, and unless they improve, their title ambitions could be in jeopardy.
