Jeremy Mathieu headed home a vital winner 16 minutes from time as Barcelona ground out a 1-0 win at Celta Vigo to regain their four-points lead over challengers Real Madrid in La Liga on Sunday.
Earlier, Cristiano Ronaldo’s first five-goal haul had taken Madrid back to winning ways in stunning style with a 9-1 thrashing of Granada.
Mathieu had opened the scoring in Barca’s 2-1 victory over Madrid last time out and his second league goal of the season could prove just as crucial as they laboured for long spells against a well-organised Celta side.
There were no such troubles for Madrid, as after Gareth Bale’s opener, Ronaldo took over as he scored three times in eight minutes just after the half-hour mark.
Karim Benzema struck twice either side of Ronaldo’s fourth as Madrid added three more in a four-minute spell just after the break.
Robert Ibanez grabbed a consolation for the visitors, but Diego Mainz’s own goal made it 8-1 before Ronaldo rounded off the scoring with a towering header.
Meanwhile, Valencia’s outside hopes of a late title challenge were dented after a 0-0 draw at home to Villarreal. They remain in fourth place, nine points off the top,
Celta stunned Barca at Camp Nou when they last met back in November and the visitors knew they were in for another uncomfortable 90 minutes when Claudio Bravo had to turn away former Barca forward Nolito’s low drive 10 minutes in.
At the other end Lionel Messi was first to threaten as Sergio Alvarez did well to parry his curling effort before Neymar fired the rebound well over.
The best chance of the opening 45 minutes fell to Celta’s Joaquin Larrivey, but the man who scored the winner at Camp Nou blazed over with just Bravo to beat.
Barca started the second period brightly and could have been in front as Neymar had a sweetly struck goal ruled out for a marginal offside call.
In the end the visitors had to rely on a set-piece to get the job done as a skilful in-swinging free-kick from Xavi was met by the head of Mathieu to thunder the ball in off the crossbar.
Celta ended the game with 10 men as Fabian Orellana was sent off in bizarre circumstances for throwing a clump of turf at Sergio Busquets.
“It was a very difficult game,” Mathieu said. “After the international break it is more difficult because the rhythm always drops a little.
“Celta were better in the first half and in the second we managed to win with a goal from a set-piece. Sometimes matches are won like this on small details.”
However, a lean night in front of goal for Messi means Ronaldo’s quintuple takes him four clear of the Argentine in the race to be La Liga’s top goalscorer.
“Happy to have scored five goals with this excellent team work. Thank you for all your support,” Ronaldo posted on his official Twitter account.
“What more can I say about him? It is the first time he has scored five goals with Real Madrid which is great for him and for us looking forward to the next game,” said Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti.
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