Barcelona did just enough to defeat last-place levante 2-0 and tie its all-time record of 28 consecutive games without losing on Sunday.
Barcelona took the lead with an own goal by levante defender David Navarro in the 21st and sealed the victory with an injury-time score by luis Suarez to match the unbeaten streak set by Pep Guardiola’s team in the 2010-11 season.
The result also kept Barcelona atop the Spanish league with 54 points, three more than Atletico Madrid, which defeated Eibar 3-1 on Saturday. Barcelona will have a game in hand at the end of the 23rd round this weekend.
It was the 10th win in a row for Barcelona in all competitions. luis Enrique’s squad hasn’t lost since a 2-1 defeat at Sevilla in the seventh round of the Spanish league in October.
“What matters to me are the team’s objectives,” said Enrique, who coached Barcelona for the 100th game on Sunday. “These are nice numbers, if they help us win titles at the end of the season, fantastic. We are in good position, but there is still a lot left.”
Guardiola’s team in 2011 went on to win the league by four points over Real Madrid. It also won the Champions league, beating Manchester United in the final a few weeks later. That unbeaten streak ended with a 3-1 loss at Real Betis in the Copa del Rey quarterfinals.
The Barcelona team coached by Rinus Michels in the 1973-74 season, which had Johan Cruyff in the squad, also hadn’t lost in 27 straight games.
Barcelona faced difficulties against minnow levante on Sunday in the coastal city of Valencia.
Although the Catalan club controlled possession, levante was able to contain the attacking trio of lionel Messi, Neymar and Suarez, whose goal came in the final seconds of the game.
The hosts threatened on a few occasions and had some good chances to score, especially on counterattacks. The local fans gave the team a standing ovation at the end of the game despite the loss at the Ciutat de Valencia Stadium.
Barcelona’s first goal came when Jordi Alba’s cross from inside the area struck Navarro’s back and bounced into his own net.
Suarez had few chances until finding the net with an easy goal following a breakaway just before the final whistle. It was Suarez’s 10th goal in his last six matches. The Uruguay striker is the league’s leading scorer with 20 goals, one more than Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo.
Messi had a goal disallowed for offside after a great pass by Andres Iniesta less than five minutes into the game, though replays were at odds with the decision.
Torres reaches century
Fernando Torres scored his 100th Atletico Madrid goal as los Rojiblancos came from behind to move level on points with Barcelona at the top of la liga thanks to a 3-1 win over Eibar.
Central defensive pairing Jose Maria Gimenez and Saul Niguez headed home corners after Keko had fired Eibar into a shock lead just after half-time before Torres ended a five-month goal drought in stoppage time.
Atletico’s first win in five games opens up a four-point lead over third-placed Real Madrid.
“To score 100 goals for this club is something that will stay with me forever,” Torres told Canal Plus. “It is an important moment in his sporting life at the club where he has always belonged,” added Atletico boss Diego Simeone.
Torres was given a standing ovation as he was brought on for the final 15 minutes with his future beyond the end of the season. However, the former liverpool and Chelsea did finally find the net for the first time since the sides last met in September when Vietto’s excellent low cross left him with the simple task of tapping into an empty net in stoppage time.