lionel Messi was thrown on as a substitute but 10-man Barcelona were relieved to escape with a draw as Celta Vigo came within a whisker of inflicting the Catalans' first league defeat of the season on Tuesday.
Messi was introduced after an hour at the Stade Balaidos and looked to have inspired another Barca victory when Paulinho gave the visitors a 2-1 lead four minutes later.
But Sergi Roberto was sent off for preventing Iago Aspas sprinting clear and in the 82nd minute the former liverpool striker made it 2-2, albeit with a large slice of luck given the ball brushed his hand on its way into the net.
Vigo pushed for a late winner and should have had it when substitute lucas Boye went through one-on-one but he took too long and Marc-Andre Ter Stegen made a crucial stop.
"I think we deserved to win the game," Celta Vigo coach Juan Carlos Unzue said.
Earlier, a superb strike from Ousmane Dembele had been cancelled out by Jonny Castro's close-range finish as Barcelona stretched their record unbeaten run to 40 la liga games.
They also extend their lead at the top of the table to 12 points, which could be cut to nine if Atletico Madrid beat Real Sociedad on Thursday.
"You always have to accept a point but our intention was to win," Barca coach Ernesto Valverde said afterwards.
"When we lost Sergi, we had difficulties but it is one more point. We need only two more victories and we have to fight for them." With one eye on Saturday's Copa del Rey final against Sevilla, Valverde made several changes to his Barca starting line-up as the likes of Messi, luis Suarez, Gerard Pique, Samuel Umtiti, Sergio Busquets and Ivan Rakitic were all rested.
"There were players who came from playing a lot of games and I thought it suited us," Valverde said. "let's see if we can give our fans some joy on Saturday." Ter Stegen, Philippe Coutinho and Dembele were the more established names selected and Dembele took his chance, capping an excellent attacking display with a brilliantly taken goal in the 39th minute.
Messi came on in the 60th minute for Coutinho and by the 64th, Barca were ahead. Dembele did well to make space down the right and as goalkeeper Sergio Alvarez failed to collect, Paulinho was perfectly placed to divert towards the corner, with Alcacer perhaps even feathering a final touch.
Roberto had also been introduced on the hour, replacing Gomes, but he lasted only 11 minutes, sent off for tugging back Aspas when the striker was in on goal. Aspas bent the resulting free-kick just over the bar but eight minutes from the end he was celebrating as Ter Stegen could only parry Emre Mor's cross and as the ball spun up, it brushed Aspas' chest, hand and floated into the net.
Barca were now holding on and Vigo should have won it when Aspas played Boye in behind but his team-mate was denied by Ter Stegen and the chance was lost.
‘Will be well rested for wc’
Brazilian star Neymar expects to be in better shape at the World Cup in Russia than he was before his foot injury.
The Brazilian forward said on Tuesday that while it has been hard to miss a crucial part of the season because his first major surgery, the bright side is that he will be well rested when soccer's showcase tournament begins on June 14.
"I will have enough time to get to the World Cup in good shape and prepare myself," Neymar said.
"I expect to get there better than I was," he added. "There are doubts, of course. I feel that too. But that is normal for someone that got injured. It has been hard not to play and practice."
Neymar also said he will have his last post-surgery medical exam on May 17, and could be available for Brazil's training sessions that start May 21 near Rio de Janeiro.
The Brazilian also said it was hard not to be with his PSG teammates to celebrate their French league title on Sunday. "It is very bad to see my team score, win a title and I am not able to be there. But my health is above this," he said.
Asked about players who could have a great World Cup - aside from himself, lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, Neyamr said, "Phillipe Coutinho and Gabriel Jesus will make a difference (for Brazil), I hope. Mohammed Salah doesn't play for a famous team, but could have a good World Cup. Eden Hazard, Kevin de Bruyne, luis Suarez too," he added. "I am glad to be part of a team thatis strong and has the skills to win."
Inter move third
Mauro Icardi scored his 25th goal of the Serie A campaign to help Inter Milan ease past Cagliari 4-0 to move third in Serie A on Tuesday, putting the pressure on Roman rivals lazio and Roma in the battle for Champions league places.
Inter had not scored or won in their last three games but Joao Cancelo broke the drought after just three minutes off a free kick in the San Siro.
Inter's top scorer Icardi got the second after the break with Marcelo Brozovic returning from suspension to grab the third on the hour with Ivan Perisic rounding off the rout in the final minute.
"After securing the result, the ball started to move at the right tempo, whereas before we didn't have the right rhythm," said coach luciano Spalletti. "All in all we had a good game, I liked the team." It was a dominant display by the former European giants who have no option but to win as they target a Champions league return for the first time since 2012.
Spalletti's side move back up to third position with 63 points from 33 games before Roma and lazio, both on 61 points.