Barcelona secured a last-gasp 4-2 win at Real Betis on Sunday, as stoppage-time goals from substitute Joao Felix and striker Ferran Torres, who completed his hat-trick, helped to ease the pressure on manager Xavi Hernandez in a stuttering season.
Barcelona are third in the LaLiga standings on 44 points, seven behind leaders Real Madrid and five adrift of second-placed Girona, who host Sevilla later on Sunday.
After being thrashed by their bitter rivals Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup final and struggling in a comeback win over third-division side Unionistas to advance to the Copa del Rey quarter-finals last week, Barca were once again up against it but managed to rescue a valuable win.
Torres opened the scoring in the 21st minute tapping in a cross from the right by Pedri and he extended Barca's lead from a rebound in the 49th, after a Lamine Yamal strike came back off the crossbar.
However, Betis struck back as Isco scored twice in four minutes to level the score.
With Betis dominating possession, Felix made the most of a quick counter-attack to strike a tidy finish from the edge of the box past the goalkeeper in the 91st minute.
Three minutes into added time, Torres scored his third and Barca's fourth from another counter to secure a hard-fought win for last year's champions, handing Betis their first home loss of the season.
"We were very good with a two-goal lead, but then it got complicated with a mistake by our defence which made us a bit tense," manager Xavi told Movistar Plus.
"We should have won the game earlier, but we managed to win in a stadium where nobody had won before.
"We didn't play a great game, because of the two goals we conceded, but it was a great game. Let's move forward."
Real Madrid recover to beat Almeria 3-2 after VAR controversy
A Dani Carvajal strike in the ninth-minute of stoppage time rescued Real Madrid, earning them a 3-2 comeback win at home against bottom side Almeria on Sunday in a frantic LaLiga tussle that was marked by VAR controversy.
Real climbed to the top of the LaLiga standings on 51 points, two ahead Girona who host Sevilla later on Sunday.
Lowly Almeria, who remained winless after 21 LaLiga matches this season, grabbed a two-goal lead with a quick strike from Largie Ramazani inside the first minute and a brilliant volley from distance by Edgar Gonzalez in a dismal first half for Real Madrid who didn't record a single shot on target.
A visibly frustrated Real manager Carlo Ancelotti didn't return with his players to the changing room during the break and made three changes to start the second half that added impetus to his side.
With Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham applying the pressure, Real reduced the deficit in the 56th minute with a Bellingham penalty awarded for a debatable handball after a lengthy VAR check.
However, Almeria had a Sergio Arribas effort from a counter-attack ruled out a little later after another long VAR check.
Referee Francisco Maeso ruled there was an infringement in the build-up when Almeria midfielder Dion Lopy was harshly adjudged to have fouled Bellingham when he caught him in the face as he attempted to get his balance.
Five minutes later, Maeso first ruled out Real Madrid's equaliser for a Vinicius Jr handball before awarding the goal after deciding it was off the shoulder following another VAR review. The decision left Almeria's players and manager Asier Garitano fuming.
Bellingham also had a goal ruled out for a controversial offside in the build up and he almost scored a little later with an acrobatic scissor kick that went just wide of Almeria's goal as Real made a late push.
Nine minutes into added time, after a few near misses and a red card for manager Garitano for complaining to the referee, Bellingham worked his magic inside a crowded box to lift a cross to Carvajal who tapped in the winner at the far post.
"Today we were robbed," Almeria's Gonzalo Melero told DAZN.
"It pains me to say it, but there's no other way to take it. And that's not the first this year. What happened today went beyond all limits, it was unbelievable.
"Nothing more could have been done for them to win the game..."
Real Madrid defender Carvajal disagreed.
"If Melero watches the plays calmly, he will surely realise that they are correctly refereed," Carvajal told DAZN.
"I said to my team mates at halftime that anything could happen until the last minute and it did. Thanks to our fans who carried us up to the sky."
Juventus climb to top of Serie A with win over Lecce
A second-half brace from Dusan Vlahovic and a late header from Gleison Bremer earned Juventus a 3-0 away win over Lecce on Sunday, lifting them to the top of Serie A.
Juve lead the standings with 52 points, one ahead of second-placed Inter Milan, who did not play a league match this weekend as they were participating in the Italian Supercup. Lecce are 14th with 21 points.
Juve are now unbeaten in the last 16 league matches.
Juve manager Massimiliano Allegri said his side are now starting to believe they could win the Scudetto for the first time since 2020.
"There is nothing impossible in football. We must have that belief in our minds that we can do something extraordinary and make the seemingly impossible become possible," he told DAZN.
"We must give our all, then if the others do better, you shake their hands and applaud them for their efforts."
Juve were close to gaining an early breakthrough but Weston McKennie's header was thwarted on the goal line by Lecce defender Nikola Krstovic.
After 59 minutes, Juve broke the deadlock when Vlahovic sent the ball bouncing into the far corner.
Nine minutes later, Vlahovic doubled Juve's lead by deflecting a header from McKennie that was already on course for the net.
"I am happy, especially as I got to help the team. I could not have scored those goals without the team, we hope to continue like this," Vlahovic said.
Bremer completed the win by leaping over the Lecce defence to head the ball into the net from a set piece five minutes from time.
Nicola Sansone came close to scoring a consolation goal for Lecce deep into stoppage time but Juve keeper Wojciech Szczesny pulled off a one-handed save.
