Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez might have been rested but instead both played and scored as Barcelona came from behind to beat Rayo Vallecano, ahead of their crunch Champions League second leg against Lyon.
Raul de Tomas' scintillating strike gave struggling Rayo a surprise lead at the Camp Nou but Messi converted a penalty and Suarez finished a brilliant passing move to seal a 3-1 win, after Gerard Pique had headed in an equaliser on Saturday.
When Barca kicked off, Atletico Madrid had just completed their own 1-0 victory over Leganes, although Diego Simeone was more cautious, resting Antoine Griezmann, Alvaro Morata and Saul Niguez, with Tuesday's trip to Juventus in mind.
Barca stay seven points clear of Atletico and, temporarily at least, move 15 ahead of Real.
Even with a two-goal cushion for the final eight minutes, Ernesto Valverde kept Messi and Suarez on until the end, which may have surprised some, given he was accused of exhausting key players last season at the expense of success in Europe.
Messi's appearance was his 443rd for Barcelona in La Liga, moving him ahead of Andres Iniesta and behind only Xavi Hernandez, on 505, in the club's all-time list.
Samuel Umtiti started his second match in three months after recovering from a knee injury.
"Little by little he is reaching his level," said Valverde.
But Philippe Coutinho was underwhelming again, despite being picked ahead of Ousmane Dembele.
He poked an early chance wide after a Messi cross and De Tomas put Rayo in front soon after, driving at Pique before unleashing a sizzling shot past Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Pique headed one Messi free-kick wide and then another in at the near post, nipping in front of Rayo goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski to nod in his sixth goal of the season.
Dembele came on for Arthur Melo at half-time and Coutinho dropped deeper, but it was right-back Nelson Semedo that earned the penalty, after a foul from Jordi Amat. Messi made no mistake.
Rayo's belief, and energy, melted away and Barca's third was their best of the night. Suarez freed Dembele down the right and he found Suarez again with a pull-back. Instead of shooting, Suarez bounced the ball off Ivan Rakitic in the area before finally tapping home.
