LaLiga leaders Barcelona ensured Real Madrid could not gain any ground in the Spanish title chase as Ronald Araújo scored the decisive goal in their 1-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano.
Araújo nodded home from a corner in the 24th minute to open the scoring at the Nou Camp, and that proved enough to secure victory for a Barcelona team who had scored 12 goals across all competitions in their last two contests.
It took an excellent display from Barcelona keeper Joan García to preserve the clean sheet, keeping out a number of decent opportunities for Rayo to snatch a point, particularly after the break.
Barcelona clung on through six minutes of second-half stoppage time to move seven points clear of second-placed Real Madrid, who host Atletico on Sunday evening, and leave Rayo four points above the relegation zone.
The visitors had the chance to take a surprise first-minute lead when Pep Chavarría picked out Carlos Martín, but he could not lift the ball over Garcia from close range.
Rayo then avoided getting punished for giving away the ball and allowing Raphinha a one-on-one gift he spurned, dragging the shot wide, before squandering a second chance 10 minutes later from a fine Lamine Yamal delivery.
He seemed caught in two minds before sending it spinning in the direction of the Rayo goal, where Augusto Batalla tipped it over the crossbar, though it looked destined to spin over.
Barca broke the deadlock from a João Cancelo corner as Araújo, who had been deployed again at right-back, won the aerial battle, planting his header off the inside of the right post and into the bottom corner.
Raphinha twice went close to doubling the hosts’ advantage, the first from long range then another which was dangerously deflected, calling Batalla into a big save to turn it over his crossbar, and it remained 1-0 after a bright Rayo spell late in the first half.
Hansi Flick made his first Barcelona substitution after the break, replacing Robert Lewandowski with Ferran Torres.
Yamal fired wide after a darting run just before the hour, moments before Rayo substitute Álvaro García drew Joan Garcia into a leaping stop.
The Barça keeper palmed away the resulting corner, then made another big save to prevent Unai López, another Rayo substitute, from nodding in from the following set-piece.
The flurry of opportunities was a wake-up call for Barcelona, who still held just the one-goal lead with less than 10 minutes remaining when Raphinha picked the pocket of Batalla, who had come out to his right, but his attempt to find a team-mate was blocked.
Rayo substitute Alfonso Espino could not control a late chance to equalise, rushing his finish.
Garcia once again came in with a big save to deny Jorge de Frutos, then another from a set-piece soon after, and there was a big sigh of relief for Flick when the final whistle blew to conclude the nervy contest.
