Jordi Alba scored an extraordinary volley and Daniel Alves was sent off as Barcelona delivered a major boost to their hopes of finishing in La Liga's top four Sunday by winning a six-goal thriller against Atletico Madrid 4-2.
Real Madrid then capitalized on Sevilla's goalless draw with Osasuna Saturday by edging past Granada 1-0 to extend their lead at the top of the table to a daunting six points.
In the absence of the injured Karim Benzema, Marco Asensio finally broke Granada's resistance in the 74th minute at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Barca were more emphatic as they scored four in 40 minutes at Camp Nou before surviving a late fightback from Atletico after Luis Suarez headed in and Alves saw red with 20 minutes left.
A statement victory returns Xavi Hernandez's side into the top four for the first time since September, with Atletico now two points behind in fifth.
Atletico took an early lead through Yannick Ferreira Carrasco but Barca came storming back, Alba equalizing with surely one of the goals of the season before Gavi, Ronald Araujo and Alves all struck to leave Diego Pablo Simeone's side facing an annihilation.
Instead, Suarez headed in and Alves was sent off as tempers flared.
But Barca held on, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, signed from Arsenal, coming on off the bench to make his debut in the second half.
With Barca in containment mode, Aubameyang's influence was limited and it was another January signing, Adama Traore, who made the biggest impact with an electric first-half performance.
Barca were ninth in the league, six points behind Atletico in fourth, when Xavi was appointed coach.
Aubameyang was only deemed fit enough for the bench, where he sat along with Ousmane Dembele, who Xavi welcomed back into the fold despite his ongoing stand-off with the club over a new contract.
Dembele was whistled before kick-off and not brought on in the second half.
Atletico were ahead on eight minutes but the rest of the first half belonged to Barca.
Traore was at the heart of it, making the game his own for a whirlwind half an hour.
He was involved in Alba's equalizer, his cross poked out to Alves, who floated the ball to the opposite side, where Alba had time to adjust his feet and let fly with a stunning volley into the top corner.
Barca were on top and Traore in full flow.
He stopped Mario Hermoso, then surged past him, lifting a cross off the line and into the area where Gavi headed in a second.
Araujo smashed in before half-time and Alves added a fourth four minutes after, arrowing in Gavi's cut-back before posing with his arms outstretched towards the fans.
The party atmosphere fizzled slightly when Suarez reduced the gap to two by heading in from close range against his former club.
Aubameyang briefly broke the tension by coming on to rapturous applause for Traore but Alves was then sent off after scraping his studs down the back of Carrasco's leg.
Atletico had 20 minutes to score two and the game almost boiled over when Xavi's assistant Oscar Hernandez was shown a red card for his protests and Xavi took a yellow.
Barca held on.
Granada looked like they might hold on against Real, who were without their deadly attacking duo, Vinicius Junior suspended and Benzema still recovering from a thigh strain.
Isco and Rodrygo Goes started up front instead but were replaced by Luka Jovic and Eden Hazard shortly before Asensio struck, a superb, swerving shot finding the corner after Eder Militao had won the ball back.
RESULTS
Valencia 0 Sociedad 0
Barcelona 4 (Alba 10, Gavi 21, Araujo 43, Alves 49) Atletico 2 (Carrasco 8, Suarez 59)
Betis 0 Villarreal 2 (Torres 41, Capoue 83)
Real Madrid 1 (Asensio 74) Granada 0
