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A second-half goal by Lionel Messi saw Barcelona stutter over the line to a 1-0 victory against Levante at Camp Nou.
Ronald Koeman made one change from the side that lost 2-1 to Cadiz last weekend, with Ronald Araujo coming in for Oscar Mingueza. However, there was a slight tactical variation in the shape of the team as Lionel Messi replaced Martin Braithwaite as the focal point of attack.
Barcelona had the better of the early exchanges but the first good chance of the game fell to the visitors when a beautiful team move ended with Jorge de Futos one-on-one with Marc Andre ter Stegen but he could only shoot straight at the goalkeeper.
The hosts continued to impose their dominance but found an immovable object in Aitor Fernandez. Levante had another good chance but Daniel Gomez could only shoot over the post.
Barcelona ended the first half in the ascendancy but could not make their pressure or possession count, and both sides went into the break all square.
It was more of the same in the second half, and Ronald Koeman made two substitutions, with Pedri replacing Sergio Busquets and Trincao coming on for Philippe Coutinho as the Barcelona manager sought to find a winning goal.
Their breakthrough finally came in the 76th minute when Mickael Massa was robbed off the ball in the middle of the field, and his mistake left the Levante defence exposed.
A quick counter-attack saw Frenkie de Jong feed his captain on the edge of the box, and the Argentina international made no mistake, rifling a left-footed thunderbolt off the post and into the back of the net.
A second goal eluded Barcelona before Samuel Umtiti made his first league appearance in six months when he came on for Antoine Griezmann in the 90th minute.
There was late drama in the game as Umtiti's first contribution saw the ball strike him on the arm in the box but consultations with VAR saw nothing wrong.
Ultimately, Barcelona held on for the win, with Marc Andre ter Stegen having to make a last-gasp save from a shot by Son outside the area.
The win sees the Catalans move up to ninth on the La Liga standings and here, we shall be having a rundown of five talking points from the fixture.
#5 Poor run at Camp Nou continues for Levante
The Camp Nou is one of the most daunting stadiums to visit in the world, and nobody knows this more than Levante.
The Valencians came into this game having lost on each of their previous 14 visits to Camp Nou and despite their best efforts, they once more left Catalunya empty-handed.
Ironically, they have better luck against the Catalans on their own turf and have won each of the last three games against Barcelona at the Ciutat de Valencia (including that memorable 5-4 victory in May 2018 that ended hopes of an unbeaten campaign for Ernesto Valverde).
This latest defeat makes it 15 losses from 15 away games with Barcelona and Levante would have to wait for at least one more year to get another chance of ending their poor run at Camp Nou.
#4 Much-needed victory for Barcelona after testing week
In a season-defining week that saw arch-enemies Real Madrid pick up three crucial victories to breathe new life into their campaign, Barcelona hosted Levante knowing anything other than a win would suffice.
The Blaugrana had fallen to a shock 2-1 defeat away to Cadiz last weekend and followed that up with an embarrassing 3-0 defeat at home to Juventus that saw them relinquish top spot in their UEFA Champions League group.
Ultimately, they got the job done and with three points in the bag, Barcelona would hope this can help kickstart their season.
Although it was far from pretty or convincing, the only thing that matters is that the Catalans got the all-important victory, and this win could help restore confidence in a squad that has been suffering from a lack of morale.
#3 Aitor Fernandez brings A-game to Camp Nou
For most of the game, it looked like Barcelona's efforts would be in vain, as no matter how hard they huffed and puffed, they simply could not bring down the Levante defence.
It was not for want of trying though, as the hosts fashioned chance after chance, only to be thwarted by Aitor Fernandez in the Levante goal. In total, Barcelona had 22 shots in the game, with 13 of those hitting the target.
The Levante goalkeeper made a series of fine stops, denying Messi, Jordi Alba, Antoine Griezmann, and Philippe Coutinho with exceptional saves before he was ultimately beaten.
In total, the 29-year-old made 12 saves in the game and considering his inspired performance, it was always going to take something special to beat him. That was what happened when Barcelona got their breakthrough from the boot of their captain.
Although his efforts were ultimately in vain, it takes nothing away from what was a fine performance by Aitor Fernandez.
#2 Even in victory, Koeman still has many issues to address at Barcelona
Barcelona have struggled throughout this season, and the most worrying problem for fans is the club's lack of cohesion on the field, with many players looking lost alongside one another.
The club currently look a shadow of their former selves and despite picking up a much-needed victory against Levante, there were still glaring problems in the team's general play.
Credit must go to the visitors for holding out the Blaugrana for 3/4 of the game but questions would be asked about why Barcelona constantly struggle to break down sides who they would have dispatched with ease in the past.
Indeed, it is telling that Barcelona had to end the game with three centre-backs, as they sought to protect a lead against Levante at home. Ronald Koeman has to start finding answers to the increasing questions quickly.
#1 Lionel Messi bails Barcelona out yet again
For most of the last few years, Barcelona have been in full Messidependencia mode as without their talismanic captain, they struggle to get going.
Having threatened to leave last summer, the Rosario native reneged, and his performance here showed exactly why fans of Barcelona are within their right to be worried about a dystopian future post-Messi.
For most of the game, it looked like another frustrating evening was in store for the six-time Ballon d'Or winner that would have mirrored his game against Juventus in midweek.
Against the Bianconeri, Lionel Messi managed seven shots on target without finding the back of the net, which set a tournament record for most shots-on-target without scoring since at least 2003-04.
It was more of the same for him against Levante, as he failed to score with his first 10 shots in the game but it happened to be 11th time lucky for the Argentine.
This continued his fine run against Levante, with that his 22nd goal against Los Granotas.
Despite the win and his goal, the frustration in Messi was clear for all to see. He stormed straight to the dressing room and did not show up to collect his King of the Match award or speak to the press after the game.
Once again, Barcelona have their magical skipper to thank for bailing them out of a tight spot but this cannot continue for too long if the club are to achieve anything of note this season.
