Barcelona moved nine points clear at the Primera Division summit - for a couple of hours at least - with a narrow but richly-deserved victory at Getafe.
Pep Guardiola's team dominated the first half but had only one Lionel Messi goal to show for their toils due to the outstanding performance of on-loan goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic.
The second half was not quite so one-sided but Getafe did not have the cutting edge to trouble Victor Valdes and in truth Barca should have extended their advantage at a rainy Estadio Coliseum Alfonso Perez.
Messi had a second effort incorrectly ruled out for offside and Samuel Eto'o struck the post, but the one goal proved enough in the end.
Attention now passes to Real Madrid, who can reduce the gap to Barca back to six points with victory at Recreativo Huelva in tonight's late game in La Liga.
Thierry Henry was presented with a golden chance to open the scoring in the fifth minute but was denied by Stojkovic.
Rafa Lopez, anxious to keep the ball from the feet of Messi, diverted it to the France forward whose effort was superbly parried by the home stopper.
Stojkovic again had to be alert 10 minutes later to catch a right-footed volley from Henry and then saved with his feet to deny the former Arsenal striker.
But the Serbia stopper - on loan at the Primera Liga outfit from Sporting Lisbon - was picking the ball out of his net shortly afterwards.
Messi, fed by Xavi, found space in the penalty area and managed to squeeze his left-footed shot into the bottom-right corner from the edge of the six-yard box.
Defender Gerard Pique could have doubled Barcelona's tally in the 26th minute but his brilliant overhead kick was kept out by Stojkovic.
The Catalan outfit were finding much joy down the left channel with Henry almost profiting from a neat through-ball from Messi but just unable to connect.
Messi - and coach Guardiola on the touchline - were left incredulous in the 39th minute at referee Javier Turienzo Alvarez's decision not to award a spot-kick following a clumsy challenge by Mario Alvarez after the Argentina forward had been played in down the right-hand side of the penalty area by Andres Iniesta.
Stojkovic produced another magnificent save a minute later, flinging himself to his right to keep out a curling Messi effort and ensure his side were only one goal behind at half-time.
For all their first-half supremacy, the result was far from safe at the interval and the precarious nature of the visitors' lead was highlighted at the start of the second period when Rafael Marquez was forced into a scrambled clearance as the hosts sensed a shock equalizer was on the cards.
The action soon returned to the Getafe half, however.
Messi was brought down on edge of area by Javi Casquero but uncharacteristically blasted the resulting free-kick high and wide on the hour mark.
Dani Alves' cross from the right was then poorly dealt with by Daniel Diaz, allowing Messi a sight of goal but the 21-year-old's weak attempted scissor kick did not test Stojkovic.
Messi thought he had sealed the victory in the 81st minute when he followed up and poked home a long-range shot from substitute Seydou Keita, but the South American was wrongly adjudged to have been offside.
Eto'o worked himself some space in the penalty area but screwed his right-footed effort just wide as still the second goal proved elusive.
The Cameroon striker could have made it 2-0 in the 90th minute when he was played through by Messi but, although his shot got the better of Stojkovic, he was denied by the right-hand post.
But Barca had done enough and remain on course for a first Primera Division title since 2006.
