BEIJING, Dec. 1 (Xinhuanet) -- Busquets blasted in a rebound to secure the victory at Mestalla Stadium that kept Barca two points behind league leader Real Madrid.
Barcelona needed a victory to keep close to Real — currently enjoying a 16-game unbeaten run. But the Catalan club would never have been in position to press for the victory were it not for Gerard Pique clearing Rodrigo Moreno's shot from the goal line.
Both teams had chances to win, but it was Barcelona who finally broke the deadlock three minutes into stoppage time. Goalkeeper Diego Alves stopped Neymar's header with his face, and Busquets was on hand to slam home the rebound despite the keeper's best efforts to keep it out.
Lionel Messi was struck on the head by a plastic bottle thrown from the crowd as Barca celebrated the winner. The Argentine rubbed his head but appeared more indignant than injured.
Other results of the day saw defending champions Atletico Madrid defeat Deportivo 2-0; Sevilla thrashed Granada 5-1; Villarreal defeated Cordoba.
In the standings, Real have 33 points from 13 matches, with Barca on 31, and champions Atletico on 29 in third place. Valencia dropped to fifth on 24 points — two behind Sevilla.
(Source: CNTV.com)
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