Barcelona maintained their fine La Liga form with a remarkable win as they came from behind to beat a Levante side awarded three second-half penalties.
The game burst into life after the interval when Levante defender Son was fouled by Dani Alves, allowing Jose Luis Morales to convert from the spot.
Four minutes later the home side were handed a second penalty after Eric Garcia handballed, only for striker Roger to slam at Barca keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Barca responded, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang heading in a superb Ousmane Dembele cross before two substitutes combined as Gavi teed up Pedri for a sweeping finish.
Ter Stegen’s save had offered a springboard for Barca to turn the game but he faced a third penalty after Maxi Gomez was fouled by Clement Lenglet – who had been on the field for less than two minutes – and this time substitute Gonzalo Melero sent the keeper the wrong way to level.
Levante – seven points from safety – looked to have earned a deserved point but Luuk de Jong headed home Jordi Alba’s cross in added time, making him the third substitute to score in an incredible second half.
Levante must somehow find a healthy points return in their last seven games to avoid the drop and they will wonder how they did not take something from a night where three penalties fell their way.
They had gone closest in a drab first half when Morales’ superb solo run saw him denied by a combination of Ter Stegen and Garcia on the goal line.
But Barca remain the most in-form team in Europe’s top-five leagues on a run of 11 wins and four draws from their last 15 La Liga outings.
They were far from at their best here but responded to adversity and – thanks largely to Ter Stegen’s key penalty save at 1-0 – move second in La Liga, 12 points behind Real Madrid with a game in hand.
Line-ups
Levante
Formation 5-3-2
- 34Cárdenas
- 20Miramón
- 4Suárez Pier
- 15Postigo
- 14Nunes VezoSubstituted forCanteroat 76′minutes
- 2Hidalgo
- 5RadojaSubstituted forBardhiat 76′minutes
- 8García
- 24CampañaBooked at 11minsSubstituted forMeleroat 65′minutes
- 9MartíSubstituted forGómez Alcónat 65′minutes
- 11MoralesSubstituted forPubillat 90′minutes
Substitutes
- 1Fernández
- 6Duarte
- 10Bardhi
- 12Malsa
- 16Soldado
- 17Vukcevic
- 21Gómez Alcón
- 22Melero
- 23Andújar Moreno
- 25Saracchi
- 29Cantero
- 42Pubill
Barcelona
Formation 4-3-3
- 1ter Stegen
- 8Alves da SilvaSubstituted forLengletat 81′minutes
- 4AraújoBooked at 87mins
- 24García
- 18Alba
- 14González IglesiasSubstituted forGonzálezat 56′minutes
- 5Busquets
- 21de JongSubstituted forPáezat 57′minutes
- 7DembéléSubstituted forTraoréat 84′minutes
- 25AubameyangSubstituted forde Jongat 84′minutes
- 19Torres
Substitutes
- 6Puig Martí
- 11Traoré
- 12Braithwaite
- 13Murara Neto
- 15Lenglet
- 16González
- 17de Jong
- 22Mingueza
- 27Carevic
- 30Páez
- Referee:
- José Luis Munuera Montero
- Attendance:
- 20,785
Live Text
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Match ends, Levante 2, Barcelona 3.
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Second Half ends, Levante 2, Barcelona 3.
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Foul by Ronald Araújo (Barcelona).
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Marc Pubill (Levante) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Goal! Levante 2, Barcelona 3. Luuk de Jong (Barcelona) header from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Jordi Alba with a cross.
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Attempt blocked. Luuk de Jong (Barcelona) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Jordi Alba with a cross.
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Attempt blocked. Ronald Araújo (Barcelona) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
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Substitution, Levante. Marc Pubill replaces José Luis Morales.
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Pedri (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Enis Bardhi (Levante).
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Attempt saved. Gavi (Barcelona) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
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Ronald Araújo (Barcelona) is shown the yellow card.
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Foul by Sergio Busquets (Barcelona).
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Pepelu (Levante) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Attempt missed. Alejandro Cantero (Levante) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by José Luis Morales with a cross following a corner.
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Corner, Levante. Conceded by Eric García.
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Substitution, Barcelona. Adama Traoré replaces Ousmane Dembélé.
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Substitution, Barcelona. Luuk de Jong replaces Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
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Goal! Levante 2, Barcelona 2. Gonzalo Melero (Levante) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
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Penalty conceded by Clément Lenglet (Barcelona) after a foul in the penalty area.