Madrid: Barcelona beat last-place Xerez 3-1 on Saturday to stay top of the Spanish league ahead of title rival Real Madrid, which remained one point back of the defending champion after Kaka scored the winner in a temperamental 2-1 win at Zaragoza.
Jeffren Suarez and Thierry Henry put Barcelona 2-0 up before Mario Bermejo cut the lead in half with a rising shot in the 25th minute.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic's second-half goal re-established the two-goal cushion as Barcelona stayed ahead of Madrid, which won a hard-fought match thanks to Kaka's 82nd-minute score.
The Brazil playmaker received a pass from Cristiano Ronaldo before slotting a low shot past goalkeeper Roberto Jimenez to mark his return from a groin injury.
"It's a tremendous joy to score, I've been waiting for a game like this for a long time," Kaka said. "I think I've given a clear answer on the field to all of those who have criticized me."
Madrid had gone ahead through Raul Gonzalez in the 50th minute before Adrian Colunga equalized from a counter attack in the 61st — nine minutes after Zaragoza was left with 10 men when Matteo Contini was sent off for throwing an elbow at Gonzalo Higuain.
Barcelona has 87 points and Madrid 86 with four games remaining.
Also, David Villa scored a 34th-minute penalty as third-place Valencia improved to 62 points with a 1-0 win over Deportivo La Coruna.
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola shuffled his lineup with Wednesday's Champions League semifinal match against Inter Milan looming and the European champions needing to overturn a 3-1 first-leg defeat.
"Today we played with Inter on our minds — it was inevitable," Guardiola said. "It's too important for us. We've just won six titles and there's a feeling that if we don't win the double we've achieved nothing."
Regulars Lionel Messi and Gerard Pique watched from the bench in the first half, while Daniel Alves was suspended and fellow defender Eric Abidal was rested with a sore groin.
Xavi was the architect of the 14th-minute opener as the Spain midfielder put Suarez into the area with a pass from just inside the half. Suarez slipped to the ground as he ran onto the ball but then slid it to himself away from his marker, jumping up to score with a precise left-footed shot from a tight angle along the goal line.
The hosts doubled the advantage in the 24th after Seydou Keita played Ibrahimovic into the right side of the area, with Henry streaking in to push the Swedish striker's no-look centering pass in for his fourth goal of the season.
Just as Barcelona looked ready to run away with it, Bermejo blasted a rising shot inside the near corner past well-positioned goalkeeper Victor Valdes.
Pique replaced Marquez as Guardiola looked to shore up the Catalans shaky defense, which was twice saved by Valdes after the restart as the Barcelona made key stops on Bermejo Emiliano Armenteros.
Barcelona looked more assured following Messi and Pique's entrances and Ibrahimovic gave the Catalans extra breathing room in the 56th after finishing Yaya Toure's break. The Ivory Coast midfielder played himself free along the left before finding Ibrahimovic in front of the net for his 16th goal of the season.
"Wednesday's game is unique, and today's was dangerous," Guardiola said. "I don't doubt my players but the weight of Wednesday's game was heavy."
Xerez, which finished with nine men after Matias Alustiza and Fabian Orellana were both red carded in injury time, has only four more games to avoid relegation.
At La Romareda, Jimenez denied Ronaldo twice before getting his fingers to Raul's 27th-minute shot that shaved the far post.
The match was mired in tackles and bad blood from the start, and that didn't change much even after Raul redirected Ronaldo's pass home for his fifth goal after Jimenez had made fine saves on Higuain and Ronaldo. Raul, who came on for the injured Rafael Van der Vaart, was taken off with an ankle injury immediately after scoring. Van der Vaart could miss the remainder of the season after tearing a muscle in his left leg.
Tempers flared as Contini was sent off but instead of buckling, Zaragoza responded with Abel Aguilar's pass putting Colunga free on Casillas to score.
Kaka replaced Fernando Gago in the 75th for his first appearance since March 10 and scored the ninth goal of his debut campaign with the Spanish giants.
"He's always been an important player for us and today he showed that again," Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini said.
Zaragoza remained near the bottom of the standings just above the drop zone, while Deportivo's free-fall continued after Ze Castro handled inside the area to set up Villa's penalty, the Spain striker's 21st goal of the season. Deportivo is without a win in nine games.
A minute's silence was being observed at all games in memory of former International Olympic Committee president Juan Antonio Samaranch after the 89-year-old Spaniard died on Wednesday.
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