Lionel Messi came off the substitutes' bench to score twice and help Barcelonato a 4-2 win over Real Betis at Camp Nou that moved them to within striking distance of the La Liga title.
The world player of the year had missed Barcelona's humiliating Champions League semi-final exit to Bayern Munich last Wednesday as he recovered from a hamstring problem but came on in the 56th minute at 2-2, and immediately fired home the goals that sealed the victory.
Barça have 88 points with four games left to play, 11 ahead of second-placed Real Madrid, who triumphed 4-3 at home to Real Valladolid on Saturday.
Tito Vilanova's side, who need two more points to secure a fourth league title in five years, could claim the trophy on Wednesday if Real fail to win at home to Málaga.
"Against Messi, you can't do anything," said the Betis coach, Pepe Mel. "At San Mames he ran through opposing players like they were cones. And here, the first ball he touches he puts it right inside the corner of the goalframe. It was like it had been scripted. It was suddenly a big party and went down from there."
The Catalans did not have it all their own way against Betis and were behind after two minutes when Dorlan Pabon was allowed to burst through and fire past José Manuel Pinto, who was deputising for the injured Víctor Valdés.
The hosts reacted quickly, with Andrés Iniesta dancing to the byline and crossing for Alexis Sánchez to bullet in a diving header in the ninth minute.
An out-of-sorts David Villa could have had a hat-trick before half-time, his worst miss a volley over after wonderful approach play from Iniesta and Xavi, while Pinto denied Salva Sevilla from close range.
Barça's Cristian Tello lashed a shot against the crossbar which bounced down on the line, and almost immediately Betis were ahead again when Ruben Pérez thundered a 30-yard shot into the top corner to give the visitors a 2-1 half-time lead.
Villa made amends for his earlier misses with a far-post header from Dani Alves's cross to level in the 56th minute but then immediately made way for Messi, who entered to a huge roar.
The Argentinian had barely touched the ball before he struck the third, curling a free-kick over the wall and beyond Betis keeper Adrián.
A second Messi free-kick struck the crossbar but he crowned the night with the goal of the game, tapping in from a Sánchez cross after a sublime backheel from Iniesta, to take his league tally to 46 goals, passing 60 in all competitions for the second successive campaign.
Adrián denied Messi a hat-trick with a couple of saves in the closing stages but there will be no denying Barcelona the La Liga title.
FC Barcelona 4-2 Real Betis
Alexis 1-1
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Villa 2-2
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Messi 3-2
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Messi 4-2
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