David Moyes did his best to help out old friend Carlo Ancelotti in the Spanish title race but his team's stubborn resistance was finally broken by Neymar as Barcelona beat Real Sociedad.
With a spectacular finish from Pedro to double Barcelona's advantage they were comfortable winners in the end but they had been anything but comfortable for long periods of the game.
Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola has nothing on Moyes this week – the former Everton and Manchester United manager's team looked far more solid than the Germans had at the Nou Camp four days earlier.
There was also no hurried change of plan after 15 minutes either as Real Sociedad frustrated throughout the first half and did not concede until the 50-minute mark.
They had 22-year-old Argentine goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli to thank for a large part of the resistance. He was in brilliant form and Moyes deployed the tactic of funnelling Barcelona's attacks in-field where there were plenty of blue and white striped shirts to block, tackle and rob.
When the first goal came it was Neymar who scored it. He has now netted in all six of last games and it was his 50th for the club. Barcelona's front three have scored 112 goals this season. He was mobbed by team-mates relieved at the deadlock being broken after such a difficult first period.
Messi had been the first to try and fail to beat young Rulli with a looping header from just inside the area that the keeper batted away. Then the man, who destroyed Bayern inside three minutes in midweek, set up Neymar and the Brazilian was also foiled by the visiting keeper.
Real were getting tight to their illustrious rivals. Both Alberto De la Bella and Markel Bergara were booked for getting too tight with late challenges and Luis Suarez was thumped from behind by Iñigo Martinez but this time referee Ignacio Iglesias' cards stayed in his pocket.
Barcelona needed a win to stay clear of Real Madrid playing Valencia later on Saturday night and both Dani Alves and Gerard Pique were joining the Barcelona attacks as often as possible.
He was denied by Rulli too as Barcelona continued to lay siege to Real Sociedad's goal. Messi then found Suarez in space at the back post but the former Liverpool striker headed unselfishly across the face of the goal instead of goalwards. The bounced invitingly in front of Xavi and Neymar but perhaps thinking Suarez would go for goal himself, no one reacted and the ball went out of play.
The nerves were starting to creep into Barcelona's play with Rafinha putting the ball straight out for a goalkeeper. And when the half-time whistle went Messi hammered the ball skywards in frustration at a wasted half.
Real walked off tall at the break feeling they had gone toe-to-toe with the best team in Europe at the moment and not conceded. Mikel Gonzalez throwing himself at Rafinha's shot just before the break had summed up the performance. Was it really going to be one of those days?
Bartra almost headed a Xavi corner into the top corner with Barcelona's first chance of the second half but that man Rulli was there again to tip the ball away for another corner.
Both Andres Iniesta and Sergi Busquets were now warming up and Luis Enrique was starting to move around his technical area almost as anxiously as Moyes but on 50 minutes the Camp Nou breathed a huge sigh of relief as Mikel Gonalez flicked on a Messi's diagonal pass and at the far post Neymar ghosted in to put Barca ahead.
It was a credit to Real Sociedad that they had held out for so long but Moyes will not have seen it that way – the Brazilian was unmarked when he beat Rulli. His team were not completely out of it and it was a measure of the threat they still posed that Mascherano was put back into the centre of defence for the substituted Bartra and the Argentine was immediately booked for flying into a tackle on Xabi Prieto.
Moyes threw on Alfredo Finnbogason and Chory Castro and Barça continued to wobble at the back but then came the spectacular second. Suarez, Adriano and Messi linked up and Pedro bicycle kicked the ball over Rulli and just under his crossbar.
Real Sociedad has gone away empty-handed but Moyes had given them another glimpse of the future. It was an example how he can make teams difficult to beat. It had been a very uncomfortable afternoon for Barcelona – for more uncomfortable than the evening they spent putting three past Bayern Munich in midweek.
For Barcelona there are now two hurdles left to clear. Next week they face Atletico Madrid, strike pending. And Deportivo come to the Nou Camp for the final game of the season a week later. A run of wins that now totals 28 in 30 matches continues to take them towards the treble.
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