Celta Vigo vs. Barcelona: Score, Grades, Reaction from La Liga

Barcelona ground out the kind of ugly victory league titles are made of by winning 1-0 at Celta Vigo on Sunday. The result maintains Barca's four-point advantage over nemesis Real Madrid at the top of the La Liga table.

It was French centre-back Jeremy Mathieu who provided the decisive moment with a brave, bullet header in the 73rd minute. The Sky Sports La Liga official Twitter feed captured an image of his hugely significant goal:

Celta forced Luis Enrique's team into a dour struggle from the opening whistle, as Barcelona needed some resolute performances at the back to keep the home side at bay.

Mathieu's goal stood out, but the defensive effort of Barca's Gerard Pique was just as significant, according to BBC Sport reporter Andy West:

Celta were not able to break through for the equaliser, and their frustration showed toward the end of the match. Vigo midfielder Fabian Orellana was sent to the stands for kicking turf toward Barcelona's holding midfielder Sergio Busquets.

That bears repeating: For kicking turf. Check out this image and video of the so-called incident, courtesy of Sky Sports La Liga:

The Chilean's dismissal put a damper on a match previously played with plenty of commitment, but in a good spirit.

This is the type of victory every title winner needs in a tight race. Earlier in the day, Madrid laid down a marker by smashing nine goals past Granada, per Sky Sports.

Barca weren't anywhere near as fluent as their title rivals on Sunday, but they showed tremendous resolve to earn a result in a tough place with the pressure on.

Selected Player Ratings

Nolito: A

Crafty Vigo winger Nolito tormented Barcelona veteran right-back Dani Alves all night. The 28-year-old was quick and direct, routinely sending Alves and one side of the Barca defence into panic mode.

Nolito's movement and appetite for the attack was a feature of Celta's strong first-half showing, per West:

Nolito's skill manufactured more than one presentable chance for misfiring Argentinian striker Joaquin Larrivey. The wide man's performance merited more than the result gave him.

Lionel Messi: B+

To no great surprise, Messi was the standout performer in the Barca ranks. Even though the league leaders found it tough to make any inroads before the break, Messi consistently posed a threat.

His trademark trickery and deadly short-area pace were on display. But it was the mini marvel's mercurial passing radar that caused Celta the most problems.

Lalo R. Villar/Associated Press/Associated Press

Messi picked out stylish passes to help fashion opportunities Alves and Neymar should have made more of. Messi roamed the forward line throughout the game, but he was typically most effective whenever he occupied central areas.

Only a late miss, when he failed to successfully lob the 'keeper, dampened Messi's night. It came on the same day great rival Cristiano Ronaldo blasted five goals for Real Madrid to resume his place as the leader of this season's scoring charts in Spain's top flight, per ESPN FC.

Andres Iniesta: B-

In a game where Celta consistently closed off passing lanes and denied space, the Barca midfield struggled to boss the ball and exert its usual influence. But even though he wasn't as effective in possession, cerebral schemer Andres Iniesta still rolled up his sleeves and took the game to Vigo.

His footwork and skill made him to tough to dispossess by fair means, as OptaJose detailed:

So often defined by his quality creating chances, Iniesta was forced into doing some dirty work as Barca were made to grind out a very tough win. As one of the more experienced members of this decorated squad, the 30-year-old did his job well and led by example.

Gerard Pique: A

If you need proof that Pique is still a top-notch defender in the European game, look no further than his all-action performance in Vigo. A display littered with last-ditch tackles, aerial prowess and smart distribution proved Pique is still a key figure in the spine of this team.

The 28-year-old played with the kind of command and assurance that used to be the hallmarks of his game. WhoScored.com provided some numbers to help further define his imperious performance:

With Pique in this sort of form, Barca will be very difficult to breach during the final nine La Liga games. Combine that with the best front three in Europe and Enrique's team will take some stopping in their push for the title.

Post-match Reaction

Enrique acknowledged how tough his former team made things on his current charges. He particularly credited Celta's early energy and attacking intent, per Sid Lowe:

As for Busquets—presumably recovered from the malevolent clump of grass sent his way—he managed to give his verdict on the strange red card, per the AS official Twitter account:

Barca can feel content in a very solid night's work. They scrapped for a win when the pressure was really on them.

It's a trait that bodes well for the title run-in.