Lionel Messi scored twice for Barcelona, who recovered from a 31st-minute goal by Radamel Falcao to beat second-placed Atlético Madrid and open up a nine-point lead at the top.
Falcao opened the scoring in the battle of La Liga's hottest forwards after being played through, by chipping the Barcelona goalkeeper with his left foot.
Adriano drew Barcelona level with a magnificent strike before Sergio Busquets put the home side in front on half-time. Messi scored his first with a fine left-foot shot placed in the corner and added his second, and 90th of the calendar year, after the Atlético defence dithered and the Argentinian poached the ball.
"Barça play in a different league to the rest of us," said the Atlético coach, Diego Simeone. "We tried to be competitive, played to our strengths, and we did well for a large part of the game, but this is a boring league. With their firepower it is impossible.
"Messi is the best in the world. I am just pleased he is Argentine."
Real Madrid, the defending champions, drew 2-2 at home to Espanyol and are third on 33 points, 13 behind Barcelona after 16 games. José Mourinho accepted Real cannot win the title now.
"The league is practically impossible," Madrid's coach said. "[13 points] are too many at this stage of the season.
"I have never been in a situation like this, dropping so many points and with a team so far from its objectives. It's new for me. The league looks impossible to me now."
Atlético made an impressive start, causing problems on the break and, after twice going close, Falcao put the visitors ahead in the 31st minute with his 17th of the campaign.
Diego Costa stole the ball off Messi and fed Falcao who sped away and cleverly lobbed the advancing Victor Valdés.
Five minutes later Barça were back in the game thanks to a thunderous shot from Adriano, who cut in from the right flank and fired in off the underside of the crossbar.
Atlético were struggling to break out of their area before half-time and, when they failed to clear a corner, Busquets calmly stroked home the second before Messi hit his 24th and 25th goals in La Liga this season.
The Espanyol substitute Juan Albín stunned Real with an 88th-minute equaliser as the Barcelona-based side grabbed an unlikely draw at the Bernabéu.
The Uruguayan forward bundled the ball in after Real failed to clear a corner, and whistles rang around the ground as the teams filed off the pitch at the end.
Karim Benzema was left in the stands with an ankle injury, and Cristiano Ronaldo started in the centre-forward position, but for all their possession Real struggled in the first half.
The visiting striker Sergio García, a Euro 2008 winner with Spain, sprinted clear to net past Iker Casillas in the 31st minute.
Luka Modric crashed a shot against the post but just as the Bernabéu was getting restless Sami Khedira crossed and Ronaldo stuck out a foot to level in the 45th minute.
Ronaldo's reverse pass picked out Fabio Coentrão's driving run, and the Portugal defender put Real ahead with his first league goal for the club, soon after the restart.
A fingertip save and the woodwork prevented a quick third for Real, but Espanyol continued to threaten and Albín made them pay for failing to finish off the job.
"Cristiano had a good game, his teammates did not," said Mourinho. "Their attitude was not good. We missed clear chances. The team doesn't show the same joy."
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Guardian