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• Xavi salutes 'superior' Barcelona as Clasico win brings LaLiga glory ever closer

  Xavi described Barcelona's 2-1 win over Clasico rivals Real Madrid as "a very important victory for us" as his team roared 12 points clear at the top of LaLiga.

  A first league title since 2018-19 is within Barcelona's grasp now, with a dozen matchdays remaining and no end in sight to their dominance.

  A 22nd win from 26 games in this season's championship was hard-earned at Camp Nou, where a freak own goal from Ronald Araujo gave Madrid a ninth-minute lead.

  Barcelona's equaliser could hardly have been better timed, coming just before half-time from Sergi Roberto, who was given the nod to start in midfield ahead of Franck Kessie.

  That gave Barcelona a huge lift to take into the interval and they struck at the death in the second half too, with substitute Kessie the man to send the home support wild in stoppage time.

  Xavi celebrated on the touchline, all too aware of that goal's significance. Barring a staggering implosion over the remaining weeks of the season, Xavi's Barcelona will be champions in his first full season at the helm, dethroning their great rivals from Madrid.

  "We dominated, we generated more chances," Xavi said. "I am leaving satisfied. The team emptied itself and worked in defence and attack. It is a very important victory for us. I think we have been good."

  He was right about the chances, with Barcelona leading that count 17-11 over the course of the game, and the expected goals final reckoning, measuring the quality of chances and likelihood of scoring, was also firmly in their favour by a margin of 1.64 to 0.58.

  Robert Lewandowski missed what was determined to be the best chance of the game, with his volley in the 67th minute flying over Thibaut Courtois' goal. That was given an xG rating of 0.377.

  Madrid also had a goal chalked off after Marco Asensio beat Marc-Andre ter Stegen in the 81st minute but was ruled offside after a VAR check.

  "I think we had more control," Xavi said. "I think we have been superior in general."

  His team had 54 per cent of possession, having had just 35.2 per cent in their 1-0 win at the Santiago Bernabeu in the Copa del Rey at the start of March.

  Sergi Roberto was named man of the match, and the goal justified his selection, with the experienced one-club man trusted for the big occasion. He featured at right-back last week, but with Araujo returning from suspension was handed a role further upfield, with Barcelona packing their midfield.

  Former Milan star Kessie proved he can thrive in such a big occasion, too, with his intervention off the bench, and Xavi could hardly have been more delighted.

  "I had doubts until the last moment between Sergi and Franck. In the end it turned out very well because they both scored," Xavi said.

• Ancelotti suggests Madrid deserved victory at Barcelona after doubts over VAR decision

  Carlo Ancelotti insisted Real Madrid deserved to defeat Barcelona as the Los Blancos coach questioned the late VAR decision to rule out Marco Asensio's' goal in Sunday's 2-1 Clasico loss.

  Substitute Asensio thought he had snatched a late winner at Camp Nou, turning home from Dani Carvajal's cross in the 81st minute before a lengthy VAR check adjudged the Spain international to be offside.

  Franck Kessie coolly finished past Thibaut Courtois 11 minutes later as Barca grabbed a last-gasp victory to move 12 points clear at the summit of LaLiga.

  Ancelotti was unconvinced by the decision to disallow the goal for Asensio, who was deemed to be in front of Jules Kounde, but lauded a resilient Madrid performance on Sunday.

  The Italian said to Movistar: "You have to accept [the decision]. But I'm left with doubt. Surely there is nothing. We have the right to have that doubt.

  "We played a good game, we deserved to win, it was won. Then there is the question of this goal that was disallowed.

  "We tried everything at the end, we lost a bit of balance and they scored. The game was very good, we leave with the confidence that we can finish the season well."

  With 12 league games left to play after the international break, and a two-legged Champions League quarter-final against Chelsea to follow in April, Ancelotti vowed Madrid will battle until the end.

  "We are going to fight for all competitions, to the maximum," he added. "We have to try to play like this again. If we play like this we will win something, for sure."

  Defeat to Barca came just four days after the Champions League last-16 victory over Liverpool and Ancelotti suggested Madrid are suffering from a gruelling schedule.

  "We have a greater disadvantage than before and it is even more difficult, but we are going to play until the last game," he told reporters at his post-match press conference.

  "The plan did not change with the substitutions we made, only the individual characteristics change, such as [yellow] cards, suspensions and fatigue."

  Ancelotti also acknowledged Madrid's title charge was hampered by a disappointing return to club action after the mid-season World Cup break.

  "January has cost us a lot because after the World Cup it was difficult for us to recover our condition," he continued.

  "But we are going to finish the season well. Today the game was good, with a good approach, with good changes."

• Courtois downbeat after last-gasp Kessie strike edges Barcelona towards LaLiga glory

  Thibaut Courtois vowed to continue fighting but acknowledged Real Madrid's LaLiga title hopes may be over after a dramatic defeat at Barcelona on Sunday.

  Franck Kessie scored a last-gasp Clasico winner in a 2-1 win over fierce rivals Madrid at Camp Nou to send Xavi's side 12 points clear at the top heading into the international break.

  Carlo Ancelotti's side had taken the lead through Ronald Araujo's ninth-minute own goal, only for Sergi Roberto to deservedly equalise on the stroke of half-time.

  Courtois impressed with a fine individual display to keep Los Blancos in the game, though the goalkeeper conceded Madrid's defence of their Spanish crown will likely come to an end.

  The Belgium international told LaLiga TV: "We have to be honest. We will continue fighting, but there are four games difference.

  "We have the advantage on goals [on head-to-head record], but it is difficult. Nothing is impossible, but... we will have to come here to win in the Copa del Rey [semi-final]."

  Kessie's late strike, timed at 91 minutes and two seconds, was the latest LaLiga winning goal Barca have scored in the Clasico since Lionel Messi's finish (91:48) in a 3-2 win in April 2017.

  But Courtois believes Xavi's hosts would not have found a way back if Madrid could have withstood the pressure before the interval.

  He added: "We played a great game. We both had chances. You go ahead, control and they strike before half-time. That affects us. With 0-1 at half-time, I don't think they would have won.

  "In the second half we played well. We didn't have many chances but when they arrived we didn't take advantage of them. We were going for the victory, we left spaces and they scored a goal against us.

  "I'm happy to help the team, but we haven't achieved victory. We mustn't give up. I'm sure we can come to win in the Copa del Rey and do well in the Champions League."

  While Courtois suggested the LaLiga title was destined for Barcelona, Sergi Roberto refuted that message as he referenced the resilience of Madrid.

  "You can never say it. There are many games left and you can never say Madrid are dead," he said. "12 points is a difficult distance to let go, but it depends on us, which is good."

  Madrid thought they had snatched a late victory before Kessie's winner, with substitute Marco Asensio seeing an 81st-minute strike ruled out for offside after a lengthy VAR review.

  That late drama made the victory even sweeter, according to Roberto, who added: "We came back from a goal by Asensio that we hadn't realised was offside.

  "Then we scored and it tastes better winning like that, at the last minute."

  Questions may have been raised by some after Sergi Roberto was preferred to start over Kessie in midfield, though the Spain international felt he repaid the backing of Xavi with his performance.

  "Today it was either Franck or me and in the end we both scored," he continued.

  "I am very happy to continue in the club of my life. I have only played in this club. I thank Xavi, the board, the president. It is my way of returning my love. Now we can rest during the break."