Barcelona head coach Luis Enrique remained upbeat after his side threw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at Villarreal and said: "We're one point closer to our objective."
Jeremy Mathieu scored an own goal from a corner to draw Villarreal level after Cedric Bakambu had reduced the deficit following first-half goals from Ivan Rakitic and Neymar, who netted from the penalty spot.
Barcelona moved nine points ahead of Atletico Madrid at the top of the Primera Division after Diego Simeone's side's defeat at Sporting Gijon, but would have gone 11 ahead had they managed to hold onto their lead at El Madrigal.
"Our nearest rivals lost yesterday so we have gained a point. It's a positive day for us as we're one point closer to our objective," Luis Enrique told a press conference.
"We were close to getting three points but we also nearly lost, so I'm positive. Every point we gain on the team chasing us is fantastic."
The coach also rejected suggestions his side grew complacent in the second half.
"Once the game began, our players understood how the game was going to be. We weren't distracted, but Villarreal have a great understanding," he said.
Luis Enrique also refrained from commenting on the performance of referee Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez.
Sanchez Martinez awarded a controversial penalty to Barcelona following a challenge by goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo on Neymar, and refrained from handing a second yellow card to Gerard Pique in the first half, a decision which lead to Villarreal coach Marcelino being sent off for dissent.
"I didn't hear any boos from the crowd towards the referee. I don't always have to speak about the referee," said the Barcelona boss.
Asenjo asserted that the referee made a mistake in awarding a penalty to Neymar.
"It's not a penalty, I touched the ball with my right hand, the linesman should have seen it. The referee got it wrong," Asenjo told Canal Plus.
The goalkeeper also praised his team for getting back into the game after going 2-0 down.
"This team never gives up. Any other team would have thrown in the towel," he said. "Turning that scoreline around against one of the best teams around says a lot for us. We leave the game feeling good, this point feels like a victory."