Lionel Messi rescued a point for Barcelona with a late free-kick in a 1-1 draw at Villarreal on Sunday, although the Catalans' failure to win dealt their pursuit of LaLiga leaders Real Madrid a further blow.
Barca got 2017 off to a losing start thanks to a 2-1 Copa del Rey defeat to Athletic Bilbao and they were unable to chalk up their first win of the year at the renamed Estadio de la Ceramica.
Despite dominating possession in the opening period, Barca reached half-time with the scoreline goalless for the fifth time in six league matches.