Barcelona title Hopes hanging by A thread after Levante Draw

Lionel Messi scored a brilliant volley but the Catalan’s title hopes could be over, with a 3-3 draw away at Levante on Tuesday giving Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid the chance to pull away at the top of La Liga.

Los Blancos will edge two points ahead of Ronald Koeman's side if they win away on Thursday at Granada. There are certainly no guarantees in what has been a frenetic and thrilling title race in recent weeks, with all of Spain's four contenders stumbling down the final stretch. 

But with only two games left now and potentially two teams to catch, Barcelona's chances of taking the title off Real Madrid this season would appear remote.

"We were always depending on other results but the objective was to win our three games and hope others dropped points, now it's very complicated." Ronald Koeman said.

Levante sits 14th in the table and had won only one of their previous eight matches but they had also prevailed in three of their last four games at home against Barca, and they turned it on again. 

Barcelona led 2-0 from Messi's acrobatic strike and a simple Pedri finish but two goals in two minutes before the hour suddenly had Levante level, Gonzalo Melero and Jose Luis Morales giving Levante hope. 

"We lowered our intensity from the start of the second half, lost our rhythm, we weren't defensively attentive and we let Levante back in. There is no other explanation," the Catalans manager further revealed.

"Our chances are slim, added Sergio Busquets, and that's our fault - our decisions, our concentration - we gave away easy goals."

Koeman has made positive strides this season but his team's lapses of concentration and fragility in defence remain. Questions around the Dutchman's future will grow louder the more the club's title chances fade, his decisions this time to start Dembele at right wing-back and to bring Sergi Roberto into the back three particularly vulnerable to scrutiny.

"Coaches will always be questioned, that isn't going to change but with that second half there will be questions asked and I understand that perfectly," said Koeman.

Barcelona had scored twice in nine minutes to take control, Jordi Alba's cross grazing the head of Miramon on its way to Messi, who adjusted his body and threw his left foot over the ball, volleying it into the bottom corner for his 37th goal of the season. 

Barca’s hope of chasing for the La Liga title has diminished but loss on the part of Athletico Madrid and the Whites will certainly bring hope to the Camp Nou men.