Levante 2-3 Barcelona: Luuk de Jong header wins penalty-filled thriller

Barcelona maintained their fine La Liga form with a remarkable win as they came from behind to beat a Levante side awarded three second-half penalties.

Four minutes later the home side were handed a second penalty after Eric Garcia handballed, only for striker Roger to slam at Barca keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Barca responded, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang heading in a superb Ousmane Dembele cross before two substitutes combined as Gavi teed up Pedri for a sweeping finish.

Ter Stegen's save had offered a springboard for Barca to turn the game but he faced a third penalty after Maxi Gomez was fouled by Clement Lenglet - who had been on the field for less than two minutes - and this time substitute Gonzalo Melero sent the keeper the wrong way to level.

Levante - seven points from safety - looked to have earned a deserved point but Luuk de Jong headed home Jordi Alba's cross in added time, making him the third substitute to score in an incredible second half.

Levante must somehow find a healthy points return in their last seven games to avoid the drop and they will wonder how they did not take something from a night where three penalties fell their way.

They had gone closest in a drab first half when Morales' superb solo run saw him denied by a combination of Ter Stegen and Garcia on the goal line.

But Barca remain the most in-form team in Europe's top-five leagues on a run of 11 wins and four draws from their last 15 La Liga outings.

They were far from at their best here but responded to adversity and - thanks largely to Ter Stegen's key penalty save at 1-0 - move second in La Liga, 12 points behind Real Madrid with a game in hand.