MADRID (AP): Zlatan Ibrahimovic's second-half goal gave Barcelona a 1-0 win at Mallorca on Saturday and a provisional three-point lead over Real Madrid atop the Spanish league.
Ibrahimovic's 15th league goal put Barcelona ahead after 63 minutes as the Swedish striker was perfectly placed inside the penalty box to fire into the roof of the net after goalkeeper Dudu Aouate had stopped Carles Puyol's stabbing try.
Barcelona warmed up for its midweek Champions League match at Arsenal by putting the pressure on Madrid, which will need to win the derby against Atletico Madrid on Sunday to keep pace with the defending champions.
Lionel Messi, the league's leading scorer with 25 goals, was held scoreless for the second straight game after replacing Andres Iniesta, who left after 51 minutes with a leg problem.
Barcelona has 74 points to Madrid's 71, while Valencia has 53 after a 3-0 loss at Zaragoza.
Mallorca is fourth with 47 points. Earlier, Malaga wasted a chance to open up some breathing room above the drop zone as it surrendered a late penalty to draw 1-1 with Tenerife.
Barcelona would have liked more goals ahead of Wednesday's first-leg quarterfinal match at Arsenal, but the European champion still goes to north London on the back of five straight wins.
Barcelona hopes to have Iniesta available, with the Spain international to undergo tests Sunday to determine the severity of the right leg injury.
"We were ourselves again," coach Pep Guardiola said. "We were fantastic in the second half."
But Mallorca was nearly ahead after two minutes as Aritz Aduritz swerved to beat goalkeeper Victor Valdes with a curling strike that came off the post to Chori Castro, whose follow-up from the opposite side was saved by the scrambling Valdes.
Pedro Rodriguez and Jeffren Suarez - starting in place of Messi and Xavi Hernandez - were involved in much of the play after that as the Catalan club controlled possession. Aouate tipped Gabriel Milito's angled header over the bar in the 16th, with Barcelona driving forward in search of an opener after Pedro had a goal waived away offside.
Although Barcelona looked poised to break through, Mallorca nearly took advantage of its limited opportunities again, but Valdes kept Borja Valero's precise free kick from squeezing in at the post in the 42nd.
Guardiola brought Messi on but Barcelona was unable to break the deadlock. But Mallorca, which had won 12 of its 13 games at the Ono Estadi coming in, enjoyed a good run right afterward and Guardiola responded by bringing on Xavi 10 minutes later.
"It's never great that Leo rests but he finished the other day so tired," Guardiola said. "In his half hour he gave so much. He didn't tire."
Xavi's return from injury was marked by his corner kick that eventually found Ibrahimovic, who scored for a third straight game after a monthlong drought.
Ibrahimovic, full of confidence, used the top of his back to direct a pass to Messi moments later but Aouate saved the Argentina international's rising shot. "I saw Leo behind me so I got it to him," Ibrahimovic said. "Easy."
Barcelona defender Daniel Alves was booked for delaying play in the closing moments, leaving the Brazil striker out of next weekend's game but available for the "clasico" at Madrid in two weeks
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