Carlo Ancelotti said Real Madrid were "still on holiday" in their shock 1-0 loss to Getafe on Sunday while Barcelona overcame their Covid chaos to sneak a tight victory away at Mallorca.
Madrid's surprise defeat was their first in three months and gives fresh hope to the beleaguered chasing pack in Spain, after Eder Militao's early error allowed Enes Unal to score the winner at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez.
"We were on holiday for an extra day," said Ancelotti afterwards. "The team was not the same team that played before Christmas -- less commitment, less concentration.
"We didn't deserve to lose but we ended up with a defeat that could be a wake-up call."
Barcelona were without eight first-team players who had tested positive for Covid last week while a further six were out through injury or suspension.
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Xavi Hernandez said on Saturday it was "crazy" the game had to go ahead, with Jordi Alba, Ousmane Dembele and Gavi among those infected while Sergio Busquets was suspended and Pedri, Ansu Fati and Memphis Depay injured.
But a patched-up Barcelona team climbed to fifth, just a point behind Atletico Madrid, after Luuk de Jong's header proved the difference in a 1-0 win over Mallorca.
"With all the absentees, the three points are hugely important for us," Xavi said.
"The first objective this season is to be in the Champions League places and now we are close."
