A much-changed Barca failed to win for the first time in seven games with a 1-1 draw at Bayer Leverkusen in midweek, but with Luis Enrique reverting to his first-choice side, the hosts unsurprisingly dominated the early stages.

Deportivo de la Coruna's players celebrate a goal during the Spanish league football match FC Barcelona vs Deportivo de La Coruna at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on December 12, 2015 © Getty Images

Even without the injured Neymar, Barca were incisive in the Deportivo half, and top scorer Luis Suarez should have opened the scoring after just five minutes when he somehow sliced wide from close range after Sandro Ramirez nodded Lionel Messi's deep ball into the box across goal.

The hosts had found their groove, but they could not convert their early chances as Andres Iniesta just missed another fine pass from Messi before German Lux saved well from Messi's free kick.

Jonathan Rodriguez was denied by Claudio Bravo in a rare chance for Depor, but Suarez again should have netted the opener when he got his header all wrong from a corner after Lux had denied Messi.

FC Barcelona's Argentinian forward Lionel Messi celebrates a goal during the Spanish league football match FC Barcelona vs RC Deportivo La Coruna at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on December 12, 2015 © Getty Images

Six minutes before the break the home side's dominance was finally rewarded when they were given another free kick in a dangerous position, and this time Messi whipped a fine dipping effort past Lux from 20 yards.

Suarez hit a half-volley wide from Rakitic's cross as the leaders pressed for a second before the break, but the visitors wasted a rare chance to equalise shortly after the restart when substitute Juan Dominguez exchanged passes with Lucas Perez but could only shoot straight at Bravo.

Suarez's personal frustration continued 10 minutes into the second half when he thought that he had doubled the lead with a cool finish before seeing his effort ruled out for offside, but his side did extend their advantage as Rakitic drilled through a crowd of players from the edge of the box.

A scuffed finish let Suarez down in front of goal as Barca pushed to kill the game off, but after Lucas Perez's rebound was ruled out for offside when Dominguez's shot hit the bar, they pulled a goal back when Perez dinked past Bravo.

That goal gave the visitors hope of an unlikely point, and they completed the shock late comeback with four minutes to go when Sergio Busquets gave the ball away cheaply in his own half and Perez slid in Alex Bergantinos to drill home an equaliser.

Another sloppy piece of play from Busquets nearly handed Depor a stunning winner in injury time when when Miguel Cardoso could only fire into the side-netting, but they held out for a point as Barca dropped two crucial points at the top of La Liga.