They were the little horse in La Liga's three-horse title race and they did not fall at the last.
Atletico Madrid are La Liga champions for the first time in 18 years after picking up a point at the Nou Camp despite a calamitous first half that looked to have put Barcelona back in control.
Both Diego Costa and Arda Turan were taken off injured in the first 45 minutes and a lightning strike from Alexis Sanchez beat Thibaut Courtois to put Barça 1-0 up but even the half-time advantage could not wake Barcelona from their slumber.
Joy and pain: Atletico Madrid's defender Diego Godin celebrates his equaliser as Lionel Messi looks on
Joy: Atletico's Diego Godin (left) celebrates his goal against Barcelona
Match facts
Barcelona: Pinto, Alves, Piqué, Mascherano, Adriano, Sergio, Cesc, Iniesta, Alexis, Pedro and Messi
Atletico Madrid: Courtois, Juanfran, Miranda, Godin, Filipe Luis, Gabi, Tiago, Koke, Arda Turan, Villa, Costa
Costa was in tears on the bench after going off.
The Chelsea-bound striker must sense that next week's Champions League final will come too soon for him and that his niggling hamstring could even jeopardise his World Cup dream.
Courtois is another who has now surely played his last league game for Atletico with Jose Mourinho unlikely to sanction more Champions League heroics for a club other than Chelsea next season.
But both have signed off as league champions.
It was always going to take something special to beat Courtois and it came towards the end of the first half from Sanchez. The Chile winger's rocket shot found the Belgian keeper's top corner after Leo Messi had chested down Cesc Fabregas' long ball. It looked then like being the goal that would decide the league.
It had not been a typical Barcelona goal – fitting for what has not been a typical Barcelona season.
Their passing football has deserted them and they started this game without Xavi – the veteran midfield maestro left on the bench.