Match ends, Barcelona 2, Espanyol 0.
Barcelona 2-0 Espanyol: Lionel Messi scores late derby double
- From the section European Football
Lionel Messi scored twice in the second half, including a chipped free-kick, as leaders Barcelona beat Espanyol to go 13 points clear at the top of La Liga.
Messi dinked his first goal from the edge of the box, with Espanyol defender Victor Sanchez failing to head clear as he ran back towards the goal-line.
The Argentine finished off a counter-attack late on to take his tally to 31 goals for the season.
Second-placed Atletico Madrid face Alaves later on Saturday (19:45 GMT).
Messi has scored 22 goals in his last 15 La Liga games, while he has also surpassed 40 goals in a season for the 10th successive time.
He had been an injury doubt for the game after missing Argentina's friendly with Morocco in mid-week, but showed no ill-effects when he had Barca's first chance of the game, only to see his shot deflected over the crossbar.
Barca - who face Manchester United in the Champions League quarter-finals - dominated the first half, with Ivan Rakitic and Luis Suarez both going close to breaking the deadlock, and it wasn't until the second half that goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen was first troubled, by Oscar Melendo.
Messi's opener saw Sanchez substituted by Espanyol soon after, before he sealed all three points by slotting home a Malcom cross.
Line-ups
Barcelona
- 1ter Stegen
- 2Nélson SemedoSubstituted forRobertoat 59'minutes
- 3Piqué
- 15Lenglet
- 18Alba
- 4Rakitic
- 5Busquets
- 8Ramos de Oliveira MeloSubstituted forMalcomat 59'minutes
- 10Messi
- 9Suárez
- 7CoutinhoSubstituted forVidalat 82'minutes
Substitutes
- 14Malcom
- 19Boateng
- 20Roberto
- 21Aleñá
- 22Vidal
- 23Umtiti
- 30Peña
Espanyol
- 13López
- 8RosalesBooked at 90mins
- 27López
- 5Gomes Pereira
- 22Hermoso
- 28PedrosaBooked at 87mins
- 23GraneroBooked at 73mins
- 4SánchezBooked at 69minsSubstituted forSemedo Estevesat 78'minutes
- 21Roca
- 14MelendoSubstituted forGarcíaat 65'minutes
- 7IglesiasSubstituted forWuat 64'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Jiménez
- 2Semedo Esteves
- 9García
- 12Vilá
- 16López Rodríguez
- 17Pérez
- 24Wu
- Referee:
- Carlos del Cerro Grande
- Attendance:
- 92,795
Match Stats
Home TeamBarcelonaAway TeamEspanyol
- Possession
- Home70%
- Away30%
- Shots
- Home13
- Away4
- Shots on Target
- Home3
- Away2
- Corners
- Home5
- Away2
- Fouls
- Home15
- Away14
Live Text
Full Time
Second Half ends, Barcelona 2, Espanyol 0.
Attempt blocked. Esteban Granero (Espanyol) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Hand ball by Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona).
Booking
Roberto Rosales (Espanyol) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Jordi Alba (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Roberto Rosales (Espanyol).
Foul by Lionel Messi (Barcelona).
Esteban Granero (Espanyol) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Sergio García (Espanyol).
Arturo Vidal (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Esteban Granero (Espanyol).
Goal!
Goal! Barcelona 2, Espanyol 0. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Malcom.
Foul by Arturo Vidal (Barcelona).
Roberto Rosales (Espanyol) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Booking
Adrià Pedrosa (Espanyol) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Adrià Pedrosa (Espanyol).
Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Sergio García (Espanyol).
Luis Suárez (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Adrià Pedrosa (Espanyol).
Substitution
Substitution, Barcelona. Arturo Vidal replaces Coutinho.
Foul by Lionel Messi (Barcelona).
Mario Hermoso (Espanyol) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Espanyol. Alfa Semedo replaces Víctor Sánchez.
Offside, Espanyol. Mario Hermoso tries a through ball, but Sergio García is caught offside.
Foul by Jordi Alba (Barcelona).
Esteban Granero (Espanyol) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Diego López (Espanyol) because of an injury.
Attempt missed. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) right footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Malcom following a fast break.
Booking
Esteban Granero (Espanyol) is shown the yellow card.
Foul by Luis Suárez (Barcelona).
Diego López (Espanyol) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Goal!
Goal! Barcelona 1, Espanyol 0. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) from a free kick with a left footed shot to the bottom right corner.
Booking
Víctor Sánchez (Espanyol) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Lionel Messi (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Víctor Sánchez (Espanyol).
