Barcelona V Espanyol - as it happened.
Join us for live coverage of the Barcelona derby between Barcelona and Espanyol from the Camp Nou in Matchday 31 in La Liga. The build-up to the game has been dominated by Pique's pre-match comments.
Match report in news
End of match
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94'FT: Barcelona 2-0 Espanyol! It was an easy win for the home side in the end, who were far better than their opponents, but they were made to wait for the first goal. Messi scored both goals and he was once again the difference. Espanyol were beaten, but not disgraced. Thanks for your company and please join us again soon.
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94'Espanyol get a free kick for handball and Granero strikes it against the wall! That's game over!
Yellow card
a Espanyol
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93'Roslaes booke dfor fouling Alba.
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92'Messi has scored his 40th goal of the season.
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90'Four added minutes here. Just time for a few 'olés' before everyone goes home. Not much is going to happen here.
Goaaaaaal!
de Barcelona en el 89'
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Statistics of L. Messi in Primera División34361.061330
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89'2-0 Barca!!! Messi finishes it off. Ter Stegen threw the ball out to Rakitic, after a one-two with Messi, the Croatian fired it out wide to Malcolm, he drove into the box before cutting back to Messi to hit home. The Espanyol defence were made to look useless.
Yellow card
a Espanyol
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87'Pedrosa booked for puling back Rakitic.
Substitution
at Barcelona
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82'Barca final sub: Coutinho off, Vidal on.
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81'Almost 1-1!! Lenglet made a vital stop to prevent Wu-Lei at the far post from squaring it up! Garcia had put the cross in.
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79'Sanchez hadn't started since the beginning of February.
Substitution
at Espanyol
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78'Espanyol sub: Victor Sanchez is being booed off and Semedo comes on. Don't understand the boos from the home crowd. He headed it into the net!
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75'Lopez is still complaining of pain to his hip after clashing with Suarez.
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74'Suarez is booked for colliding with the GK. Lopez is now up after treatment.
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73'Sanchez and Lopez made a mess of that. Either Lopez was saving it or Sanchez should have headed it away. His header was awful and he knocked it in. That said, it's Messi's goal because it was going in.
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72'That was extraordinary! It was a chip over the wall, it was going very slowly and that gave time for Sanchez to get back on the line, but he misdirected his header into the goal. Lopez dived and would have reached it. It wasn't in the corner.
Goaaaaaal!
de Barcelona en el 71'
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Statistics of L. Messi in Primera División34361.061330
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71'Messi territory again! Wait, the wall has moved forward. The delay continues. The chip shot goes in!!! Unbelievable!!!!!
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70'Messi is brought down just outside the box and yellow for Sanchez. It's just outside, but not far off being a penalty.
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69'Alba crosses into the area, there is a pinball after a couple of Espanyol deflections and Coutinho fires over.
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68'Shots: 9-1. That said, I don't think many of Barca's shots will have been on target.
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67'Rakitic fires wide! He hit from 20 odd yards, but Lopez had it covered.
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66'Espanyol have gone a bit more attacking with this change.
Substitution
at Espanyol
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65'Espanyol sub: Sergio Garcia comes on for Melendo
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63'Espanyol sub: Iglesias leaves and Wu-Lei joins the action.
Substitution
at Barcelona
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59'Barcelona double sub: Sergi Roberto has come on for Nelson Semedo. Artur has made way for Malcom as well.
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58'Messi was actually offside in the move a few minutes back. And Melendo's shot was the first one on target in the game!
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57'Semedo goes down in the box under Pedrosa's challenge and wants a pen, but nothing given. The defender leans into him, but not enough for a pen.
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55'Messi almost scores, but it is cleared off the line!! But offside given against Alba. There was never ever an offside. May have been one earlier. Would have been controversial had it gone in.
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54'Espanyol shoot at goal through Melendo! He turned on the edge of the D, but his shot found Ter Stegen who hardly had to move.
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53'Semedo dispossesses Pedrosa, but a foul is called against him much to his displeasure.
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52'Espanyol seem to have gone more defensive in the second period. Not sure that's a good idea.
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51'Suarez goes into the box, but Rosales stops him progressing any further.
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50'Semedo has made a good start to the second half and he is causing trouble down Espanyol's left.
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49'Semedo goes into the box with ease, the ball goes across the face of goal before Alba shoots well wide.
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46'Over 92,000 in the ground. Only the Clasico had more people this season.
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46'Welcome back everyone! We are back underway and no changes here.
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45'It's HT! Barcelona 0-0 Espanyol. Barcelona have been better, but Espanyol have defended solidly. Messi had Barcelona's best two chances (one would have been chalked off) together with Sanchez almost scoring an own goal. Espanyol and Lopez have played excellently and had one top chance to score. Join us in a bit.
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45'Play on says the ref! Didn't think Roca did anything to be honest and Alba crossed the ball for him.
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45'Looks like we have VAR for a poosible foul on Coutinho and a penalty!
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45'One minute till the HT oranges are peeled.
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44'Still 0-0 here. Barca are struggling to find a way through. Another ball has just been launched into the box, but the goalie claims it.
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41'Messi shoots wide! Busquets passes to Messi after an Espanyol player tries to cut out the ball, but he still finds the Argentine. He inexplicably hits it wide.
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40'Messi looks for Coutinho, but the Brazilian slips. A few whistles now from the home crowd. Espanyol are doing their job up to now.
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38'What an opportunity for Espanyol! That was a key challenge by Lenglet! Pedrosa passed to Victor Sanchez, who looked for Iglesias. The ref started the move and Lenglet sent it for a corner.
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36'Messi territory this. What a disappointment! it hits the wall.
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35'Messi goes down and a free-kick is given! He was hacked down by Granero just outside the D. Lucky to avoid the card.
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33'Coutinho received a beautiful ball on the far side, but it all came to nothing.
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31'Messi has a free kick- here after Semedo was fouled by Roca. And it almost goes in! The delivery by Messi was good and an Espanyol man almost flicked into his own net! Lopez had to tip it over. Sanchez it was.
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29'Not much has been happening in the last few minutes. The ball has been in the middle third of the pitch. Looks like it will be goalless at the break.
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26'Barcelona look most dangerous when they counter. Espanyol have shown little going forward, but look very ordered in defence. They are not playing for a 0-0, but not going gung-ho either.
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24'Sanchez of Espanyol is caught offside. Dodgy.
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23'Suarez strikes wide after an Alba pass!
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21'Suarez gets a corner after hitting L Lopez. Naldo headed it away.
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20'The corner came to nothing and Barca's carried out a devasting counter. Messi sent a looping pass for Suarez 35 yards out and he found Rakitic on the right flank. The Croatian's shot flashed past Lopez's right post.
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18'Victor Sanchez has a go, but his shot is blocked. Rosales then forces a corner.
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17'What a move! Semedo crossed the ball in, but Coutinho couldn't reach it. Semedo started it by sending Pedrosa to the floor and there was quick one touch passing between Semedo, Messi and Rakitic I think.
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16'Coutinho passes the corner short to Messi and the move ends with a long pass by Alba which finds the goalie.
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15'Coutinho plays a one-two with Suarez, before forcing a throw-in. Barcelona are dominating possession and territory up to now, but Espanyol are fairly comfortable at the moment.
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13'Rakitic tries to find Suarez, but Pedrosa cuts it out.
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12'Espanyol send a long throw in, but it was cleared,
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9'What a chance for Messi! He is played through by Alba, Messi twists and turns in the box beating 3 or 4 players before Lopez pulls up a super stop. Messi was offside and the VAR would have disallowed it. Nothing came of the corner.
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7'Melendo has a tame header for the visitors, but it is comfortable for Ter Stegen.
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6'What an open start! Barca went back up the other end, but Naldo cleared the danger and then Melendo drove the ball into the Barca box before being dispossessed.
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5'Pedrosa makes a dangerous run down the near side and goes down on the edge of the box, but the ref says no foul by Pique
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5'Semedo gives the ball to Suarez in the box, who tries to cut inside, but he is halted by Mario Hermoso.
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3'Strong start by Barca here. Espanyol have everyone behind the ball.
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1'Great move by Barca! Messi with a super run, he goes to his Suarez on his left, but the ball ends up with Lopez! Warning sign already.
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1'In play here! Espanyol get us underway!
Start of match
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PRVWWu-Lei is one of Espanyol's most creative players, but he is on the bench today after feeling ill in the week.
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PRVWThe two captains shake hands! This is about to start!
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PRVWThe players on their way out here at the Camp Nou! 16 degrees and sunshine!
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PRVWPique is lucky the game today is at Barca otherwise he would be roundly booed. He mocked their distasteful songs and in the past has said they are from Cornella, not from Barcelona. In reality, they are from Cornella and El Prat in Barcelona. Espanyol replied to Pique saying that money is not everything and that we have other values. Let's hope things don't boil over on the pitch.
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PRVWCarlos del Cerro Grande is the ref and Santiago Jaime Latre, the main VAR.
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PRVWThe side from across the city line up like this: Diego López (GK); Rosales, Naldo, Hermoso, Lluís López, Adrià Pedrosa, Granero, Marc Roca, Víctor Sánchez, Melendo and Borja Iglesias. They have gone for five men in defence.
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PRVWBarca have named a full strength side for the game despite the fact they play again on Tuesday. Ter Stegen (GK); Semedo, Piqué, Lenglet, Jordi Alba, Rakitic, Busquets, Arthur, Coutinho, Messi and Luis Suárez
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PRVWOn the field, it's 1st v 14th. Espanyol lost last time out and are nine points clear of the drop, Barca on the other hand are 10 points ahead of Atletico and are looking to become a step closer to winning the title.
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PRVWThe build-up to this game has been dominated by Gerard Pique's comments in a TV programme where he was highly critical of Espanyol. He said their chants against him actually spurred him on and he also claimed to have more money than Espanyol's budget this season. As you can imagine, Espanyol's fans and the club were fuming.
Pre-match
30 March 2019, 16:15
Referee: Del Cerro Grande | VAR: Jaime Latre
Stadium: Spotify Camp Nou
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PRVWGood afternoon and welcome to our live coverage of the city derby between Barcelona and Espanyol. Stay tuned for all the pre-match info!