Barça 4-1 Espanyol: Messi gets Christmas underway with Catalan derby masterclass

Barça 4-1 Espanyol: Messi gets Christmas underway with Catalan derby masterclass

Lionel Messi entertained Camp Nou once more as Barcelona ended the year with an empathic 4-1 win against Espanyol in the Catalan derby. 

Messi only scored one of the goals, but his role in his side’s second and third goals was staggering. Luis Suarez got the first two goals of the evening, before Jordi Alba was on target for the first time in nearly two years. David Lopez pulled one back for Espanyol before Messi added Barça’s fourth in stoppage time. 

Barca haven't lost to their neighbours in their last 15 league meetings and this one was never in doubt. It will be remembered for Messi, though, and the way he danced around four Espanyol players in the build up to Suarez’s second goal and Alba’s effort.

The win moves them three points behind Real Madrid, albeit having played a game more. Madrid’s game this weekend was postponed due to their appearance in the Club World Cup. Barça, therefore, will be happy to have taken advantage and applied some pressure to the La Liga leaders heading into 2017.  

Messi missed the game’s first chance after seven minutes. Luis Suarez fed Neymar on the left, whose pass across the area found Messi lurking. The Argentine, much to the surprise of the home crowd could only find the side netting. 

Barça continued to control proceedings and when their next chance came, they were more clinical. Javier Mascherano won the ball back to end an Espanyol attack and within three seconds, and via a fantastic Andres Iniesta pass, Suarez was clean through. His first touch was great and he held off Diego Reyes before slotting past Diego Lopez. 

Espanyol had come into the game on a nine game unbeaten run in the league. During that run they had kept clean sheets on seven occasions, but the Suarez strike meant they wouldn’t make that eight. More importantly it meant they’d have to come from behind if they wanted to leave Camp Nou by stretching their streak without defeat to 10.  

They didn’t really look like troubling Barca, though. Right-back Javi Lopez had their best chance, lashing well over Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s bar after collecting a Felipe Caicedo pass.

Luis Enrique’s side continued to have the better of the game, although they didn’t create a great deal. Neymar’s direct running was causing problems, Messi and Iniesta were controlling the match and Suarez looked sharp. Despite that, there were few moments when Diego Lopez looked troubled in the away team’s goal.  

Barça started the second half well. Messi curled just wide from the edge of the box and then created a chance for Suarez with an incisive pass. The Uruguayan was denied by Lopez, but it proved a pivotal moment as the goalkeeper was forced off injured. 

His replacement Roberto Jimenez struggled. First of all, Iniesta was fouled, but managed to stay on his feet, dodge two more challenges and pass to Messi. If what Iniesta had done was good, Messi raised him. He somehow shook off for Espanyol players and managed to get a shot away. Roberto saved, but he should have done better and Suarez tapped home the rebound. 

Camp Nou was still rocking from that moment of Messi magic when he did it again. Beating four more defenders, he set up Alba, who followed last week’s two assists up with a goal. 

Espanyol’s goal was good, too. Pablo Piatti did well to free Gerard Moreno, whose cross was expertly finished by Lopez. The comeback was never on, though, and Messi completed the rout in stoppage time. Sergi Roberto nicked the ball back and fed Messi, who played it to Suarez, who chipped it back to Messi, who rolled it through Roberto’s legs. The finish Messi’s game deserved.