Barcelona stayed top of La Liga with a 2-0 win over Malaga. The first goal should never have counted; the second was a welcome reminder that there is still plenty of football left in Andres Iniesta.
The Spain midfielder scored from Lionel Messi’s assist but Malaga were left cursing the first goal they conceded.
Barcelona were ahead inside two minutes but the goal should never have been allowed to stand. When Lucas Digne crossed from the left the ball had already gone out of play but the flag stayed down and Gerard Deulofeu poked it past Andres Prieto.
The Malaga players held their hands up in appeal as Gerard Deulofeu tucked in to give the home side an early advantage
The Malaga players continued to protest as the Barcelona team celebrated, but it came to no avail and the goal stood
Andres Iniesta scored the home side’s second goal after his deflected shot looped over the hapless Malaga goalkeeper
Luis Suarez had a miserable evening and didn’t shake the hand of Ernesto Valverde after being subbed off in the 83rd minute
MATCH FACTS AND THE LA LIGA STANDINGS
Barcelona (4-3-3): ter Stegen, Roberto, Mascherano, Umtiti, Digne, Rakitic, Busquets (Paulinho 76), Iniesta, Messi, Deulofeu (Semedo 71), L Suarez (Alcacer 83);
Subs not used: Pique, D Suarez, Cillessen, Gomes
Booked: NONE
Scorers: Deulofeu (2), Iniesta (56)
Manager: Ernesto Valverde
Malaga (4-2-3-1): Prieto, Rosales, Hernandez, Baysse, Juankar, Rolon, Gonzalez, Keko, Castro, Rolan (Juanpi 45), Penaranda (Baston 71);
Subs not used: Cifu, Gonen, Cecchini, Robles, Mula
Booked: Hernandez (25)
Scorers: Rosales (21), Hernandez (26) Gonzalez (39)
Manager: Michel
Referee: Pablo Gonzalez
Attendance: 74,377
The Malaga players protested and Malaga manager Michel cursed his luck and the match officials but the goal stood and Barcelona had been gifted the lead. It was the last thing Malaga needed coming into the game on just one point and rooted to the foot of the table.
Despite the backdrop of growing political tension with Catalonia’s regional autonomy withdrawn by Spanish Government on Saturday the club had appealed to supporters to keep any protests off the pitch and of a peaceful nature and they did exactly that. The chants of independence on 17 minutes were louder than usual and there were more Catalan flags but the focus was on the football, as it should be with Barcelona top of the league with a 100 percent home record – the players and the coach Ernesto Valverde deserve that.
Barcelona had another slice of luck on the half hour when Luis Hernandez blocked a Luis Suarez pass to Messi with his shoulder but was penalized for handball and booked. Messi’s free-kick hit the wall.
Thousands of Barcelona fans enter the Nou Camp bearing independence flags and holding candles prior to kick-off
A Barcelona fan held a sign up before the game which translated to: ‘Rajoy (Prime Minister of Spain), out of our institutions’
Lionel Messi sets off on a trademark dribble into the box and lets fly, but his low effort is blocked well by a Malaga defender
Barca midfielder Ivan Rakitic clashes with goalkeeper Andres Prieto as he just misses out on latching on to an inviting cross
Malaga defender Paul Baysse struggles to keep up with Messi as the Argentina international brings the ball forward
Barcelona fans show pro-independence of Catalonia by waving several signs and holding signs during the match
If fortune had favoured Barcelona in the first half there was nothing lucky about the goal they scored just before the hour mark. Messi darted towards the edge of the area and clipped the ball to his left to Iniesta. The midfielder doesn’t score many goals but they always seem to be either dramatically decisive or spectacular and this shot into Prieto’s top left-hand corner from Messi’s run and assist made the second category.
Messi still hadn’t scored but everything was going through him and as Opta pointed out his assist was the 500th time in 391 games that he had played a part in a Barcelona goal.
Suarez could have made it three but his steered the ball the wrong side of the post from Sergio Roberto’s pass. Goals are proving harder to come by for him this season and he looked less than please when he trudged off substituted after 82 minutes.
Barcelona manager Valverde looks in deep thought as he watches on from his seat in the home side’s dugout
Baysse dives in to try and block Rakitic’s dangerous pull back from inside the box after some neat build-up play by Barca
Luis Suarez competes for a loose ball inside the box but Malaga defender Luis Hernandez makes an important interception
Barca star Messi escapes the attention of midfielder Esteban Rolon with some quick feet during the first half at the Nou Camp
Messi spearheads a Barca counter attack as he skips past two Malaga players and rides a challenge with ease
A Messi lookalike took pictures of the game as he stood in the stands at the Nou Camp on Saturday evening
It would be an exaggeration to call that a dark cloud on the horizon. It’s all sunshine and flowers for Barcelona at the moment. They remain top with a win against a team that drew with them last season at the Camp Nou and beat them in La Rosaleda to dent their title hopes.
Messi headed in what would have been a third but it was ruled out for offside. The flag was harsh because Messi looked level but Barcelona will not be complaining, they had their huge slice of luck in the second minute. Not they need it on current form.
Keko has a second bite of the cherry after his initial effort is blocked by Digne but his shot is straight at ter Stegen in goal
Barca midfielder Deulofeu gets brushed off the ball by Malaga’s Hernandez during the second half at the Nou Camp
Malaga keeper Prieto gets down well to deny Messi after he dribbled past two defenders to create a shooting opportunity
Messi finally got the ball in the back of the net with a header but it was disallowed by the officials for an infringement