Lionel Messi opened the scoring against Espanyol with a sensational free-kick
Lionel Messi scored two sublime free-kicks as Barcelona beat Espanyol to move three points clear at the top of La Liga.
Messi first found the top corner from the edge of the penalty area to put the visitors ahead.
Ousmane Dembele doubled Barca's lead with a curling finish before Luis Suarez made it 3-0 from a tight angle.
Another sensational Messi set-piece - this time from further out - completed the victory.
Sevilla had missed the chance to leapfrog Ernesto Valverde's side earlier on Saturday as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Valencia.
That allowed Atletico Madrid, who recorded a comfortable 3-0 victory over fourth-placed Alaves, to briefly move level on points with the top two.
Barca, who face Tottenham in the Champions League on Tuesday, also hit the woodwork twice in a one-sided first half, Suarez slicing against the post from Messi's pass before the latter crashed a header against the other post.
Espanyol improved after the interval and had a goal disallowed for offside when Oscar Duarte stabbed home Sergio Garcia's cross from close range, but a comeback was never a serious possibility for the hosts.
The win cements Barcelona's place at the La Liga summit, while Espanyol drop to ninth after slipping to a fourth consecutive league defeat.
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Line-ups
Match Stats
Live Text
Line-ups
Espanyol
13López
16López Rodríguez
15López
6Duarte
12ViláBooked at 79mins
17PérezSubstituted forBaptistaoat 59'minutes
10DarderSubstituted forGraneroat 74'minutes
21Roca
4Sánchez
14MelendoSubstituted forGarcíaat 63'minutes
7Iglesias
Substitutes
1Jiménez
5Gomes Pereira
8Rosales
9García
11Baptistao
19Piatti
23Granero
Barcelona
1ter Stegen
2Nélson Semedo
3Piqué
15Lenglet
18Alba
4RakiticSubstituted forD Suárezat 82'minutes
5Busquets
22Vidal
10Messi
9SuárezSubstituted forEl Haddadiat 79'minutes
11DembéléSubstituted forCoutinhoat 68'minutes
Substitutes
6D Suárez
7Coutinho
13Cillessen
19El Haddadi
21Aleñá
24Vermaelen
27Miranda
Referee:
Carlos del Cerro Grande
Attendance:
24,037
Match Stats
Home TeamEspanyolAway TeamBarcelona
Possession
Home45%
Away55%
Shots
Home15
Away17
Shots on Target
Home3
Away9
Corners
Home11
Away4
Fouls
Home16
Away10
Live Text
Posted at
Match ends, Espanyol 0, Barcelona 4.
Full TimePosted at 90'+7'
Second Half ends, Espanyol 0, Barcelona 4.
Posted at 90'+6'
Foul by Arturo Vidal (Barcelona).
Posted at 90'+6'
Sergio García (Espanyol) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Posted at 90'+5'
Attempt blocked. Munir El Haddadi (Barcelona) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Denis Suárez.
Posted at 90'+5'
Gerard Piqué (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Posted at 90'+5'
Foul by Víctor Sánchez (Espanyol).
Posted at 90'+3'
Foul by Jordi Alba (Barcelona).
Posted at 90'+3'
Esteban Granero (Espanyol) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Posted at 90'+2'
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Posted at 90'+2'
Delay in match Arturo Vidal (Barcelona) because of an injury.
Posted at 90'+1'
Attempt missed. Dídac Vilá (Espanyol) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Borja Iglesias.
Posted at 90'+1'
Attempt missed. Borja Iglesias (Espanyol) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Víctor Sánchez.
Posted at 88'
Foul by Arturo Vidal (Barcelona).
Posted at 88'
Sergio García (Espanyol) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Posted at 88'
Sergio Busquets (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Posted at 88'
Foul by Víctor Sánchez (Espanyol).
Posted at 87'
Corner, Espanyol. Conceded by Jordi Alba.
Posted at 86'
Denis Suárez (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Posted at 86'
Foul by Borja Iglesias (Espanyol).
Posted at 85'
Corner, Espanyol. Conceded by Clément Lenglet.
Posted at 85'
Attempt blocked. Leo Baptistao (Espanyol) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Esteban Granero.
Posted at 84'
Corner, Barcelona. Conceded by Dídac Vilá.
SubstitutionPosted at 82'
Substitution, Barcelona. Denis Suárez replaces Ivan Rakitic.
Posted at 81'
Attempt missed. Víctor Sánchez (Espanyol) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Sergio García following a corner.
Posted at 81'
Corner, Espanyol. Conceded by Clément Lenglet.
Posted at 80'
Corner, Barcelona. Conceded by Javi López.
Posted at 80'
Attempt blocked. Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is blocked.
SubstitutionPosted at 79'
Substitution, Barcelona. Munir El Haddadi replaces Luis Suárez.
BookingPosted at 79'
Dídac Vilá (Espanyol) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Posted at 79'
Lionel Messi (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Posted at 79'
Foul by Dídac Vilá (Espanyol).
Posted at 78'
Clément Lenglet (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Posted at 78'
Foul by Leo Baptistao (Espanyol).
Posted at 76'
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Posted at 75'
VAR: Goal. Referee decision on field cancelled.
SubstitutionPosted at 74'
Substitution, Espanyol. Esteban Granero replaces Sergi Darder.
Posted at 74'
Delay in match (Barcelona). Video Review.
Posted at 73'
Offside, Espanyol. Sergio García tries a through ball, but Óscar Duarte is caught offside.
Posted at 72'
Foul by Gerard Piqué (Barcelona).
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goal
Source: bbc.com