A booking now for Alberto, who will now miss Leganes’ next clash - their relegation six-pointer against Deportivo La Coruna.
90' +4
SO CLOSE! What a moment that could have been for El Zhar. The striker unleashed a wicked half-volley from 20 yards out, and it flashed just inches wide of the left-hand post.
90' +1
Five minutes of stoppage time have been added on at Camp Nou.
90'
Penalty goal scored by L. Messi for Barcelona!
GOOAAAALLL!! What. A. Finish. That’s composure from Messi, who hammers home a thunderous penalty into the far-left corner, giving Herrerin no chance. That could have just saved Barca’s season!
89'
PENALTY TO BARCA! Well, that’s an escape route for the hosts, and it is so harsh on the visitors. Mantovani dived in recklessly, and Neymar was able to simply allow his body to clatter into the defender, with the referee duly pointing to the spot.
87'
D. Siovas gets yellow.
Pablo Insua enters the game and replaces D. Siovas.
A final substitution for the visitors. Dimitrios Siovas hobbles off - slowly - and is replaced by Pablo Insua.
Siovas picks up a booking for time wasting.
85'
Sensational! Brilliant, brave goalkeeping from Herrerin, who puts his body on the line to deny Neymar fro point-blank range, receiving a clattering in the process.
83'
CLOSE! A nervy moment for Ter Stegen, who hangs onto an improvised attempt on goal from Gabriel, with Guerrero lingering, ready to capitalise on any mistake from the goalkeeper.
81'
Jordi Alba enters the game and replaces L. Digne.
And a third and final change for Barca now. Jordi Alba comes on, with Lucas Digne making way.
80'
Denis Suárez enters the game and replaces Rafinha.
Andrés Iniesta enters the game and replaces André Gomes.
A huge roar of appreciation around Camp Nou now, as Andres Iniesta comes on in place of the ineffective Andre Gomes. It is a 400th LaLiga appearance for the club legend. Only Xavi has made more.
The second switch in quick succession sees Rafinha replaced by Denis Suarez.
Minute
Description
79'
A blatant block from Mantovani, who is already on a booking. It was a clear obstruction, and by the letter of the law could have been a second yellow card, though it would have been harsh.
77'
POOR! That’s awful from Messi, whose effort soars way off target.
76'
A chance for Barca to restore their lead now - as Rafinha goes down on the edge of the area. Messi and Neymar stand over the set-piece...
74'
For all Barca’s possession, Leganes deserve to be level, though they were fortunate with their goal. Roberto made a torrid error in possession and, despite his fine performance this evening, Ter Stegen failed to make what appeared to be a simple save.
71'
Unai López has scored a goal for Leganes! Assist by D. Machís.
GOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLLL!!! LEGANES ARE LEVEL! Unbelievable! That is a deserved leveller for the visitors, and it is Unai Lopez - only just on as a substitute - who has got it. Machis’ first involvement since his introduction is to turn the ball into the path of Lopez, who drills a low strike that deflects in off Ter Stegen.
What an impact for the two Leganes substitutes, who wasted no time in combing for the goal.
70'
D. Machís enters the game and replaces A. Szymanowski.
Another change for Leganes. On comes Darwin Machis, and off goes Alexander Szymanowski.
67'
Brilliant save! That’s top-class defending from the visitors, as a combination of Herrerin, Siovic and Rico manage to clear. A moment earlier, Guerrero raced clear of Mathieu, only to take a tumble before reaching the goal.
65'
Unai López enters the game and replaces Erik Morán.
A first change of the game for Leganes. Erik Moran makes way for Unai Lopez.
62'
Wasteful! Pretty build-up play from Barca once more, but again they fail to res Leganes’ defence. Neymar slips a pass out to Rakitic, who had made a good run down the right, but the Croatian’s cross is gathered in with ease by Herrerin.
60'
Again, Leganes threaten on the counter, as Szymanowski latches onto a floated cross-field pass. The Argentine takes a clever first touch, but his resulting strike only finds the side-netting.
59'
SAVE! Neat play from Messi, who finds Neymar with a crisp pass. The Brazilian stands up his marker before sending a probing effort goalwards, but Herrerin clears with his legs.
58'
The pitch at Camp Nou has clearly been heavily watered, and the players - on both sides - seem to be losing their footing on too many occasions. Rakitic takes on an effort from 20 yards out, but just as he is about to shoot, he slips on the surface.
55'
M. Mantovani gets yellow.
A booking for Mantovani, after the Leganes captain had dived in late on Neymar.
54'
SAVE! Ter Stegen comes to Barca’s rescue once more! Again, the hosts’ poor defending is shown up, as Guerrero eases his way into the area before unleashing a low strike that Barca’s goalkeeper manages to block.
53'
Barca are threading the ball around neatly, without really penetrating Leganes’ defence. They need to up the tempo if they are to get a second goal here, you feel...
50'
Barcelona have scored the most goals of any La Liga side in the 15 minutes after half-time this season (15), while Leganés have conceded the most in this period (10).
48'
Last-ditch defending from Digne, as the former PSG full-back lunges in to block Guerrero’s volley reaching the target.
47'
A first booking of the game now, and it goes to Suarez. There was little malice in the Uruguayan’s challenge on Gabriel Pires, but his foot was raised.
46'
L. Suárez gets yellow.
Welcome back. Leganes, donning their blue and white strip, get the second half up and running.
45' +1
SAVE! That’s brilliant from Ter Stegen, who is totally wrong-footed by El Zhar’s deflected strike, but the Germany goalkeeper manages to react instinctively to parry the ball off the line.
43'
Desperate defending from Mathieu, but he gets the tackle right - and he had to! Umtiti’s error had allowed Guerrero to steal in behind Barca’s back-line, but he didn’t have the pace to get the better of the former Valencia defender.
41'
And that is perhaps an indictment of the problems Barca have encountered this season, and why the fans and Catalan media are far from pleased by the tactics employed by Luis Enrique. They rely so heavily on Messi, Suarez and Neymar to provide the goals, though at times their seems to be a lack of impetus from any other area of the pitch.
39'
Leganes have performed admirably as the half has wore on, and while they have rode their luck at times, they have shown signs they can be a danger to their hosts.
36'
CLOSE! That could easily have been 1-1! Mantovani found himself unmarked and unchallenged as he connected with a corner from the right, but the defender can only head over from close-range. Barca look far from convincing at the back. At the other end, Neymar again goes for goal, but Herrerin is equal to the winger’s strike.
34'
Moments later, Neymar powers into the area from the left wing, but his goal-bound shot is well blocked.
33'
Wonderfully inventive play from Messi, as he picks out Neymar with a drilled pass. The Brazil superstar appears to have the space to shoot, but he instead drives across the cusp of the area before looking to slip a throughball into Rakitic, but Rico manages to prevent it getting through.
31'
Excellent work from Guerrero, who drifts out wide to hold the ball up before cutting back inside and sliding a pass into the area. El Zhar hunts it down, but Ter Stegen is quickly off his line.
30'
Messi - Barca’s captain this evening - takes the free-kick, but his strike is directed straight into the wall.
29'
FREE-KICK! Terrific from Messi, who weaves his way through two Leganes defenders before drawing a foul right on the edge of the area.
28'
CHANCE! Fantastic football from Barca, as Suarez and Messi carve open Leganes with ease. The latter manages to prod an effort goalwards under pressure from the lunging Siovas, but Herrerin stood his ground to make a fine save.
26'
It has to be said that, after that blistering start, Barca do seem to have taken their foot off the gas somewhat. Suarez attempts to rectify that with an inventive flick-on aimed for Rafinha, but the Brazil midfielder cannot latch onto it.
24'
This is Leganes first-ever visit to Camp Nou. Only two sides have won their very first LaLiga games in this stadium - Malaga in 1999, and Villarreal in 1998. That record doesn't appear likely to change any time soon.
21'
For all their dominance, there is a subdued atmosphere at Camp Nou, with some sections of the Barca support even seeming to jeer every few minutes. That defeat in Paris is bound to live long in the memory...
19'
A definite warning sign for Barca then, who could easily have found themselves pegged back then. At the other end, Herrerin displays excellent composure to take the ball around Messi, who had charged down the Leganes’ goalkeeper.
18'
CHANCE! Well, what a shock to the system that is! Barca’s vulnerability is shown as a long ball from deep sets El Zhar through. The Leganes forward tries to prod a finish past Ter Stegen, but the German is out quickly to smother the strike. The ball rebounds back to El Zhar, who again goes for goal, but once more he is thwarted by Barca’s No.1.
15'
Leganes are poor in possession, and fail to make anything of the counter. The visitors are simply sitting back, but Barca will carve through them with ease either way, you feel.
13'
Barca have already seen close to 80 per-cent of possession in this match, though Leganes work it out smartly from the back on this occasion, and the hosts now have a bit of defending to do...
11'
Messi tries his luck from a free-kick at an acute angle. He gets the direction right, but his strike is just too powerful, and skims over the bar.
9'
Sublime interplay once more from Suarez and Neymar, as they look to work their way into the area. Tito manages to clear, though only as far as Rafinha, whose goal-bound volley is blocked. Moments later, Herrerin has to race out to prevent Suarez getting on the end of a loose ball. Barca are looking rampant...
7'
Barcelona won 5-1 in the very first meeting between the two sides in La Liga earlier on in the campaign. They will probably be looking to better that scoreline this evening...
4'
L. Messi has scored a goal for Barcelona! Assist by L. Suárez.
GOOOOAAAAAALLLLL!!! Well, that didn’t take long. The MSN are at it again, as Messi opens the scoring inside four minutes. Neymar is the instigator with a clever pass in-behind the full-back. Suarez puts in a sumptuous cross with the outside of his boot, and Messi is able to tuck home after ghosting in at the back post.
That was just so easy for Barca, who have certainly started like they mean business. The celebrations were muted, understandably so given their recent hammering, though the floodgates could well have opened already, and it is probably a case of damage-limitation for the visitors.
3'
In fact, Barca have not lost in their last 15 La Liga games (W10 D5), the best current run in the competition. That being said, winning runs do not necessarily equate to trophies, and that is the minimum that Barca’s fans and officials expect from the side.
While the champions are now on the verge of a humiliating Champions League exit, they are in fine form in the league. Of their last five LaLiga matches, they have triumphed in four, conceding just once while netting 18 times themselves, including a 6-0 rout against Deportivo Alaves last time out.
2'
Barca have wasted no time in getting on the front foot, with Messi, Suarez and Neymar - who all netted in the reverse fixture - looking to thread a move through the heart of Leganes’ defence, but Siovas does well to intervene.
1'
KICK-OFF! Barca get proceedings underway.
Hello, football fans, and welcome to LIVE coverage of LaLiga, as giants Barcelona take on struggling Leganes!
Tonight’s clash has become a must-win encounter for Luis Enrique’s side, who of course come into the game on the back of their embarrassing 4-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
Barca sit in third as it stands, four points adrift of LaLiga leaders Real Madrid having played a game more than Los Blancos. Barring a remarkable turn-around, the Catalan side are all-but out of the Champions League, and they could well be relying on a Copa del Rey title to salvage their season - though that is no guarantee.
TEAM NEWS - Barca (4-3-3): Ter Stegen; Roberto, Umtiti, Mathieu, Digne; Rakitic, Gomes, Rafinha; Messi, L.Suarez, Neymar.
Leganes, on the other hand, are planted firmly in the scrap for survival in Spain’s top-flight, placed precariously in 17th - just two points clear of Sporting Gijon. Asier Garitano’s side are without a win in LaLiga since November 21.
TEAM NEWS - Leganes (4-2-3-1): Herrerin; Tito, Mantovani, Siovas, Rico; Alberto, Moran; El Zhar, Pires, Szymanowski; Guerrero.
Four changes in total then from Luis Enrique, who if reports are to be believed, may well not be in the hot-seat at the Camp Nou come next season.
Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta, Gerard Pique and Jordi Alba are the high-profile players who drop out following the embarrassment in Paris. Ivan Rakitic, Rafinha, Jeremy Mathieu and Lucas Digne come in.
The teams are in the tunnel at Camp Nou, which of course is buzzing with anticipation for this clash… On paper, it should be a comfortable win for the hosts, though Leganes are sure to put in a determined and committed display as they fight for survival in the top-flight.
As for Leganes, they have had as many chances as could be expected for any visiting side at Camp Nou, but so far have failed to take them. Barca look vulnerable at the back, but fortunately for the hosts, Ter Stegen has been on top form.
HALF-TIME! Barca lead at the interval, courtesy of Messi’s fourth-minute strike. The hosts have looked sharp going forward, with their fearsome front trio linking up nicely, but they have only managed the one goal so far, and if not for Ter Stegen's excellent save a moment ago, would have been on level terms.
Luis Enrique’s side will have done little to ease the doubts of their critics so far, and must improve after the interval.
FULL TIME! Relief for Barca, as they hang on to claim a vital three points. They certainly made hard work of that!
When Messi fired the hosts ahead inside four minutes, it seemed a matter of damage-limitation for the minnows from Madrid. But Leganes came back strong, and would have been level sooner if not for some top-class saves from Ter Stegen.
However, it was the German’s error that allowed Lopez to thump Leganes level late on. Only for their hearts to be broken late on when Neymar won a penalty, and Messi duly stepped up to seal the points.
It was a tame Barca display, and one that will do no good for the under-pressure Luis Enrique, though the victory does take them back into second, just a point behind Real Madrid.
Well, that’s all from me for now. Until next time, thank you and goodbye!
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