Celta have one last chance to get a goal with a free-kick 30 yards out. Pique heads it away. That's that.
FULL TIME: BARCELONA 2 - 0 CELTA VIGO
90' +2
Messi stands over the free-kick - the Barca fans clap in anticipation. The Argentine takes a short run-up and curls the ball towards the top right corner but it's just over the bar. That would have been the icing on the cake.
90' +1
Alba is fouled by Mello on the edge of Celta's area. Celta's captain has been feisty today, even though his team look to have lost this game.
90'
There will be three minutes of added time.
89'
Mello knocks the ball off Alba to win another Celta corner, their sixth of the game. It's straight to Ter Stegen. A waste.
88'
Barcelona keep the ball in their half, ticking the clock down. Alba concedes possession and it's picked up by Sisto but there's no drive. You can't see Celta scoring here.
86'
Carles Aleñá enters the game and replaces Sergio Busquets.
One more Barca change. Busquets off. Youth product Alena on.
85'
Semedo ventures forward, looking to take the ball towards Celta's corner flag. He's stopped. Messi loops a ball up towards Suarez at the far post but it drops behind Blanco's goal.
83'
Mendez cuts inside from the right and unleashes a left-footed shot towards Ter Stegen's near post, attempting to catch him off guard. The German is alive to it though and drops low to save.
79'
Beltran powers into Barca's box, drags the ball back then shoots. It's blocked. Up the other end, Blanco rushes out to belt the ball clear after Messi gives chase to a direct pass.
Minute
Description
76'
P. Sisto enters the game and replaces S. Boufal.
75'
Celta make their final swap. Boufal, who's faded this half, is replaced by the Danish international Sisto.
73'
The possession stats are almost 50/50 now but Celta aren't creating anything of note. Messi races through on goal but is called offside.
71'
Messi gets into an argument with the referee after he's roughhoused by Mello on the left side of Celta's box. No foul.
69'
Celta pass the ball around at the back and beat Barca's press thanks to a long ball by Blanco. Their energy levels have dropped a little now.
68'
Philippe Coutinho enters the game and replaces O. Dembélé.
Dembele is the next Barca player to leave the pitch. Coutinho replaces him.
66'
Barca get the ball back when Mazan can't reach a pass intended for him. Now it's their turn to keep possession.
64'
Celta work the ball wide right. Mello's cross is headed away. Celta still have the ball for now, looking for the opening but Barca are staying alert.
62'
Arthur enters the game and replaces A. Vidal.
Vidal leaves the pitch. He's replaced by his fellow South American midfielder Arthur Melo.
57'
Gomez shrugs off Alba and fires across Barcelona's defence from the right. It goes out for a Celta corner on the other side. It's taken short and Boufal attempts a cut-back but gets it all wrong.
54'
Celta head the ball out for a Barcelona throw. There's another foul by Celta as Mendez fouls Rakitic.
53'
Dembele is bundled over by Boufal. Barcelona free-kick from a wide position.
52'
Fran Beltrán enters the game and replaces Iago Aspas.
Aspas hobbles off to sympathetic applause from the Camp Nou crowd. He's replaced by the teenage midfielder Beltran.
49'
Ter Stegen tries to relieve the pressure by clearing the ball but it's only as far as a Celta player. Barca can't keep the ball for long at the moment.
48'
Celta start the second half positively, pinning Barcelona into their half with quick passing play. Pique is forced into the corner by Mendez, handing Celta a throw on the left.
47'
The second half gets underway. Can Celta score in this half or will Barca get to Christmas clear at the top?
46'
S. Lobotka enters the game and replaces O. Yokuşlu.
Celta make a substitution at half time. Yokuslu is replaced by the Slovak midfielder Lobotka.
45' +3
HALF TIME: BARCELONA 2 - 0 CELTA VIGO
45' +2
Boufal wins a free-kick after he is fouled by Semedo. That should be that for this half.
45'
Iago Aspas gets yellow.
L. Messi has scored a goal for Barcelona! Assist by Jordi Alba.
Aspas is booked in the aftermath for dissent. There will be three added minutes in this half.
Aspas was unhappy with how Alba got the ball there. Just beforehand, Pique won what looked to be a soft free-kick under pressure from Gomez.
44'
GOAL! 2-0 Barca. Messi fires home with a powerful curling shot after a quick ball from Alba finds him running free through the middle.
41'
Boufal drives Celta forward through the middle - he's a fantastic dribbler. Gomez's cross is blocked by Busquets. Celta corner.
39'
Messi dances through pretty much Celta's entire defence until they finally stop him from finding a teammate. Down the other end, Mallo fires wide after the ball rolls to him. That's four shots to each team now.
38'
Everyone's ready to resume and Celta get the ball back. Now they have a foul after Aspas is brought down by Busquets.
36'
In the meantime Blanco's eyebrow is being patched up. He took a boot to the eye from Costas when he made that brave stop from Suarez.
35'
There's yet another delay as a Barcelona player needs treatment. This time it's Rakitic after he loses a 50/50 challenge with Sanchez.
33'
Celta are growing in confidence. They're venturing forward more now. Araujo finds Mazan wide left - his pass to Boufal is slightly overcooked.
31'
Celta stream through the middle but Boufal slips just in front of Barca's penalty area, handing Barca the ball. Blanco rushes out to stop a low cross reaching Suarez at the far post. Messi's follow-up is wide.
30'
Messi angles another lovely ball wide to Barca's right. Vidal passes inside to Suarez who creates a bit of space for himself and bounces a shot wide of goal.
29'
There's confusion as Mallo keeps in a ball that Barca think has gone out for a throw. Celta keep playing and Barcelona are unhappy.
27'
Barca win a foul after Mallo robustly challenges Dembele. Messi tries to dribble his way through the middle but Costas slides in to halt his progress.
25'
Celta believe they can get back into this. Gomez aims a crossfield ball for Boufal on the opposite flank but the Frenchman is already way ahead of it; it bounces out of play.
20'
The corner lands to Aspas outside the area, who can't work it back in. Mendez is fouled by Suarez by Celta's right touchline. Celta keep the pressure on for now.
18'
Alba is fine now. Barca sportingly return the ball to Celta for them to build an attack. They work the ball to Mendez, whose outside-of-the-foot cross is chested out for a corner by Lenglet. Celta appeal for a penalty but it's obviously not.
16'
Barcelona continue their domination of the ball, passing the ball around Celta's four-man midfield. Alba looks to be pushed over by Mallo as he runs through on goal. The Camp Nou crowd whistle in derision. Play is stopped as Alba receives treatment.
14'
Rakitic attempts a cute ball over the top of Celta's defence for Messi but Barca's talisman doesn't go for it - he knows he's offside.
13'
Celta have another counter-attack thwarted. The Celestes just can't get out of their own half.
11'
It was a simple finish for Dembele but the build-up by Messi was lovely. We're only 11 minutes in but Celta have it all to do.
10'
O. Dembélé has scored a goal for Barcelona!
GOAL! 1-0 BARCELONA! Messi drops deep and finds Alba with a wonderful ball. The left-back crosses quickly back to Messi, whose snapshot is saved by Blanco diving low! Unfortunately the keeper can't hold the ball and Dembele smashes the ball into the net from close range.
9'
The corner falls to Aspas, who can't counter-attack. Barca attempt to loft a ball over the top but Costas is alert to cut it out.
8'
Semedo takes on Mazan down the right but elects to pass the ball back inside. Barca circulate the ball in their inimitable way. Alba picks it up on the opposite side and wins a corner off Mallo.
6'
Messi takes the corner short but it's knocked out for another corner. This time, Dembele gets pickpocketed by Boufal and Aspas is muscled out. Celta's star man appeals for a foul but the referee isn't convinced.
5'
Barcelona have a free-kick down their right. It's crossed in by Messi but Lopez can only head it out for a corner.
3'
A great chance for Celta already! The corner is whipped in and flicked on but heads just wide. Up the other end, Semedo wins a free-kick when he is pulled back by Mazan.
2'
A promising start to the game for Celta. Former Southampton man Boufal cuts inside on his right foot and shoots. It's blocked, handing the away side their first corner of the game.
1'
This game gets underway!
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of this LaLiga match between Barcelona and Celta Vigo at Camp Nou.
Barcelona are hitting their stride just at the right time. Ernesto Valverde's Blaugrana have won three league games in a row now and have the chance to put clear water between them and the chasing pack at the top of LaLiga. While Atletico Madrid won at home to Espanyol earlier today, a win for Barca today will leave them celebrating Christmas three points clear.
In Barca's way today are Celta Vigo, who are having a solid season and are unbeaten in their last three league games. Crucially, they also boast the man who has scored more league goals against Barca than any other in the last five seasons - striker Iago Aspas. Can the Celestes spring a surprise result at Camp Nou?
Celta Vigo's defence has improved since Miguel Cardoso took charge - the Celestes have two clean sheets in their last four league games, as many as they had in their previous 12. However, Barca goals are practically guaranteed when these sides meet at Camp Nou - Barca have only failed to score in two of their 52 LaLiga home games against Celta, the only two times Celta have won here. Can Celta match or outscore Barca?
BARCELONA (4-3-3): Marc-Andre ter Stegen; Nelson Semedo, Gerard Pique, Clement Lenglet, Jordi Alba; Ivan Rakitic, Sergio Busquets, Arturo Vidal; Lionel Messi (c), Luis Suarez, Ousmane Dembele.
CELTA VIGO (4-4-2): Ruben Blanco; Hugo Mallo (c), Néstor Araujo, David Costas, Robert Mazan; Brais Mendez, Okay Yokuslu, Jozabed Sanchez, Sofiane Boufal; Maxi Gomez, Iago Aspas.
SUBS: Kevin Vazquez, Fran Beltran, Pione Sisto, Andrew Hjulsager, Stanislav Lobotka, Sergio Alvarez, Gustavo Cabral.
Barcelona take the field in their famous red and blue kit; Celta are wearing their sky blue shirt and white shorts.
Another game, another Messi masterclass. He really is the heartbeat of this Barca side. Barcelona haven't created too many clear-cut chances this half, yet they are two goals up thanks to their captain. After a timid opening 15 minutes Celta have woken up but that second goal will have winded them. They'll need to chase the game in the second half now.
That result leaves Barcelona three points clear at the top of LaLiga over the Christmas break, ahead of Atletico Madrid and possibly Sevilla if they win their game away to Leganes tomorrow. Celta sit comfortably in 10th. They gave a decent account of themselves today.
Both sides will now enjoy two weeks off, then it's back to work for Barca in the New Year with a trip to Getafe. They'll be confident they can stay top of LaLiga until May. That's all for now. Goodbye!
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