APPEALS! That would have been a dramatic end! Sergio Garcia throws himself to ground inside the box under pressure from Umtiti but there's certainly not enough there for a penalty- and he could have stayed on his feet to get a shot away.
90' +2
Messi and Victor Sanchez are the latest to go head-to-head, with the latter fouling the Argentine several times. Understandably, Messi isn't too happy with that and some choice words are exchanged.
90' +1
THREE minutes added on.
90'
Likely to be a fairly large chunk of time added on and it doesn't look like there will be any further goals given the tempo to the play. Still, I've been wrong before so don't quote me on that!
88'
The jeers for Pique are getting louder and louder. He's not very popular in these parts and the last ten minutes have added to his reputation- although he won't care after his equalising goal.
86'
C. Sánchez enters the game and replaces Léo Baptistão.
Jordi Alba gets yellow.
After all that, Alba is also booked for his part in the mayhem.
There really wasn't too much in that at all. Pique then goes back in with some choice words for Moreno, who has to be held back by Busquets.
And we've now seen the games last change, with Fiorentina loanee Carlos Sanchez introduced by Espanyol to replace Baptistao.
85'
Granero gets yellow.
Yellow card Esteban Félix Granero Molina
84'
Gerard Moreno gets yellow.
It's all kicking off! Moreno catches Pique with a poor challenge and it all boils over. Pushing and shoving for both sides, with Barcelona furious with the challenge.
82'
Piqué has scored a goal for Barcelona! Assist by L. Messi.
Barcelona continue to keep the ball in the attacking third, with Umtiti winning another free kick under challenge from Garcia.
GOAL! Barcelona have levelled! Messi's free-kick is into the perfect area and Pique heads home, rubbing salt into the wounds of the Espanyol fans who have been jeering him all game!
Messi's delivery needed to be spot on and it was. That's now 17 goals they've scored in the final ten minutes of La Liga matches.
80'
Heading into the final ten minutes and Barcelona, as it stands, are set for the first La Liga defeat of Ernesto Valverde's reign. The 21 match unbeaten streak is under real threat of coming to an end.
Minute
Description
79'
Sergio García gets yellow.
Sergio Garcia's name is taken as he dives in on Umtiti, a challenge that could have been dangerous as his studs were raised.
78'
Officials are missing a number of corners here, the latest of which is Jurado playing the ball superbly against Pique and behind. Wrong decision is made, with Barcelona given a goal kick.
77'
Certainly seems that latest Barcelona change played a part in Espanyol's substitution that followed, as Javi Lopez will square up against Alba on the far side. Fresh legs should help in that aspect, as will the fact that Navarro was on a yellow card.
76'
Javi López enters the game and replaces Marc Navarro.
Espanyol's turn to make another change, as Javi Lopez takes to the field to replace Navarro.
75'
Jordi Alba enters the game and replaces L. Digne.
There's Barcelona's final change, as Digne is replaced by Alba. Valverde has shown his hand.
74'
Barcelona need to get the ball into the wide areas more often, as their flying full-backs have often provided the assists to the front men. Sergi Roberto has chipped in with a few and Alba, who'll be on in a minute, has set-up five goals for Messi alone.
72'
Not only do Barcelona have to fight back from behind, they also have to get the better of mother nature. The soaking wet field doesn't suit their style of play at all as their short passes are often falling short of where they're intended to go.
70'
Marc Navarro gets yellow.
Moreno is likely to be one of La Liga's most sought after players at the end of the season, as he's been superb for Espanyol this season after the Catalan side bought 50% of his rights from Villarreal for just €1.5m.
Navarro is the latest man to have his name taken after a foul on Suarez.
68'
Now then, there's trouble in paradise for Barcelona. Moreno's 12th goal of the season puts Espanyol in dreamland, they haven't beaten Barcelona in La Liga at home for over a decade.
66'
Gerard Moreno has scored a goal for Espanyol! Assist by Sergio García.
GOAL! Espanyol take the lead! A superb cross from Sergio Garcia finds Moreno with room inside the area and he nods a header past Ter Stegen. Game on!
Garcia has been excellent since his introduction and he's provided the moment of spark there.
65'
Sergio Garcia and Pique going toe-to-toe down the right, with the latter emerging victorious with a well-timed tackle.
63'
Free-kick for Barcelona in a dangerous area after Naldo fouls Paulinho. Messi's delivery is poor though and Espanyol hold firm yet again.
61'
Sergio García enters the game and replaces José Jurado.
Espanyol's first change of the game is the introduction of 34-year-old Sergio Garcia, who takes the place of Jurado.
SAVE! Another half sight at goal for Barcelona, as Coutinho flicks a ball over the top to Suarez. He turns and shoots but it's another easy save for Diego Lopez.
60'
Messi swiftly fouled and literally surfs along the turf after hitting the deck. Certain areas of the field are becoming a big concern.
59'
Sergi Roberto enters the game and replaces Nélson Semedo.
L. Messi enters the game and replaces Paco Alcácer.
Here we go then, Messi is introduced and replaces Alcacer for the final half an hour or so.
Barcelona's other change is in defence, where Sergi Roberto takes the place of Semedo.
57'
Right on cue, a double change for Barcelona is imminent.
56'
Barcelona must surely be thinking about making changes soon. Messi has been warming up for a while, which won't be a nice thought for the Espanyol defenders.
54'
Excellent start to the second half for Espanyol and Quique Sanchez Flores will be delighted with what he has seen by his side so far. They've continued to limit the opportunities that Barcelona have, whilst improving their own play in the attacking third.
52'
S. Umtiti gets yellow.
Another yellow card for dissent is issued, with Umtiti having his name taken.
50'
The weather looks set to play a huge part in how this match finishes, as the pitch is holding a lot of water and restricting the movement of the ball. Iniesta, being inhuman, still manages to keep the ball under immaculate control though.
48'
That certainly provided the home support with some encouragement, not that they did it, and can be taken as a warning side for Barcelona.
46'
DISALLOWED! Almost a perfect start to the second half for Espanyol, as Baptistao rounds Ter Stegen but finds the angle too tight to finish. The ball ends up in the net eventually but the Brazilian hadn't managed to keep the ball in play, so it's a goal kick to the visitors.
45'
72% possession this half for Barcelona. They've seen a lot of the ball but have struggled to do too much with it.
KICK-OFF! The action resumes in rainy Catalonia, where Barcelona now kick to the right and will hope for better fortune in attack.
43'
CLOSE! The aforementioned Suarez strikes from goal from a free-kick but it's just a tad too high.
42'
Suarez has barely seen the ball so far this game and I honestly can't recall Paulinho in possession in an attacking area either. Plenty of room for improvement from the South American pair.
40'
Naldo gets yellow.
The tension is rising! Naldo is the second player in the book this afternoon, as he lays his hands on the referee after appealing for the official to give Pique a yellow card.
39'
I'd certainly expect changes from Barcelona at the break or fairly soon into the second half. Their left side is usually very strong, with Messi and Alba having a deadly partnership, and the void their absences have left is clear.
37'
How long until Barcelona switch to plan B? Valverde's shape isn't working as intended so far, which isn't really anything new as his side struggled to find their feet in last week's La Liga clash with Alaves and the midweek Copa Del Rey affair against Valencia.
35'
Barcelona certainly need to improve on the left side, an area where they have Digne earning rare minutes, Coutinho settling into things and Iniesta not having the pace he used to.
33'
Espanyol starting to improve in the final third, as Baptistao gets goal side of Pique but has his shot blocked. Moments later, the Brazilian heads over the bar under a lot of pressure from Semedo.
31'
Over half hour gone and we await the first goal. Chances have been few and far between so far, with Espanyol certainly the happier of the two sides.
29'
Sergio Busquets gets yellow.
First booking of the game is issued to Busquets, who completely mistimes his tackle and brings Baptistao to ground. No arguments from the experienced midfielder there, who is angry with himself for his poor challenge.
28'
Only a couple of efforts from distance for either side so far then, in a game that has been mostly played around central midfield.
26'
SAVE! First sight of goal for Espanyol, as Baptistao nicks the ball off Iniesta and strikes from distance. It stings the gloves of ter Stegen but the German mops up the danger.
24'
Umtiti complaining to the referee after having his shirt pulled inside the box by David Lopez, which the Espanyol man is lucky that the referee missed. The game has started to liven up!
22'
OFF THE BAR! Coutinho inches away from his first Barcelona goal! The Brazilian starlet picks up the ball on the edge of the box, works the ball onto his right foot and smashes an effort off the frame of the goal.
21'
Espanyol are very patient on the ball, playing with two banks of four and hoping to cut out Barcelona's moves early on. That's worked so far but the front two of Baptistao and Moreno are yet to receive the ball in threatening areas.
19'
With their backs against the wall, it's so far so good for Espanyol. They've dealt with everything that Barcelona have thrown their way so far, although there haven't been clear-cut chances for either side.
17'
Iniesta involved a lot in the early periods of play and he's becoming a vital asset in the Barcelona machine. He's unlikely to last the full 90 minutes but certainly has the time to make an impact.
15'
Barcelona becoming more and more dominant in possession as this half progresses, with Espanyol not really managing to string together the passes required to put Valverde's defence under pressure.
13'
Iniesta with a spectacular lofted ball through to Alcacer, who was driving into a central position from wide on the right. He can't quite get it under control though and toes the ball behind for a goal kick.
11'
CHANCE! First sight of the goal for Barcelona, as Alcacer curls a low cross into the feet of Suarez inside the area and the Uruguayan pokes a shot towards goal. It's Diego Lopez's first save of the game but it isn't a testing one.
10'
Barcelona starting to find their tempo here but they're yet to break down Espanyol. The home supporters are playing their part in the game with plenty of noise and they'll be aware it could be a long afternoon.
8'
Pique is getting a lot of attention from the home crowd, after saying last week that Espanyol wasn't part of the city of Barcelona. In a period of immense pride for Catalonia that certainly didn't go down well at all.
6'
A relatively unknown side story to this match is Coutinho, who spent time on-loan at Espanyol in 2012 and impressed by scoring five goals in 16 La Liga appearances. That helped see his stock rise, with a move to Liverpool coming the following year.
4'
Decent start from both sides, who are working the ball into dangerous areas in the final third, and it's been impressive from Espanyol, who have selected an attacking line-up in the quest to return to winning ways.
2'
A big game for Ernesto Valverde this afternoon, as avoiding defeat today would see him set a club-record for an unbeaten start to the season. In 21 matches so far, Barcelona are yet to lose in La Liga and another positive result here would see them better the current record set by a side managed by Pep Guardiola.
1'
KICK-OFF! We're underway at a rainy RCDE Stadium where Espanyol get us started, kicking to the right in the first half.
Good afternoon and welcome to our LIVE coverage of La Liga's Catalan derby, where Espanyol host local rivals Barcelona and both sides need points for their own respective battles.
Espanyol head into the game seven points above the relegation zone and are without a La Liga win since beating Levante near the start of January. However, they did recently beat Barcelona in a Copa Del Rey clash a few weeks ago, then losing on aggregate after defeat at the Nou Camp in the second-leg.
Barcelona, on the other hand, are leading the way in La Liga and boast an 11 point advantage over second place Atletico Madrid. After Real Madrid's 2-2 with Levante last night, Ernesto Valverde's side could move a whopping 21 points ahead of the defending champions and inflict fiurther misery upon what has been a disappointing campaign for Los Blancos.
Team news for this afternoon is in and there's certainly some interesting topics to discuss. Let's dig into them!
Espanyol XI: Diego Lopez; Marc Navarro, David Lopez, Naldo, Aaron Martin; Victor Sanchez, Sergi Darder; Leo Baptistao, Esteban Granero, Jose Manuel Jurado; Gerard Moreno.
Barcelona XI: Marc-Andre ter Stegen; Nelson Semedo, Gerard Pique, Samuel Umtiti, Lucas Digne; Philippe Coutinho, Paulinho, Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta; Paco Alcacer, Luis Suarez.
Espanyol subs: Pau Lopez, Javi Lopez, Oscar Duarte, Oscar Melendo, Carlos Sanchez, Sergio Garcia, Mario Hermoso.
Barcelona subs: Jasper Cillessen, Sergi Roberto, Denis Suarez, Yerry Mina, Lionel Messi, Ivan Rakitic, Jordi Alba.
Espanyol make three changes to the side that lost 3-2 to Leganes last time out, with the two big differences coming in defence. Duarte and Hermoso, who scored two own goals in the last match, both drop out and Garcia does as well. Their places are taken by Naldo, Jurado and Darder.
Barcelona make five changes to the side that narrowly beat Valencia last time out, with the big absence being that of Messi. The Argentine drops out of the side along with Alba, Sergi Roberto, Rakitic and Aleix Vidal. Coutinho, Alcacer, Semedo, Digne and Paulinho are their replacements in a very strong line-up that shows the depth Valverde's squad is blessed with.
In terms of transfers, Barcelona's January recruit Coutinho does of course start and Colombian defender Yerry Mina is on the bench. Espanyol have Carlos Sanchez on their bench, who signed on-loan from Fiorentina.
HALF TIME! Well, not the best of matches so far this afternoon. Both sides have struggled to create opportunities and the biggest moment of note came through Coutinho, who struck the bar in his return to the side where he spent time on-loan in 2012.
Certainly a result that Espanyol will take and they can be pleased with their efforts so far. They've done well to frustrate their Catalan rivals but they'll need to improve in the attacking third during the second half, as Marc-Andre Ter Stegen has had a very comfortable afternoon so far today.
As mentioned, Barcelona have lacked the cutting edge we've become accustomed to and that's largely because of the numbers of changes made by Ernesto Valverde. Whilst they do boast incredible depth, some of the players coming in are struggling to find their feet and the consistency that comes with regular appearances.
FULL TIME! That was certainly a dramatic second half, after a first period that didn't quite live up to expectation. Gerard Moreno gave the hosts the lead with a superb header but Gerard Pique provided the response in the latter exchanges of the game, with the match finishing all square and the rain hammering down at the end.
Espanyol will be grinding their teeth that a valuable and historic win escaped them in the end but Quique Sanchez Flores can be pleased with the effort from his side. A point is still of value to the relegation-battling side though, who now have an eight point advantage over the drop zone.
Not quite the match that Barcelona wanted but they responded to continue their superb run, which now stands at 22 matches in La Liga since the start of the season. That's the largest of the club's history and they're now just two games off equalling the all-time record, held by the Real Madrid side of 1996/97.
The result increases the significance of tonight's clash between Atletico Madrid and Valencia, where Barcelona's two closest rivals go toe-to-toe. Should Diego Simeone's side win, the gap at the top will be nine points- still a large margin but one that certainly means the title race could spring into life.
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