Munir's shot is is easily dealt with by Diego Lopez at his near post. The five minutes of added time are officially up, but still we go on.
90' +3
Semedo makes a good block and Vila then fires wide of the target from a promising position. Espanyol are pushing for a consolation goal right until the death here.
90' +1
SAVE! Ter Stegen makes what will likely be the final save of the game to deny Baptistao. The substitute striker was unable to plant the ball either side of the German stopper with his head.
90'
The 90 minutes of normal time are up at the RCDE Stadium - we will now play an additional five minutes. Still time for Barca to add to their scoring, or indeed for Espanyol to pull back a deserved consolation.
88'
Espanyol fail to make the corner count. Rubi will be happy with his side's performance in this second half, though the damage was done in the opening 45 minutes.
86'
Some good link-up play from the home side culminates in Baptistao wrapping his foot around the ball 20 yards from goal and nearly finding the top corner. It took a deflection on its way through so Espanyol have another corner.
84'
A Barca corner goes deep to Munir, who does well to help it back into a dangerous zone. Espanyol stand firm, though, and manage to clear the ball to safety.
82'
Denis Suárez enters the game and replaces I. Rakitić.
The sixth and final change of the match sees Denis Suarez take over from Rakitic in the centre of Barcelona's midfield.
81'
The hosts work the corner well and, when the ball does eventually find its way into the box, Sanchez should be doing a lot better than heading it well over the crossbar.
Minute
Description
79'
Dídac Vilá gets yellow.
M. El Haddadi enters the game and replaces L. Suárez.
Vila becomes the first player to see a yellow card in this Catalan derby for his shirt pull on Messi.
Suarez, scorer of Barcelona's third goal, leaves the field to jeers as Munir is given some minutes.
78'
Espanyol are the side looking more likely to score at the moment, no doubt feeling a little hard done by on the back of that VAR call.
76'
That disallowed effort is cruel on Espanyol, who deserve a goal for their efforts today. Poor defending from Barcelona, but ultimately Duarte was stood in an offside position.
74'
Granero enters the game and replaces Darder.
Granero was brought on for Darder during the VAR check.
70'
NEARLY FIVE! Coutinho almost gets in on the act moments after being brought off the bench, seeing his shot well saved by Diego Lopez, and Messi could only head the ball at the Espanyol keeper when it fell to him right in front of goal.
68'
Philippe Coutinho enters the game and replaces O. Dembélé.
Coutinho is on for Dembele in the hosts' first change. Not a bad replacement option for Valverde to bring on with his side four goals ahead!
67'
In the week that he was adjudged to no longer be among the world's elite players - in terms of the Ballon d'Or voting, at least - Messi has showed just why many rate him as the greatest player of all time. Two superb free-kicks and an assist to go with it.
65'
L. Messi has scored a goal for Barcelona!
GOOOOAAALLL! Espanyol 0-4 Barcelona! Messi remains on course for that fourth career hat-trick against Espanyol, as he converts yet another long-range free-kick. This one was just as good as the set-piece goal that opened the scoring, sending the ball up and over the wall into the opposite corner to his first.
63'
Sergio García enters the game and replaces Óscar Melendo.
Home boss Rubi wastes no time in making his second alteration of the match, bringing on Garcia for Melendo.
61'
A little under an hour to play at the RCDE Stadium and Barcelona are cruising to three points. Both teams have had chances to add to the scoring in what has been a more evenly-contested second half.
59'
Léo Baptistão enters the game and replaces H. Pérez.
Rubi makes the game's first change by bringing on Baptistao for Perez in attack.
58'
SAVES! Barcelona are starting to go through the gears again now. Messi has just Diego Lopez to beat after carrying the ball past Darder with a brilliant first touch, but he is denied down low by the home keeper. Espanyol counter through Perez, who slips when shooting down the middle for Ter Stegen to make a rare save.
57'
Messi is still not moving freely following that double challenge from Roca and Lopez. From the free-kick awarded to the visiting side, Suarez struck the ball straight into the wall.
56'
Valverde's side had barely managed to get the ball out of their own half in the first 10 minutes or so of the second half when Messi took matters into his own hands by going on a trademark run forward. Roca and Lopez combined to wipe him out, with the latter landing awkwardly on the Barca forward.
54'
Barcelona have focused almost exclusively on defending since the restart, as another couple of crosses into the box are cut out. Rather than pushing on for a fourth goal, the visitors seem content to sit back on what they already have.
52'
The hosts have started the second half the brighter of the two sides. Melendo has the ball at his feet 10 yards from goal, but he is unable to get a shot away when put under pressure.
48'
Darder gets a cross into the box and Rakitic miscues it behind for a corner. Espanyol's best moments in the first half came via crosses, but Ter Stegen has an easy catch from this first set-piece of the second period.
46'
The referee Carlos del Cerro Grande gets us back underway at the RCDE Stadium!
45' +1
HALF-TIME: ESPANYOL 0-3 BARCELONA
45'
L. Suárez has scored a goal for Barcelona! Assist by O. Dembélé.
Dembele picked up the ball 60 yards from goal and, rather than carry it forward, played a nice pass in behind for Suarez, who still had plenty to do.
GOOOOAAALLL! Espanyol 0-3 Barcelona! What a way for Barcelona to round off a dominant first half, surely killing off the match through this Suarez strike. The Uruguayan striker latches on to Dembele's through-ball, holds off David Lopez and somehow squeezes the ball through the legs of Diego Lopez from the tightest of angles.
44'
Espanyol's best chance of snatching a goal is undoubtedly through crosses into the middle. Barca may have dominated the match, yet with just the two goals between the sides this one is far from over.
42'
CLOSE! This would have been a real blow for Barcelona had Perez made the most of his side's best opportunity so far. The Paraguayan winger gets on the end of a left-sided cross from Vila, only to head it over the crossbar.
40'
Five minutes of the first half to play and Ernesto Valverde will be wondering just how his side have not killed off this match. Messi in particular has been a threat throughout, barely giving Espanyol's defenders a chance to think.
36'
BIG CHANCE! How do you stop Barcelona when they are in this form? Suarez gets on the end of a lofted Messi pass but fails to make the contact he wanted, allowing Diego Lopez to make the save from his volley.
34'
It appears as though Espanyol have finally awoken, with a little over 10 minutes of the first half to play. Alba is forced to concede a corner, which ultimately comes to little.
32'
SAVE! A first save of the contest for Ter Stegen to make, getting down to keep out Duarte's header after the centre-back outjumped Alba. All pretty routine stuff from the German at his near post.
30'
Darder fires in a shot, which sails over the crossbar. Espanyol's best spell in the match has come immediately after Barcelona's second goal.
28'
Messi is looking at his absolute best, which is very bad news for Espanyol. The forward plays in Suarez down the right, but the return pass back to him is overhit.
26'
O. Dembélé has scored a goal for Barcelona! Assist by L. Messi.
GOOOOAAALLL! Espanyol 0-2 Barcelona! Dembele doubles Barcelona's tally with a fine finish into the top corner. The Frenchman works the ball onto his right foot after being picked out in the box by Messi and guides it past Diego Lopez.
Despite having four players attempting to take the ball from him, Messi still manages to wriggle clear of each player 20 yards from goal and pick out Dembele in the area.
25'
Barca are clearly not content with just the one goal, as they push bodies forward in search of a second. Espanyol are barely being given a chance to breathe.
21'
A quite sublime free-kick from Messi has given Barcelona the lead at the RCDE Stadium, and it is the visitors who are looking the more likely to bag the game's second goal. Suarez missed a big chance a couple of minutes ago as Barca continue to knock on the door.
19'
BIG SAVE! Espanyol are holding on here, as Diego Lopez produces a fine stop down low to keep out Suarez. The ball is swept across to the Uruguayan striker, but he is unable to tuck his shot past the home keeper from close range.
17'
L. Messi has scored a goal for Barcelona!
GOOOOOAAAALLLL!! Espanyol 0-1 Barcelona! Some Messi magic gives Barcelona the breakthrough. Duarte brings down the forward around 27 yards from goal to concede a free-kick, and he punishes the Espanyol centre-back by lifting the ball over the wall and into the top corner of Diego Lopez's net.
16'
Barcelona are continuing to probe away in search of an opener on enemy territory. The visitors are looking solid at the back, though, clearing away every ball that comes into the area.
15'
Messi is starting to go through the gears now, carrying the ball forward to the edge of the opposition box and sliding in Semedo down the right. The full-back's cross is blocked behind before it could be converted by one of his team-mates in the middle.
13'
Espanyol have looked a lot more adventurous over the last few minutes. The only real opportunity of the match so far was that half-chance for Iglesias, which he could not make the most of.
11'
A promising moment for the home side, who are going to have to make the most of counters such as this. The ball is worked into the path of Iglesias, who fires a first-time effort wide of Ter Stegen's target.
9'
Barcelona turn over possession high up the pitch and mount a counter. In the end Messi is outnumbered before he can get a shot away, though, with four Espanyol players racing back to win the ball.
7'
For all of Barcelona's possession in the early stages, they have not really managed to get the ball into dangerous areas of the field. Vidal attempts to get a cross into the middle, but the ball is blocked.
5'
Espanyol cannot really get a foot on the ball at the moment. Barcelona starting here as they mean to go on, toying with their local rivals.
3'
No great surprise to see Barcelona dominate possession in the early stages of the game. Each pass is being greeted by jeers from the home fans.
1'
Barcelona, aiming to become outright leaders at the top of La Liga, get us underway at the RCDE Stadium!
Hello and welcome to our coverage of the La Liga clash between Espanyol and Barcelona at the RCDE Stadium. Barca are seeking back-to-back league victories for the first time in more than a month to move clear at the top of the table, while their Catalan rivals are aiming to put a stop to a three-match losing streak.
Espanyol have slipped down to eighth place on the back of successive defeats to Sevilla, Girona and Getafe, but three points against the champions will lift them back into the top four. Barcelona appear to be firmly back on track, meanwhile, having won each of their last three matches in all competitions, including a 2-0 win over Villarreal last weekend to take them back to the summit.
ESPANYOL XI (4-3-3): Diego Lopez; Javi Lopez, David Lopez, Oscar Duarte, Didac Vila; Victor Sanchez (c), Marc Roca, Sergi Darder; Hernan Perez, Borja Iglesias, Oscar Melendo
Espanyol subs: Esteban Granero, Roberto Jimenez, Leo Baptistao, Sergio Garcia, Naldo, Roberto Rosales, Pablo Piatti
BARCELONA XI (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
Barcelona subs: Denis Suarez, Carles Alena, Thomas Vermaelen, Jasper Cillessen, Juan Miranda, Philippe Coutinho, Munir El Haddadi
The two teams are now out on the field at the RCDE Stadium and we are moments away from kick-off. Sevilla dropped two points late on against Valencia earlier today, so victory for Barcelona will move them three points clear at the top. Espanyol, meanwhile, can move back into a Champions League spot with a rare win in this fixture.
Barcelona hold a three-goal advantage over their Catalan rivals at the interval thanks to strikes from forward trio Messi, Dembele and Suarez. This has been a vintage performance from the champions, as they have been on top right from the off and could quite easily have had more than three goals.
Plenty of thinking for Rubi to do over the next 15 minutes or so, having seen his side completely ripped apart by the visitors. There is no shame in that when coming up against a Barcelona side of this quality, but it could get rather embarrassing for the home side if they continue in this manner for the remainder of the contest. Espanyol did have a couple of half-chances in the first half, both from crosses into the box.
Thanks for joining our coverage today. Until next time, goodbye!
Valverde's men now switch focus to the Champions League visit of Tottenham on Tuesday, before traveling to Levante for their next La Liga outing in eight days' time. Espanyol, who have lost four league matches in a row, return to action with a home game against Real Betis next weekend.
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