Barcelona vs Leganes: Messi Scores Penalty as Barcelona Beat Leganes to Ramp up Pressure on Real Madrid
Lionel Messi was rugby tackled after which scored a penalty as Barcelona put the stress again on Actual Madrid by easing to a 2-Zero victory over Leganes at an empty Camp Nou on Tuesday.
Messi was hauled to the bottom within the first half by a diving Unai Bustinza wrapping two arms round his waist and he was knocked over once more within the second, this time incomes a penalty, which he transformed.
After 33 appearances, Messi now has 26 objectives this season. In his final eight video games, he has seven objectives and eight assists.
The 17-year-old Ansu Fati had earlier given Barcelona the lead, persevering with his breakthrough season with a fifth aim in eight league begins.
Leganes may have made the reigning champions really feel uncomfortable if Miguel-Angel Guerrero had taken both of two golden early alternatives however the first was cleared off the road and the second denied by the submit.
"We had a little bit of luck firstly," admitted Barca coach Quique Setien.
However his group's reward for a fairly underwhelming efficiency is a five-point benefit over Madrid, who can scale back that again to 2 by profitable at residence to Valencia on Thursday.
Valencia will probably be a extra thorough examination of Madrid's sharpness after the three-month break and Barca can anticipate more durable checks to return than Leganes too, beginning with a visit to third-placed Sevilla on Friday.
Setien will hope Gerard Pique recovers from a nasty problem which means he'll want stitches in his shin. "It cut up his shinpad," stated Setien. "We hope it is not critical."
Leganes have dropped to the underside of the desk and look doomed to relegation, their probabilities of survival broken by Barcelona snatching away their prime scorer Martin Braithwaite as an emergency signing in February.
Leganes weren't alone in feeling the rule had harm them disproportionately and their sense of injustice might need been deepened by the very fact Braithwaite was left on the bench for all the 90 minutes.
Barcelona managed possession within the first half however created little and would have been behind early on if Guerrero had been extra exact.
First, Javier Eraso sprinted clear and regardless of taking too lengthy to shoot, the ball spilled out for Guerrero, whose drive hit the foot of Clement Lenglet on the road.
Guerrero had one other go moments later, this time from an acute angle, however his rasping half-volley flew throughout the world and shaved the far submit.
Barca have been laboured, at the same time as they dominated the ball, however Leganes might need been tiring by the 42nd minute when Junior Firpo's bustling run allowed Fati to take an instinctive shot, which he fired by the legs of Rodri Tarin and into the underside nook.
Within the 69th minute, Messi gave his group the cushion they wished, incomes a doubtful penalty with a storming run. He gained the ball on the midway line, nutmegged one defender and held off two extra.
After an alternate with Luis Suarez, he was lastly knocked over, even when it appeared much less of a foul than the earlier makes an attempt to cease him. Messi curled into the underside nook.
After an alternate with Luis Suarez, he was lastly knocked over, even when it appeared much less of a foul than the earlier makes an attempt to cease him. Messi curled into the underside nook.
Suarez had come on for Fati and Sergio Busquets, Gerard Pique, Arthur Melo all departed too as Setien turned his consideration to Sevilla. Leganes coach Javier Aguirre was despatched off for whistling on the sidelines in injury-time.
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE-CHASING GETAFE SLIP UP
Earlier, Getafe dropped extra factors within the race for Champions League qualification as they failed to interrupt down Espanyol regardless of their opponents taking part in many of the match with 10 males.
A goalless draw represents a missed alternative for Jose Bordalas' facet and so they may even have misplaced to Espanyol, who had Bernardo Espinosa despatched off within the 16th minute however are constructing momentum.
Getafe keep fifth, degree on factors with fourth-placed Actual Sociedad, who will play their sport in hand at Alaves on Thursday. Getafe may be overtaken if Atletico Madrid win on Wednesday towards Osasuna.
Espanyol transfer to inside two factors of security after resuming with a 2-Zero victory over Alaves on Saturday.
Villarreal stayed within the hunt for the European locations by beating Actual Mallorca 1-0. Carlos Bacca's early end leaves Villarreal seventh, three factors from fourth. Mallorca stay 18th.
