Barcelona stretched their lead at the top of La Liga to four points courtesy of a 2-0 win over basement side Malaga at Camp Nou on Saturday night.
Second-placed Valencia had closed the gap to one point after thumping Sevilla, but Barcelona, who are now eight points clear of third-placed Real Madrid, recorded their eighth league win of the season to move clear at the summit.
Read how it all unfolded in Sports Mole's live coverage of the action below.
6.46pmEvening all! Sports Mole's live La Liga coverage continues from Camp Nou as league leaders Barcelona welcome basement side Malaga. Indeed, while Barcelona are flying high at the summit, Malaga are rooted to the foot of the table after a terrible start to the 2017-18 campaign. Stay tuned for live updates!
6.49pmMalaga actually recorded a 2-0 win when these two teams last locked horns, with that fixture taking place at La Rosaleda in April. Meanwhile, Malaga held Barcelona to a goalless draw when they travelled to Camp Nou last season. Malaga have also won away to Barcelona in the league as recent as 2015, which suggestions that tonight's result is not a foregone conclusion.
6.52pmRight, without further ado, let me bring you up-to-speed with the team news. Barcelona were in Champions League action against Olympiakos on Wednesday night, but Malaga have had a free week to prepare for this one. Has Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde made any changes? Let's have a look...
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6.55pmTEAMS!
BARCA: Ter Stegen; Roberto, Umtiti, Mascherano, Digne; Iniesta, Busquets, Rakitic; Deulofeu, Suarez, Messi
MALAGA: Prieto; Rosales, Luis, Baysse, Juankar; Keko, Adrian, Rolon, Chory; Rolan, Penaranda
6.58pmBarcelona boss Valverde has made just the two changes from the team that started against Olympiakos in the Champions League, with Gerard Pique and Paulinho dropping out for Javier Mascherano and Ivan Rakitic. Gerard Deulofeu keeps his spot alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez in the final third, but Jordi Alba is still injured. Paco Alcacer is again on the Barcelona bench.
7.02pmAs for Malaga, Diego Gonzalez and Zdravko Kuzmanovic are both injured, while club captain Recio is suspended after his red card against Leganes last weekend. Keko comes into the team in a wide position, while Diego Rolan will again support on-loan Watford Adalberto Penaranda in the final third.
MCFTV| #LaAcademiaMCF al poder ✌ @KellyanGaLe1 @AlexRobles1 y @alexmula7 💙 #JuventudDivinoTesoro pic.twitter.com/2WdXSo5aDR
— Málaga CF (@MalagaCF) October 21, 2017
7.05pmSo there we have it. The two teams are in, and we are now just about 40 minutes from kickoff on this warm evening in Barcelona. I shall speak about Malaga and their start to the season a little bit later, but let's start with Barcelona. Valverde's team will enter tonight's match top of the table on 22 points having won seven and drawn one of their eight fixtures thus far.
7.08pmBarcelona travelled to Atletico Madrid last weekend boasting a 100% record from seven La Liga matches, but that came to an end following the 1-1 draw in Madrid. Luis Suarez netted late on to seal a point for Barcelona, and ensure that the Catalan giants would remain unbeaten this term. They are currently five points clear of third-placed Real Madrid in the table. In-form Valencia, however, are currently beating Sevilla 2-0, and as it stands, Los Che are only one point off the top of the table.
7.12pm
16 - Barcelona have won their last 16 games at home in La Liga, the longest current run of any team in the competition. Unstoppable. pic.twitter.com/76ac5pT1Bu
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) October 21, 2017
7.15pmBarcelona have also made a very impressive start to their Champions League campaign – recording three straight wins. Indeed, the latest of those came on Wednesday night as they secured a 3-1 victory over Olympiakos. Valverde has been praised for his management of the team in the early stages of the campaign, and that is not a surprise. The loss of Neymar has been eased by a strong start.
7.18pmBarcelona have won 10 of their 11 matches since losing to Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup, and will be extremely confident of beating basement team Malaga tonight. Next up is a trip to Real Murcia in the Copa del Rey next week, before travelling to Athletic Bilbao on October 28. The month will then conclude with a trip to Olympiakos in the Champions League.
7.22pmMuch was made of Neymar's summer exit, and when Ousmane Dembele picked up a long-term injury, there were fears surrounding Barcelona's attack. Lionel Messi has been at his sparkling best in the early weeks of the campaign, however, while Luis Suarez's strike at Atletico last week will certainly boost his confidence ahead of what is a busy end to the month.
7.25pm
👤 XI
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) October 21, 2017
⚽ #BarçaMálaga
🔵🔴 Força Barça! pic.twitter.com/DiJsBhCsEx
7.28pmConfidence, however, is not a word that can currently be associated with Malaga. Indeed, Michel's side are rooted to the bottom of the table. They have lost seven and drawn one of their eight matches this season – scoring just four and conceding 18. It has been a very tough start to the 2017-18 campaign.
7.32pmMalaga started their 2017-18 season with a 1-0 home defeat to Eibar, before losing away to Girona and at home to Las Palmas in their next two. They then lost 1-0 at Atletico and 5-0 at Valencia, before picking up their first point of the season at home to Athletic Bilbao on September 23.
7.35pmThey have lost their last two without scoring, however, after suffering back-to-back 2-0 defeats to Sevilla and Leganes. Malaga finished 11th in La Liga last season, but they currently have the look of a team that will be battling against relegation for the remainder of the campaign.
7.38pm
MCFTV| ¡@andrestprieto debuta en @LaLiga hoy en el Camp Nou! 👏 ¡Mucha suerte, portero! 💙 #BarçaMálaga pic.twitter.com/WjCI2enF78
— Málaga CF (@MalagaCF) October 21, 2017
7.42pmHere we go then. Both sets of players are in the tunnel ahead of kickoff at Camp Nou. It is top against bottom as Barcelona welcome Malaga. Can the visitors pull off a shock result tonight? You do get the feeling that this could be a long, long night for Malaga. Kickoff in Barcelona is next!
0 minKICKOFF! Malaga kick things off at Camp Nou...
2 min... Barcelona failed to score against Malaga in their two league matches last season, but I am finding it hard to believe that will happen again tonight. It must be said that the Camp Nou pitch looks in stunning condition as we approach the colder months. It is Barcelona with the early possession.
2 minGOAL! Barcelona 1-0 Malaga (Deulofeu)
3 minWell, that did not take long! Barcelona make the breakthrough in the second minute as Deulofeu turns a Digne cross home from close range. However, it is a very controversial goal as the ball appeared to be out when Digne delivered. Replays shall confirm what looks to have occurred...
4 min... indeed, that was the case. Very harsh on Malaga. The goal should not have stood! The ball was clearly over the line when Digne delivered back into the penalty area.
5 minRolan has been nice and bright for Malaga in these early moments, with the number 24 finding space in a final third. He had a shot from inside the Barcelona box, but Mascherano made the block.
7 minYou have to fear for Malaga if they concede a second in the next few minutes. Barcelona are really forcing the issue at the moment as they continue to move the ball with pace and purpose.
10 minMalaga are just chasing shadows at the moment as Barcelona keep the ball in the away side's half of the field. Eventually the ball is delivered towards Rakitic, but Prieto just about does enough to put off the midfielder. The goalkeeper actually took the Croatian out after the ball had gone past the duo.
12 minMalaga are in a straight 4-4-2 formation at the moment, which is brave in this stadium. Barcelona are finding all sorts of space between the lines, and only a super challenge from Hernandez prevents Suarez from having a tap-in from a Digne cross. It is just too easy at the moment.
14 minMessi goes down in a dangerous position just outside the Malaga box, but the referee is not interested. The away side are just about surviving at the moment as the pressure continues here.
16 minPass, pass, pass from Barcelona as they move from side to side in Malaga's half here.
18 minMalaga are desperately trying to keep their shape as Barcelona shuffle from side to side. The visitors had the chance to break a moment ago with Penaranda, but his effort was blocked.
20 minIn fairness to Malaga, they are committing four/five players forward each time that they have the chance to break. The problem, however, is that Barcelona might well just pick them off on the break. The league's bottom side are showing good heart as they try to stay in this football game.
21 minBOOKING! Rosales (Malaga) is booked for a foul on Iniesta.
23 minMessi has actually only scored one goal in his last six games against Malaga, which means that he will probably get a hat-trick tonight. The Argentine has been busy in the opening 23 minutes, although he has not really had a chance to test Prieto thus far. I suspect that will change at some point.
25 minSlightly untidy period of the match in the last couple of minutes, with Barcelona guilty of conceding possession inside Malaga's half. All things considered, the visitors can be pleased with their start here.
26 minBOOKING! Hernandez (Malaga) is booked for handball just outside the box!
26 minBarcelona have a free kick just, and I mean just, outside the Malaga box...
27 min... Messi's free kick is straight into the wall!
29 minLittle over 15 minutes of the first period remaining, and Barcelona still lead 1-0 courtesy of that early goal from Deulofeu, which should not have stood. Since then, Malaga have held their own quite well. You do get the feeling that the next goal could be everything in this football match.
30 minCHANCE! Super chance for the away side as Juan Carlos drives down the left before finding the head of Castro, but the number 11's effort is wide of the post! Great move!
32 minIt is the type of game where you feel that Barcelona would find an extra gear if they needed it, but Malaga are enjoying plenty of breaks forward. Fair play to the visitors for their approach tonight.
34 minStill 1-0 Barcelona with little over 10 minutes of the first period remaining. Malaga have a free kick inside their own half as Rakitic catches Baysse with a high foot. Might have been a yellow!
36 minMalaga continue to move the ball well in the final third of the field, with Rolan not afraid to carry possession towards Barcelona's penalty box. Not an awful lot from the home side at the moment.
38 minHalf-chance for Barcelona as Messi drives towards the Malaga box before looking to slide a pass into Suarez, but Rosales does well to make the clearance. For once, that was poor from Messi.
39 minBOOKING! Adrian (Malaga) is finally booked for a late tackle on Busquets.
41 minCHANCE! Super chance for Castro as the Malaga attacker meets a cross from Keko, but he gets it all wrong, and Barcelona can clear their lines. Needed better contact there!
43 minBarcelona might be ahead here, but Malaga have been impressive for long spells.
45 minNot an awful lot to report as we approach the final moments of the first half at Camp Nou. Malaga seem to have a problem with Rolan, however, as the number 24 holds his hamstring. Not a good sign.
45+1 minHALF-TIME: Barcelona 1-0 Malaga
8.33pmSo there we have it. The referee brings the first period to a close with Barcelona leading 1-0 courtesy of Deulofeu's early strike, which should not have stood due to the ball being out of play when Digne delivered. Malaga might be bottom of the table on one point, but they have given a very good account of themselves. Indeed, with a little more care, they could well be level here.
8.38pmSTATISTICS! Barcelona had 80% possession in the first period, but only managed one attempt, which found the back of the net. Malaga, meanwhile, failed to hit the target with any of their three attempts. The visitors have also picked up three bookings - Rosales, Hernandez and Adrian.
8.43pmBENCH WATCH! Malaga have a number of attacking options on their bench tonight, with the likes of Juanpi, Baston and Cecchini all capable of influencing proceedings in the second period. Barcelona, meanwhile, have options in the shape of Paulinho, Alcacer, Andre Gomes and Denis Suarez.
46 minRESTART! Barcelona resume the action at Camp Nou...
47 min... MALAGA SUB! Juanpi has replaced Rolan, who picked up a hamstring problem in the latter stages of the first period. Barcelona keep with the same XI from the first half.
49 minThe next goal - if there indeed is one - is absolutely vital in this match. If Barcelona double their lead then it would surely be game over, but one for Malaga would make things very interest. The league's basement side have given a very good account of themselves at Camp Nou tonight.
51 minGood possession for Malaga in the early stages of the second period here. Castro wins a corner at the far post from Deulofeu, but Barcelona manage to clear their lines. Very interesting game here.
53 minRosales hits one from distance, but his effort was always straight at the Barcelona goalkeeper, who releases Deulofeu down the field. Still 1-0 with 53 minutes on the clock at Camp Nou.
54 minSAVE! Smart save from Prieto to keep out a close-range effort from Messi.
56 minJuanpi has the chance to find Penaranda after another Malaga break, but Mascherano is across to make the challenge. Malaga continue to enjoy good moments in the final third of the field here.
56 minGOAL! Barcelona 2-0 Malaga (Iniesta)
57 minBarcelona double their lead in the 56th minute as Iniesta collects a pass from Messi before striking towards goal, and his effort deflects off Rosales before finding the back of the net!
59 minIt is tough on Malaga, but that looks to be game, set and match. Barcelona look in the mood for more goals though as they start to move the ball quicker in the final third of the field here.
61 minCHANCE! Luis Suarez drives into the Malaga box, but his effort is wide!
63 minMalaga are still giving it a real go as they commit players in the final third of the field. They play some nice football, but have just been unable to prevent Barcelona from finding the back of the net.
65 minWe are entering the period of the match where Barcelona boss Valverde will be considering changes. The home side have looked a little bit off-the-pace for long spells it must be said.
67 minMalaga are preparing to make their second change as we approach the 70-minute mark. The visitors have another opportunity when the ball falls for Keko inside the Barcelona box, but his effort is into the face of Digne, who does not look too clever after that!
68 minMALAGA SUB! Cecchini replaces Rolan for the away side.
71 minNo Messi or Luis Suarez on the scoresheet as we approach the final stages of this match. However, I would be surprised if we had seen the last of the goals. Malaga are still pressing men forward.
72 minBARCELONA SUB! Semedo replaces Deulofeu for the home side.
72 minMALAGA SUB! Baston replaces Penaranda for the away side.
74 minMISS! Incredible miss from Luis Suarez as the striker turns wide of the post after Roberto had put the ball on a plate! That is a spectacular miss from the Uruguay international.
74 minBOOKING! Umtiti (Barcelona) is booked for a foul on Baston.
75 minCLOSE! Hernandez's header just misses the Barcelona post!
76 minBARCELONA SUB! Busquets is replaced by Paulinho for the home side.
78 minLittle over 10 minutes of football remaining here, with Barcelona leading 2-0. In truth, the home side have played within themselves for long stages of this game, but credit to Malaga.
80 minIt is just not happening for Luis Suarez tonight as the forward falls over outside the box. Malaga then break down the other end, but Semedo is across to confront Juan Carlos in a wide area.
82 minJuanpi fires the ball into the arms of Ter Stegen from a central position.
83 minBARCELONA SUB! Alcacer replaces Luis Suarez for the home side.
84 minRoberto misses the post after finding space inside the Malaga box. Super feet!
86 minMalaga continue to commit players forward as we approach the final stages of this match. Barcelona will fancy their chances of creating at least one more big chance in the final minutes. It almost comes for Paulinho, but the Brazilian misses the crossbar from just outside the Malaga box.
88 minSAVE! Smart save from Prieto to keep out Paulinho's low strike.
90 minGOAL DISALLOWED! Messi heads home, but the whistle had been blown.
90+1 minTer Stegen dives across his goal to keep out an effort from Juanpi.
90+3 minWe are into the third of three additional minutes here, with Barcelona still leading 2-0. Castro has another shot at Ter Stegen, but again it is comfortable as we near the full-time whistle.
90+4 minFULL-TIME: Barcelona 2-0 Malaga
9.37pmSo there we have it. The referee brings the second period to a close with Barcelona recording a 2-0 win over Malaga as the Catalan giants move four points clear of second-placed Valencia. Thanks for joining Sports Mole for our live coverage once again. Until next time!
