A bad free-kick goes straight behind for a goal kick.
FULL-TIME: ESPANYOL 2-2 BARCELONA
90' +4
Into the last 30 seconds, it's now or never...
Vargas looks to lead the charge down the left and is bodied to the ground by Busquets. The free-kick is in a decent enough position, a long way from goal but an awkward one to defend.
90' +3
Messi is bundled over by Roca in a central position, halfway inside the Espanyol half. The free-kick is delivered deep towards Vidal, but a covering defender gets his head to it.
90' +1
Four minutes to be added on at the end.
Calleri hooks a shot towards goal from a bouncing ball at the edge of the area, but it's an easy save for Neto on the bounce. The forward probably had better options there.
90'
Barca are just holding on now. The home side are onto every ball like a pack of wolves.
88'
Wu Lei has scored a goal for Espanyol! Assist by M. Vargas.
GOOAALLL! Wu fires in the equaliser, brilliant finish! The stadium goes absolutely berserk as the substitute gets in behind down the right channel from Vargas' pass, drives straight towards goal and fires a superb right-footed finish across Neto and into the bottom-left corner.
Vargas gets an assist off the bench for a fine ball in behind which Wu finished superbly.
86'
The corner is punched with two fists by Neto. It's more up than away, but the second delivery from Roca is scuffed weakly into his gloves.
84'
The substitutes almost combine for Espanyol as Vargas finds space on the right and delivers a low cross toward Wu at the near post, but he can't get ahead of his man and it's bundled behind for a corner.
82'
Predictably, Espanyol are seeing a fair amount of the ball now. The home crowd is right behind them, and Barca look to be hunkering down to try and ride out the storm.
80'
Nélson Semedo enters the game and replaces A. Griezmann.
Valverde looks to shore things up with his team a man light, right-back Semedo coming on in place of Griezmann for the final 10 minutes.
Minute
Description
78'
Suarez has all sorts of time in the area, so much so that he seems put off and takes too long. Unable to craft a shooting chance, he moves to the right and clips a cross back across goal for Griezmann to attack, but he can't reach it in time.
76'
Espanyol can't make anything of the free-kick that follows, and Neto wastes a few seconds from the goal kick that comes after that. 15 minutes to go.
75'
F. de Jong gets a second yellow card and is sent off.
Red card! This game gets a little more interesting as De Jong is shown a second yellow for a clear pull on Calleri's shirt. He was trying to make amends for losing the ball in midfield, and Pique puts a consolatory arm around the youngster's shoulder as he trudges off. He can't have any complaints.
74'
Wu Lei enters the game and replaces Óscar Melendo.
Espanyol make their third and final change, Chinese international Wu coming on for Melendo.
73'
Alba whacks a half-volleyed cross in from the left, along the line of the penalty area. Nobody attacks it, but a defender obligingly hoofs it back out for a throw-in anyway.
72'
The game is a lot more open for both sides now. Espanyol are getting more time on the ball when they've got it, but when it comes to the final ball, you can see why they're bottom of the league. They're still working hard, though, and they're not out of this one yet.
70'
Messi surges forward through the centre, but for once delays the pass just too long with Alba making a lung-busting dart alongside him to his left. He is forced to check back at the edge of the area, and eventually the move comes to nothing.
69'
Roca chases a looping ball, hooked over the last line of defence by Melando, but Neto watches it well and rises above the forward to take a clean catch.
67'
Iturraspe enters the game and replaces David López.
A second change for Espanyol, as Iturraspe comes on for David Lopez.
66'
F. de Jong gets yellow.
De Jong is booked for fouling the substitute Vargas on the counter.
64'
Espanyol almost manage to string together their first attack for what seems like a while, but Darder just can't poke the ball through to Calleri ahead of him.
62'
Marc Roca gets yellow.
M. Vargas enters the game and replaces Víctor Gómez.
Abelardo makes his first change, Vargas coming on for Gomez.
Roca is booked for a late tackle on De Jong.
Alba is in acres of space down the left and absolutely screaming for a cross-field ball, but Busquets doesn't see him.
60'
Espanyol were excellent in the first half but they had to work very hard for their half-time lead. Already in the second half, Barca are getting the sort of space in midfield that only started to appear around the 40-minute mark - if Espanyol can't close it up again, this game could run away from them very quickly.
59'
A. Vidal has scored a goal for Barcelona! Assist by L. Suárez.
Suarez gets the assist for a beautiful cross with the outside of his boot. A goal and an assist in just a few minutes for him.
GOOAAAALLL! Vidal makes it 2-1 from the bench, the turnaround is complete! It's a quick Barca attack upfield. Suarez picks up a loose ball at the left side of the area, does well to chip it around one defender before scooping it towards the far post where Vidal powers a header into the top-right corner.
57'
Now Espanyol win a corner down their right flank, and somebody in the crowd seems to have cracked out the pipe organ to welcome it. The musical build-up doesn't help, and it's headed away at the near post.
56'
Barca win a corner on the right, which eventually drops to Griezmann at the edge of the area. His shot is immediately charged down but loops up in the air to Messi, whose own shot is deflected behind - but the offside flag goes up. Credit where it's due, the linesman has done superbly to spot that.
55'
De Jong carries the ball out of defence well, but Barca don't seem to be in much of a hurry to take it much further than that. Suarez is back on, and Messi is dropping deeper as he looks to have an influence on the game.
54'
Suarez does look to have taken a stud to the calf as he limps off for some treatment, as there is a bit of a mark there. Forgive my earlier lack of faith in him, but the boy has been known to cry wolf.
50'
L. Suárez has scored a goal for Barcelona! Assist by Jordi Alba.
Barca put the ball out of play as Calleri stays down after a collision with Lenglet. If anything, it looks as if the defender took the brunt of the impact but in any case, Calleri is back up after a moment.
GOOAALL! 1-1, Suarez levels it up out of nowhere! De Jong finds Alba in space on the left, he whips a low cross in towards the corner of the six-yard box and Suarez touches it in at the near post. Simple but deadly.
Alba gets the assist for a pinpoint low delivery from the left, which Suarez poked home.
48'
Darder gets half a yard of space on the left and has a pop from range, but his right-footed effort bounces across goal and harmlessly wide.
47'
Barca start the second half as they began the first, seeing all of the ball. They'll hope they can do a bit more with it this time around.
46'
A. Vidal enters the game and replaces I. Rakitić.
45' +2
HALF-TIME: ESPANYOL 1-0 BARCELONA
45' +1
One minute to add on.
Barca launch a quick attack through Griezmann. He finds Messi in the area, but his shot deflects behind for a corner, which is dealt with.
45'
Rakitic has to take charge and clear from the line of Barca's six-yard box after Gomez' cross deflects up in the air. Neto doesn't quite come for it and no Espanyol forward reacts quickly enough to pounce on it, but the Croatian is in the right place at the right time.
Valverde does the sensible thing, taking my advice and bringing on Vidal at half-time. Rakitic is the man replaced. Barca win and I get a contract, right?
We're back underway, as Darder gets the ball rolling for the second half.
44'
Oof! Pique looks in all sorts of pain after taking an elbow to the nose from Calleri as the pair went up for a header. He's not bleeding, but he is carrying the facial expression of someone who's just been punched square in the face.
43'
Diego Lopez has seen that one before. Messi gets a nice connection on the free-kick, hitting it with pace but not quite enough curl towards the top-right corner, and the former Madrid keeper plucks it out of the air.
40'
Espanyol win a corner on the right, which is headed back towards goal by Espinosa. Calleri and Pique grapple to reach the loose ball, but they both hold each other back and it drops behind for a goal kick.
37'
The free-kick is bent in by Messi on the left and met by Lenglet, but the defender can't get a firm connection on his header and it flashes wide of the far post.
35'
Javi López gets yellow.
Calleri picks up a loose ball in midfield, but his pass out to the right forces Gomez wide when a dangerous attack looked to be on the cards.
Javi Lopez sees the first yellow card of the evening for a late challenge on Griezmann on the Barca left.
33'
Griezmann and Alba initially link up nicely down the left, but the former then can't find the ball back to the latter and the move breaks down. Espanyol threaten to counter, but the final ball is lacking there as well.
31'
Messi goes down in the area, sandwiched between David Lopez and Naldo, but there's nothing doing from the ref. He didn't look like getting to the ball that had been flicked round the corner by Griezmann.
30'
Calleri does well to step inside one defender down the right, but Lenglet is back covering.
28'
The 30-minute mark is approaching, and that Messi chance is as good as it has got for Barcelona. They're really struggling to find their way through the blue and white shirts massing inside the Espanyol half, with Roberto's runs down the right offering the only real outlet.
23'
David López has scored a goal for Espanyol! Assist by Marc Roca.
Roca gets the assist for a beautifully delivered free-kick, with Lopez nodding in the equaliser.
GOOOOAALL! Espanyol lead 1-0, it's David Lopez with a free header! The free-kick on the right is fired in beautifully by the left foot of Roca, nobody tracks Lopez and he flicks it inside the far post! There is a VAR check for offside, but a flaf-footed Suarez is just playing him on.
22'
And now De Jong fouls David Lopez, leaving an arm in as he rose to win a header. Lopez went down holding his face, but there didn't look to beany contact there. Espanyol free kick by the right touchline, 15 yards or so beyond line of the the penalty area.
21'
Lenglet fouls Javi Lopez high up the pitch, preventing a counter-attack just past the centre circle in the Espanyol half.
19'
Barca have a pretty lengthy spell in possession, hemming Espanyol in and at one point looking to have broken through the lines after a clever flick from De Jong. The home side stand firm, eventually getting a foot to the ball as Messi looks to force the issue down the right channel.
17'
Another howl from the home fans as Roca is penalised for a foul on Griezmann. The France forward bought that one, in fairness to them.
15'
It's all been a bit untidy so far, but the home side will be happy enough with that. They've suffocated the space in midfield really well, with none of Barca's front three having any notable touches of the ball yet.
14'
Pique bundles Melendo over and Espanyol win another deep free-kick, but there's then a foul on Pique from Calleri as the ball comes in.
13'
Suarez goes down in the area, tussling with Naldo to try and reach a bouncing ball, but referee Carlos del Cerro Grande isn't interested.
12'
The second corner is deeper, with Pique nodding it back into the danger zone at the far side of the penalty area. No Barca player can reach it to divert it towards goal, and the chance is eventually cleared.
11'
Roberto wins the first corner of the evening for Barca on the right, firing a cross straight into Espinosa. The corner is delivered towards Griezmann at the near post, but there's a defender there to clear it behind.
9'
Another Espanyol free-kick is fired into the area, from a deeper position on the right this time. Espinosa gets his head to the ball, but gets under it and it sails over the crossbar for a goal kick.
8'
Darder and Roca were both presented with commemorative shirts with '100' on the back before the game, with each celebrating a century of Espanyol appearances. Quite disappointed they haven't got them on.
7'
Darder fouls Rakitic in midfield and kicks the ball gently away after the whistle is blown. He only manages to waste about three seconds, but it all adds up.
5'
Espanyol win a free-kick on the left wing, about halfway inside the attacking half. Roca swings it in left-footed and though nobody can get a clear header, the ball is fired back in from the right. Eventually, Barca win a free-kick of their own as Javi Lopez bundles Alba to the floor.
4'
Calleri does well to hold off Alba by the right corner flag. He fires in a low cross but Darder is the only man to aim for, and it's easily cut out.
3'
An early half-chance for the away side as the ball comes to Rakitic at the edge of the area. He looks to flick it up and hit it on the half-volley, but doesn't connect with the shot and it spins away.
2'
Already, the home fans are up out of their seats protesting even the most minor refereeing calls against their side - they're well up for this. Some neat possession play inside the opening 90 seconds from Barca.
1'
We're off and running, as Suarez and Barca get the ball rolling.
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of this La Liga fixture, as Barcelona face neighbours Espanyol at the Cornella-El Prat stadium.
ESPANYOL (4-4-2): Diego Lopez; Didac Vila, Naldo, Bernardo Espinosa, Javi Lopez; Sergi Darder, David Lopez, Marc Roca, Victor Gomez; Jonathan Calleri, Oscar Melendo.
It’s bottom against potential top in the Spanish top flight, with Abelardo’s Espanyol four points adrift in 20th and Ernesto Valverde’s Barca starting the day two points clear of Real Madrid in first. Madrid beat Getafe 3-0 earlier today to retake the lead, so Barca need to hit back.
SUBS: Lluis Lopez, Iturraspe, Matias Vargas, Andres Prieto, Victor Campuzano, Adria Pedrosa, Wu Lei.
BARCELONA (4-3-3): Neto; Jordi Alba, Gerard Pique, Clement Lenglet, Sergi Roberto; Frenkie de Jong, Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitic; Antoine Griezmann, Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi.
SUBS: Nelson Semedo, Arturo Vidal, Samuel Umtiti, Junior Firpo, Inaki Pena, Carles Perez, Ansu Fati.
The players are on their way out of the pleasingly stripy tunnel they've got here, and we’re almost ready for kick-off. A simple derby win for Barca, or will it be 21st time lucky for Espanyol?
It's the same old story for Valverde's Barca this season: they've struggled to attack with any fluency and when they have looked dangerous, Messi has generally been involved. There isn't an obvious swap to make, but the combative Vidal would surely relish an encounter like this from the bench even with question marks surrounding his future at the club.
It's as you were as far as the league table is concerned. Barca go back to the top - though their two-point lead is cut to goal difference alone - and Espanyol stay rock-bottom despite their point.
That's it from me tonight, I hope you've enjoyed following along. Until the next time, adios!
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