Barcelona edged out Real Valladolid 1-0 at Camp Nou on Saturday evening through a first-half penalty from Lionel Messi to move seven points clear at the top of La Liga.
Messi successfully converted from the spot towards the end of the first half after Gerard Pique was brought down in the box, but he missed another spot-kick late on.
Valladolid, despite frustrating their opponents for large parts of the game, could not make their opponents pay for their profligacy as Barca returned to winning ways.
Relive how the 90 minutes of action unfolded with Sports Mole's live text coverage below.
Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the La Liga clash between Barcelona and Real Valladolid at Camp Nou. League leaders Barca will be keen to get back to winning ways this evening after being held in their last three matches, two of those in the top flight, while the visitors have won just one of their last eight matches in all competitions and find themselves only three points above the relegation zone with this game in hand to play.
BARCELONA TEAM NEWS!
STARTING XI: Marc-Andre ter Stegen; Sergi Roberto, Gerard Pique, Thomas Vermaelen, Jordi Alba; Arturo Vidal, Sergio Busquets, Carles Alena; Lionel Messi, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Ousmane Dembele
SUBS: Ivan Rakitic, Clement Lenglet, Luis Suarez, Inaki Pena, Malcom, Coutinho, Nelson Semedo
REAL VALLADOLID TEAM NEWS!
STARTING XI: Jordi Masip; Kiko Olivas, Joaquin Fernandez, Fernando Calero; Antonito, Anuar Mohamed, Michel, Nacho; Enes Unal, Daniele Verde, Sergi Guardiola
SUBS: Duje Cop, Yoel Rodriguez, Borja Fernandez, Keko, Stiven Piaza, Toni Villa, Javi Moyano
Barcelona show five changes from their 0-0 draw with Athletic Bilbao last weekend, with Boateng among those to come in for his league debut. Valladolid, who have also made five alterations from their stalemate with Villarreal, have ex-Barca goalkeeper goalkeeper Masip in their ranks - it could well be a busy night for the 30-year-old at his former home.
KICKOFF: Real Valladolid get us underway at Camp Nou! Barcelona have won nine of their last 10 league meetings against today's opponents, losing only in March 2014.
It has been a very encouraging start for the visitors, who have seen plenty of the ball in the opposition half of the field. Verde swings a corner into a dangerous zone but Barca clear their lines. The same player could have got the ball back into the middle but it is blocked behind for another set-piece.
Atletico Madrid were 1-0 winners over Rayo Vallecano earlier today so Barcelona's lead at the top of La Liga has been reduced to four points, though they do of course have this game in hand to play.
The ball hit Pique on the arm from that first Valladolid corner early in the match, but the referee was right to wave away the penalty appeals. Barca have started to take control of possession but they have yet to create any openings.
SAVE! Boateng holds his run and gets on the end of Messi's through-ball, but his shot was a little weak and Masip had a simple save to make down low. Still, that is a promising sign for the league debutant, who is filling in for Luis Suarez tonight.
YELLOW CARD! Unal is shown a yellow card early on for catching Busquets clean in the face with his elbow. There may not have been any intention but the referee was right to reach into his pocket as that was dangerous play.
Real Valladolid have only won two of their last 42 La Liga away games against Barcelona, losing 34 of those. Their last win at Camp Nou came in November 1997.
Dembele weaves his way into the box but some good defending from Joaquin Fernandez prevents him from getting a shot away. A free-kick is conceded towards the left, though, which Vermaelen cannot quite get on the end of near the penalty spot.
Messi combined with Alena and the youngster threads the ball through for Dembele, whose cross is cut out before it can reach Boateng. The visitors have defended well in the opening 15 minutes of the match, making life tough for the league leaders.
Verde looks to have been played into acres of space but the offside flag goes up - sloppy from the Italian youngster as he could easily have held his run. Up the other end, Barca attack in numbers and Dembele has a shot blocked inside the box.
Still just the one shot on target for Barcelona with nearly 20 minutes played. They have had a couple of efforts blocked, but they have been far from their fluent best so far. Plenty of time for that to change, of course.
Boateng goes down on the edge of the box but the referee tells him to get up. Barcelona have had 70% of the ball, the majority of that high up the pitch, but it is turning into a frustrating evening for them once again.
Barcelona have scored at least once in their last 20 league home games, netting 60 goals in total (three goals per game on average). After 22 minutes here they have registered just one shot on target, which Masip was equal to.
Superb play from Dembele to get away from two players, before getting in a cross that is cleared away. That was a moment of quality from the Frenchman that we have not seen enough of from the home side so far.
Real Valladolid are winless in their last four league away games and have a goal difference of -6 in that run (two goals scored and eight conceded). They have performed well at Camp Nou, though, making life difficult for their opponents with this five-man backline.
Vidal clatters into Michel to concede a free-kick in midfield. Sergio Gonzalez will be delighted with the way the opening half an hour has panned out here, with chances few and far between at both ends of the field.
Boateng has space to break into but he fails to pick out Messi on the edge of the box with his pass - the second time that has happened in the last few minutes. It is surely only a matter of time until the home side click into top gear.
It is the visitors' turn to enjoy a spell on the ball. A pass over the top is latched onto by Michel, who was clearly offside. Valladolid are by no means just sitting back this evening, giving Barca's defenders one or two things to think about.
YELLOW CARD! The second yellow card of the match is shown to Anuar, who fouls Busquets after the Barca midfielder stole back possession. The free-kick is clipped into the box but it comes to little.
This match is turning into a bit of a scrap now, with plenty of free-kicks being conceded. Ernesto Valverde's side are continuing to boss possession but they just cannot seem to create any chances - still just the one real attempt all match.
Valladolid need to keep their focus as half time draws into sight. Having defended for large parts of the first half, the away side have a chance to counter but a searching pass from deep is easily dealt with by Vermaelen.
Messi loses control of the ball on the edge of the box - not for the first time this evening - not helped by Boateng's movement off the ball. It is not quite happening for the five-time Ballon d'Or winner so far - he could do with Suarez on the pitch.
CLOSE! This is pretty much the closest Barcelona have come to a goal so far tonight. Messi's first shot on the edge of the box is blocked, but he has another go with his root boot, guiding the ball agonisingly wide of the close via a deflection off Calero.
PENALTY! Michel wraps his arms around Pique to prevent the defender from getting a shot away and the referee points to the penalty spot. That came moments after Nacho squandered a good opportunity at the other end of the field - fine margins!
GOAL! BARCELONA 1-0 REAL VALLADOLID (LIONEL MESSI, PEN)
Messi had to get his penalty spot on because Matip guessed the right way, and he did exactly that by picking out the bottom-right corner. Barca have upped things over the last few minutes but this breakthrough goal is not exactly deserved.
Pique gets a crucial block to Nacho's cross to stop Unal from heading in. That will be the final act of the first half.
HALF TIME: BARCELONA 1-0 REAL VALLADOLID
Barcelona take a 1-0 lead into half time thanks to Messi's penalty towards the end of the opening 45 minutes. The home side struggled to create many chances and could have found themselves behind prior to their breakthrough moment, which came via the penalty spot.
Kevin-Prince Boateng was brought in by Ernesto Valverde in one of five changes from the goalless draw with Athletic Bilbao, and the January signing nearly made a big impression on his league bow. After holding his run to beat the offside trap, Boateng latched onto Lionel Messi's perfectly-weighted pass but could not get the better of Jordi Masip in the Valladolid goal.
That would prove to be Barca's only shot on target until the penalty was awarded towards the end of the first half, with their only other opening coming 42 minutes in when Messi had a shot blocked on the edge of the box and sent the rebound inches wide of the post.
Valladolid, who headed into the contest with just one win in eight matches to their name, squandered a glorious chance to take a shock lead at Camp Nou as Nacho failed to pick out a teammate when given time and space in the box. Barcelona hit their opponents on the counter and Gerard Pique was brought down by Michel just before he could pull the trigger, giving Messi the chance to tuck the ball into the bottom-right corner from the penalty spot.
BENCH WATCH!
BARCELONA SUBS: Ivan Rakitic, Clement Lenglet, Luis Suarez, Inaki Pena, Malcom, Coutinho, Nelson Semedo
REAL VALLADOLID SUBS: Duje Cop, Yoel Rodriguez, Borja Fernandez, Keko, Stiven Piaza, Toni Villa, Javi Moyano
KICKOFF: Barcelona, sitting on a slender lead from the first half, get us back underway at Camp Nou! Messi has now had a hand in five goals in his two-and-a-half La Liga games against Valladolid on home soil.
Guardiola gets a shot in early in the second half, which is dragged wide of the far post. That is a warning sign for the home side because their lead is very slender.
SAVE! Barca have finally managed to increase the tempo as they go in search of a second, which they would have had if not for a fine Masip stop. Alba sends the ball into the middle and Messi makes good contact with it, but Masip reacted brilliantly to stick out a hand and help it behind.
Pique leads a Barcelona counter-attack, just like he did for the home side's breakthrough goal, but he is dispossessed in midfield. The match has become end-to-end all of a sudden, making good viewing for the neutrals.
CHANCE! Boateng slots a good pass through for Dembele, who decides to square it to Messi rather than shooting. Messi takes a touch to bring it inside and wraps his boot around the ball with his next touch, but the effort is off target.
Barca have started the second half very well and deserve to have another goal. Boateng holds his run brilliantly and has just Masip to beat, but he takes the wrong decision by attempting to round the goalkeeper, being forced too wide to get a shot away.
After losing his first four games against Real Valladolid in La Liga, Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde have won his last five managerial meetings with them in the top-flight. That could well become six in a row as his side lead with just over half an hour to play.
After a pretty frantic opening 15 minutes to the second half, Valverde is readying Suarez to come on, presumably for Boateng. That is credit to Valladolid, as they are refusing to buckle and they are still very much in this match.
BARCELONA SUB! Boateng, who has had a mixed first league outing for Barcelona, is replaced by Suarez with an hour played in Catalonia. Valverde clearly wants a second goal to put this match to bed.
Barcelona are starting to turn the screw now as they go all out for a second goal. Some more good defending from Valladolid thwarts this latest attack, which ends with Masip plucking the ball out of the air. Up the other end, Vidal blocks a goalbound shot in the box.
SAVE! Valladolid, to their credit, are going toe to toe with Barcelona. That is leaving gaps open at the other end, though, and Barca really should be out of sight. Suarez is denied when one-on-one with Masip and Messi is also unable to pick out the bottom corner after latching onto the loose ball.
YELLOW CARD! Messi carries the ball past a couple of players and is then clipped by Anuar, but the referee felt that the forward made the most of it. Messi has a few words to say to the man in the middle and is cautioned for dissent.
Messi's first-half penalty, won by Pique following a challenge in the box, is proving to be the difference between the sides with 20 minutes to go. Valladolid are giving as good as they get, though, with Guardiola's shot being deflected over the crossbar.
SUBS! Dembele is replaced by Coutinho in Barca's second change of the evening, while Villa is on for Verde in the home side's first alteration. A yellow card was shown to Michel between the two subs for his foul in midfield.
CHANCE! Another good opportunity to kill off the game goes begging for the champions. Messi, dropping very deep, picks out Suarez at the back post with a sublime pass, but the Uruguayan tried to square it and gets his first-time pass all wrong. He had to shoot!
BARCELONA SUB! This has been a gripping second half. Barcelona have been on top and should have scored a second by now, but the fact that they have not means that it is still game on. Valverde makes his final change, taking off Alena and bringing on Rakitic.
REAL VALLADOLID SUB! Villa, who has only been on the field for about six minutes, has to make way after picking up an injury. Plaza is on in his place. Valladolid have just under 15 minutes to find a leveller and shake up the La Liga title race.
SHOT! Messi and Roberto exchange passes and the latter gets a shot away from just outside the box. The ball was always curling away from Masip's target, however, and the keeper could watch it all the way through. Unal is replaced by Keko in the visitors' final change.
Calero apologises to Suarez after catching the striker with a nasty challenge close to the sideline. Barcelona take their time over the free kick and eventually work it short - the hosts appear to have lost the momentum they had built up.
Masip reacts quickly to prevent Suarez getting a shot away. There is still around 10 minutes of the match to play when included adding time, meaning that Valladolid still have plenty of time to snatch an unlikely point.
Barcelona's Luis Suarez has scored against 26 of the 27 teams he has faced in La Liga (125 goals), failing only to do it against Real Valladolid.
PENALTY! Coutinho and Suarez exchange passes in the box and Olivas brings down the Brazilian midfielder inside the box - a clear penalty. Messi can now double his tally and put the game out of Valladolid's reach.
SAVE! Masip is having a stormer against his former club! Messi's penalty is hit at a good height for the goalkeeper, and he gets across to his left to make the save, before keeping out Messi's looping header from the rebound. It is going to be a nervy conclusion to the match for Valverde's side...
CLOSE! Messi, clearly annoyed at himself following the penalty miss, takes the ball past two players and drills the ball inches wide of the target. The ball just will not go in the net for Barca and they may well be made to pay.
Barcelona are creating plenty of goalscoring opportunities but it remains 1-0 as we enter added time. Messi slips in Suarez but Masip races off his line to thwart the striker. The Valladolid keeper is having a night to remember.
SAVE! Yet another save from Masip! Suarez is again guilty of overthinking as he takes a touch before attempting to pick out the bottom corner, giving Masip the chance to keep it out at his near post. Suarez wanted to return the pass to Messi for some reason.
FULL TIME: BARCELONA 1-0 REAL VALLADOLID
Barcelona return to winning ways in La Liga following back-to-back draws as they edge out Real Valladolid 1-0 at Camp Nou. Lionel Messi converted from the penalty spot towards the end of the first half following a challenge in the box on Gerard Pique and, despite the Argentinian forward missing from the spot at the end of the match, Barca saw things through to move seven points clear at the top.
That concludes Sports Mole's live text coverage of events from Catalonia. An on-the-whistle report can be viewed right here, and be sure to join us again on Sunday morning for updates from Real Madrid's meeting with Girona. See you then!
