Barcelona opened up a 11-point lead at the top of La Liga courtesy of a 2-0 win over 10-man Malaga at La Rosaleda on Saturday night.
Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho sent Barcelona two goals ahead inside 28 minutes, and it got worse for Malaga - who remain rock bottom of the table on 13 points - in the 30th minute when Samuel Garcia picked up a straight red card.
Ernesto Valverde's side had opportunities to add to the scoring throughout the remainder of the match, but it finished 2-0 following an extremely comfortable night for the visitors.
Read how it all unfolded in Sports Mole's minute-by-minute live commentary of the action below.
Evening all! Sports Mole's live La Liga coverage continues from La Rosaleda as basement side Malaga welcome league leaders Barcelona. Malaga are currently nine points from safety in Spain's top flight, while Barcelona have an eight-point lead over second-placed Atletico Madrid at the summit. Can the home side pull off one of the shocks of the season tonight? Stay tuned to find out!
Barcelona recorded a 2-0 win over Malaga when the two teams met at Camp Nou earlier this season, but Malaga beat Barcelona 2-0 when the pair locked horns at La Rosaleda last term. The home side have some job on to pick up all three points tonight, but Barcelona were recently held 1-1 by another struggler Las Palmas. Anything can happen, especially with the visitors missing some key players here.
Right, without further ado, let me bring you up-to-speed with the all-important team news from La Rosaleda. Barcelona beat Atletico Madrid 1-0 last weekend to open up an eight-point lead at the summit, while Malaga lost 2-0 at Leganes. Any changes? Let's have a look at the two XIs for this one...
TEAMS!
MALAGA: Roberto; Rosales, Hernandez, Miquel, Ricca; Samuel, Lacen, Iturra, Chory; Rolan, En-Nesyri
BARCELONA: Ter Stegen; Roberto, Umtiti, Pique, Alba; Busquets, Rakitic, Paulinho; Coutinho, Suarez, Dembele
Malaga head coach Jose Gonzalez has made just the one change to the team that lost at Leganes last weekend, with Samuel Garcia taking the place of Alberto Bueno in an attacking position. Diego Rolan and Chory Castro are Malaga's joint-highest La Liga scorers this season with three goals, and joining them in the final third will once again be 20-year-old Moroccan Youssef En-Nesyri.
As for Barcelona, the league leaders are without the services of Lionel Messi, who withdrew from the squad on Saturday afternoon following the arrival of his third child. Andres Iniesta is injured, meanwhile, meaning that there are starts for Paulinho, Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele in forward positions. There are no surprises at the back as Gerard Pique again starts alongside Samuel Umtiti at centre-back, with Jordi Alba and Sergio Roberto in the full-back positions.
So there we have it. The two teams are in, and we are now just about 40 minutes from kickoff at La Rosaleda. I shall speak about the home side and their struggles a little bit later, but let's start with Barcelona. As mentioned, the Catalan giants recorded a huge 1-0 win over second-placed Atletico last weekend to move eight points clear at the top of the table, with Messi's stunning free kick proving the difference.
Barcelona, who also beat Espanyol on penalties to win the Catalan Super Cup on Wednesday night, have won 21 of their 27 La Liga fixtures this season – remaining unbeaten in the process. It has been an incredible campaign for Ernesto Valverde's side, and only a major collapse is going to prevent them from reclaiming the Spanish title from Real Madrid this season.
Barcelona are unbeaten in all competitions since losing 1-0 at Espanyol in the Copa del Rey on January 17. They ultimately progressed from that tie, however, and bounced back from a shock 1-1 draw at Las Palmas earlier this month to beat Atletico courtesy of a first-half Messi free kick.
In terms of what is ahead for Barcelona, they will host Chelsea next Wednesday in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie. The two teams played out a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge last month, and the Spanish giants will be confident of finishing the job in front of their own supporters.
Valverde's side will then host Athletic Bilbao before travelling to Sevilla in their final two league games of the month. Barcelona will also face Sevilla in the final of the Copa del Rey next month as they look to win a treble. The league and Copa del Rey are looking pretty good, but Barcelona will have some very tough challengers in the Champions League. Not long until kickoff at La Rosaleda!
As for Malaga, it has been a rotten campaign for the White and Sky Blues. They actually finished 11th in La Liga last season, and have been present in the top flight of Spanish football since 2008. That 10-year record is in severe doubt, however, as they cannot seem to buy a win at the moment.
Indeed, Malaga have only collected 13 points from their 27 league matches this season to sit bottom of the table. They are now 11 points from 17th-placed Levante, and have been beaten in 20 of their 27 La Liga fixtures this term. Eight of those losses have come at La Rosaleda, but as mentioned, they did actually overcome Barcelona in the corresponding match last season.
Jose Gonzalez's side will enter the match off the back of six straight league defeats, and they are without a win in the top flight since December 10. It is going to take a minor miracle for Malaga to pick something up tonight, but stranger things have happened. Kickoff at La Rosaleda is next!
KICKOFF! Malaga will kick things off on home soil...
... it must be said that there is a good atmosphere inside the stadium. Malaga might be struggling, but the supporters have turned out in their numbers for this match. Barcelona are without Messi tonight, but they still have more than enough quality to make it a very difficult night for the home team.
Barcelona are dominating the ball in the early exchanges of this match, with Dembele looking to get on the ball in forward positions. Messi's absence might well release Dembele in the final third.
The Malaga supporters are having a wonderful time at the moment as they continue to bounce behind the Barcelona goal. Not much is happening on the field, but they are having a nice time.
Not much of a tempo to the match at the moment as Barcelona keep the ball without really threatening to harm Malaga's defence. Neither side is taking any risks at the moment here.
Quite a scrappy game here as the referee is forced to intervene following a number of late challenges. Barcelona have the chance to deliver a free kick into the Malaga box from a wide area, but Umtiti is beaten to Coutinho's high ball. Not too much to report in the opening 10 minutes here.
Roberto breaks down the right for the away side before delivering low towards Suarez, but Hernandez manages to poke the ball away. Barcelona remain in control of the possession here.
Malaga's first attack of note sees Rosales break down the right before delivering towards the far post, but Castro can only chip another cross into the arms of Ter Stegen.
SAVE! Wonderful save from Roberto Jimenez as the Malaga goalkeeper manages to keep out a low strike from Suarez, who had created space in a dangerous position!
GOAL! Malaga 0-1 Barcelona (Suarez)
Barcelona make the breakthrough in the 15th minute as Alba breaks down the left before delivering a stunning cross onto the head of Suarez, who simply nods the ball into the bottom corner!
You do get the feeling that this score could be anything that Barcelona want it to be. The Catalan side have played within themselves thus far, but it could be five or six if they turn on the style.
Ter Stegen has to drop down to keep out a long-range strike from En Nesiry.
In fairness to Malaga, they are attempting to attack here, and En Nesiry has shown good ability in possession. Barcelona, however, look capable of scoring every time that they break forward.
CHANCE! Another chance for Barcelona as Suarez releases Paulinho inside the Malaga box, but the Brazilian smashes the ball into the side-netting. Far too easy for the visitors.
Rolan breaks down the right for the home side before flashing a cross into the box, but Umtiti is on hand to make the clearance. Malaga have shown on a couple of occasions that they can cause problems in wide areas, but they just look so nervous down the other end of the field.
It is all too easy for Barcelona at the moment as they continue to pass and probe in the final third of the field. Malaga, to be honest, have the look of a side that have already accepted relegation.
GOAL! Malaga 0-2 Barcelona (Coutinho)
Barcelona double their lead in the 28th minute as Coutinho produces a quite wonderful flick from a Dembele cross! It was just sensational from Coutinho, who is now really settling at his new club.
RED CARD! SAMUEL!
Malaga are down to 10 men as Samuel Garcia is sent off for a really poor challenge on Alba!
It was a terrible challenge from Samuel, who caught the standing leg of Alba. The Barcelona left-back is back on his feet, which is good news, but Valverde might not want to take the risk.
Pique does well to take the ball down before volleying towards goal, but the referee blows his whistle for handball. It would have been some goal from the centre-back. Malaga are all over the place.
Rakitic curls one just wide of the post as Barcelona continue to create chances.
Barcelona could put five or six past Malaga in this match if they really fancy it. The league leaders are playing in second gear against a side that seems destined to drop into the Segunda Division.
CHANCE! Huge chance for the home side as Iturra picks out the head of En Nesiry with a super cross, but the 20-year-old somehow heads wide of the post!
Little over five minutes of the first period remaining, and Barcelona lead by a couple of goals courtesy of efforts from Luis Suarez and Coutinho. Malaga have had one excellent chance, but En Nesiry headed wide of the post. Not much of an atmosphere inside the stadium at the moment.
Another half-chance for Malaga, but Lacen strikes over the crossbar from a good position.
SAVE! Excellent save from Roberto to keep out a curling Coutinho effort.
Roberto drops down low to keep out a strike from Rakitic as Barcelona continue to look for more goals in the latter stages of the first period. Malaga are just so open in a defensive area here.
Luis Suarez is caught offside, and that could be the final action of the first period.
HALF-TIME: Malaga 0-2 Barcelona
So there we have it. The referee brings the first period to a close with Barcelona leading 2-0 courtesy of goals from Luis Suarez and Coutinho. Malaga are also down to 10 men here, with Samuel Garcia picking up a straight red card in the 30th minute for an awful challenge on Alba.
STATISTICS! Barcelona utterly dominated the first-half possession with 75% of the ball, while they managed 10 attempts - six of which were on target. Malaga had three attempts in the first period, but actually created two really good chances, and En Nesiry really should have scored the second.
BENCH WATCH! Malaga boss Jose Gonzalez does have attacking options on his bench tonight, with Bueno, Success and Ideye all available. That said, it may well be that Gonzalez makes a defensive change following the red card. Barcelona, meanwhile, have the likes of Andre Gomes, Paco Alcacer and Aleix Vidal in reserve, and all three will be hoping to see some minutes tonight.
RESTART! Barcelona resume the action...
... no changes from either side at the break, which is not too much of a surprise. However, I suspect that both managers will have alterations in mind as the second period develops here.
Roberto breaks down the right before delivering low into the Malaga box, but Hernandez is on hand to make the clearance. I would be surprised if we had seen the last of the goals in this match.
Dembele volleys wide of the post as Barcelona continue to look for more goals in the early stages of the second period. Just a reminder that a win puts the Catalan giants 11 points clear at the summit.
BOOKING! Iturra (Malaga) is booked for a poor challenge on Luis Suarez.
Suarez strikes the resulting free kick straight into the Malaga wall.
Malaga are not seeing much of the ball at the moment as Barcelona continue to pass and probe. The home side really need their supporters to raise the volume, but not much is happening in the stands here. Malaga would be happy if the referee blew the whistle at 0-2 here.
Another half-chance for Barcelona as Umtiti meets a cross from Paulinho, but the centre-back's effort is straight into the arms of the Malaga goalkeeper. Malaga wanted an offside flag there.
Castro manages to break clear for Malaga, but the attacker cannot find a pass into En Nesiry, who had made a good run behind the Barcelona defence. Little over 30 minutes to play here.
En Nesiry is again involved for the home side, but the striker slips in the Barcelona box at the final moment. The 20-year-old has been bright for Malaga in attacking positions tonight.
Coutinho sees a strike deflected wide of the post for a corner as Barcelona continue to look for more goals. Malaga will make the first change of the match in the next few moments here.
MALAGA SUB! Lestienne replaces Chory for the home side.
Malaga were the last team to beat Barcelona in the league, but they are not going to beat them tonight unless something incredible happens in the final 25 minutes or so here.
SAVE! Roberto has to get behind a long-range strike from Dembele.
Little over 20 minutes of football remaining, and still no sign of movement on the Barcelona bench, but we must be getting close as Valverde turns his attention to next week's clash against Chelsea.
Rolan breaks to the edge of the Barcelona box before striking towards goal, but his effort is weak.
Coutinho again tries his luck from distance, with Roberto at full stretch to make the save.
Little over 15 minutes of the second period remaining, and not too much has occurred since the break. Malaga are just sitting back hoping that the visitors do not score a third and fourth.
BARCELONA SUB! Gomes replaces Roberto for the away side.
Half-chance for the home side as Lestienne spins inside the Barcelona box, but his effort is deflected clear. Pique then has to clear a dangerous Ricca cross from the left.
Barcelona have a free kick in a dangerous area as Suarez is brought to the ground by Ricca...
... Suarez strikes into the wall.
BARCELONA SUB! Digne replaces Alba for the away side.
MALAGA SUB! Ideye replaces En Nesiry for the home side.
Little under 10 minutes of football remaining, and not too much is happening here.
It is almost like a pre-season match at the moment as both teams enjoy periods with the ball. Neither has any real attacking intent as we head for the final five minutes of this La Liga clash.
BOOKING! Suarez (Barcelona) is booked for a foul on Rosales.
BARCELONA SUB! Vidal replaces Dembele for the away side.
Possession football for Barcelona as we approach the final moments of what has been a really poor second period. Not much has happened since Samuel Garcia was sent off in the 30th minute.
Barcelona break clear through Coutinho, but Malaga manage to clear after Suarez was sent too wide. We are just about to enter the first of two additional minutes at the end of the match.
FULL-TIME: Malaga 0-2 Barcelona
So there we have it. The referee brings the second period to a close with Barcelona running out 2-0 winners over bottom club Malaga to move 11 points clear at the top of the table. Thanks for joining Sports Mole for our live coverage once again. See you soon!
