Messi late penalty spares Barca blushes
Summary
- Messi late penalty spares Barca blushes
- Lopez has silenced Nou Camp with equaliser
- Barca aiming to return to second in La Liga
- Pique & Iniesta on bench as Barca make four changes
- PSG take on Toulouse in Ligue 1
Live Reporting
So a frustrating night for PSG and one of huge mixed emotions for Barcelona.
The Spanish side have managed to win and lose simultaneously.
There's more to come in this soap opera.
I'll see thee.
After six minutes of injury time, it ends goalless in Paris.
A frustrating night for PSG. They remain three points behind Ligue 1 leaders Monaco.
Those two goals means Lionel Messi has now scored 34 goals in 34 games. You wouldn't have known it from his face when that winning penalty went in. It was an expression more of anger than joy, one that questioned 'how did we get into this?' as opposed to 'I'm glad we got out of it'.
Meanwhile, in Paris, it remains 0-0 between PSG and Toulouse. A frustrating night for Unai Emery's title-chasing side. They have five minutes to claim all three points.
Barcelona's win moves them up to second in La Liga, one point behind Real Madrid, who have two games in hand.
That won't be the focus in the days after this game, though. Luis Enrique is going to be asked a lot of uncomfortable questions shortly.
There are cheers at the final whistle, but they are either of relief or very, very hollow. Barca have won the game, but this will only prompt more questions.
Luis Enrique's side may have had 75% of possession but they struggled to hurt Leganes, who had enough chances to win the game themselves.
The cracks are covered with tissue paper.
Into the dying seconds. Neymar is fouled. That looks to have ended any remaining hope Leganes had of a late reprieve.
Ooooohhh! So close to an equaliser. The Leganes corner is cleared but picked up by El Zhar who unleashes a fierce shot from distance that flashes just past the post. Only a yard in it. Barca breathe again.
But wait, Leganes have a corner...
Poor Leganes. They were so close to a monumental result. They deserved their point. They have had it snatched away.
Five minutes have been added.
Out. Of. Jail. He has played on the biggest of stages and scored goal after goal, but Messi takes this huge moment in his stride, firing a perfect penalty into the corner of the net. No stopping that. Barcelona are still in this title race. Just.
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Barcelona have an escape route! Neymar cuts in from the left and is sent to ground by a lunging tackle from Mantovani. It is cruel on Leganes, but it is a pen.
Blatant time wasting by Siovas, who has a bit of cramp and takes an age to limp off to be replaced by Pablo Insua. It earns him plenty of whistles and a yellow card.
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Big save from Herrerin! Messi floats a pin-point pass over the top for Neymar, who has the ball taken right off his toe by the away keeper. Herrerin takes a knock for his trouble and eats into time to receive some treatment, much to the home fans' annoyance.
Six minutes left for Leganes to survive and seal a famous result.
Three changes for Barca. In the space of a minute, on come Andreas Iniesta, Denis Suarez and Jordi Alba. Rafinha, Andre Gomes and Digne depart. Can the old guard rescue them?
Oooh, this could be controversial. Montovani, who has already seen yellow cynically blocks Messi on the break. It is a yellow-card offence but the referee keeps his cards in his pocket.
As you'd expect, Luis Enrique is not a happy man.
Leganes don't just want a point, they want all three! They come forward through Machis down the left but he is muscled off the ball and Barca clear.
Messi takes again but misses the target, floating his effort over the bar. Poor.
Foul. Free-kick on the edge of the box for Barca. Big moment coming up...
Andreas Iniesta is stripping off. Barca need every bit of talent at their disposal to try and get out of jail here. You thought the PSG result was bad. This would be worse.
Oh my word! What a story we potentially have now! Leganes, tiny, little Leganes are level at the Nou Camp against the mighty Barcelona. There is a hint of fortune about it as the ref ignores what looks like a foul on Sergi Roberto in the right-back position by Machis before the ball is then worked to sub Unai Lopez, whose strike from the edge of the box beats Ter Stegen.
You can't say Leganes don't deserve this.
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The game is back under way in Paris and PSG have gone very close. Edinson Cavani has hit the post. It remains 0-0, though.
Off the line! Rafinha gets past a couple of men in the Leganes box before producing a shot that deflects towards the goal and past the keeper before being hacked cleared by Diego Rico into Herrerin's hands.
Once again, Guerrero is clear of the Barca defence. He eyes a shooting opportunity but is denied it by the attention of Jeremy Mathieu. Was that a nudge? The ref says no.
A smart turn from Luis Suarez leaves his marker standing still and beaten, but out comes Iago Herrerin to beat the Barca forward to the ball.
Erik Moran departs and on comes Unai Lopez. It is an attacking move. Leganes coach Asier Garitano knows his team can get something out of this. Barca are vulnerable.
If an end result comes the build-up can be considered patient, but when the final ball is as woeful as Barca are producing it looks unnecessarily laboured. They take an age to work the ball to the right of the box before Rakitic side-foots a low cross straight to the Leganes keeper.
Herrerin's turn to save. Neymar is found in the box by Messi and he tries to sneak a low shot inside the away keeper's near post but out comes a leg to block and avert the danger.
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Ivan Rakitic turns on the edge of the box but slices his shot horribly wide of goal.
If Leganes had a goalscorer they could be three, maybe four-one ahead. I kid you not.
Ter Stegen again to the rescue! He is Barcelona's star player so far. He produces another key save to deny Guerrero, who breaks the offside trap to go clear but fails to find the net with his angled drive. How often can the home side play with fire and not get burned?
Wayne Hollis: Saw Barca play Bilbao 2 wks ago. Defence poor then. Too much faffing about between GK & centre backs. PSG win was no surprise
Iniesta must be a tempting option for Luis Enrique now to add some calm authority to the home side. I'm sure he would have preferred to have put this game firmly to bed without him but needs must.
Tom Rainsford: Barcelona not finishing chances. Feels flat around the Nou Camp, would not be surprised if Leganes grab one
AFP
The passes are ambitious but too often going astray for Barca. Lionel Messi is gliding over the turf but failing to beat men with the usual ease. This is a dysfunctional Barcelona.
Leganes really fancy this. They win another corner, which Guerrero fails to flick on at the near post before a Barca defender blocks a follow-up shot and clears.
It is half-time in Paris, where PSG are being frustrated by Toulouse.
The first yellow of the evening goes to Luis Suarez for a high foot in on Gabriel.
We are back under way. I can't believe I'm typing this, but it is a really big half of football for Barca. Against Leganes.
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Take a bow Zdenek Zeman. This week, the legendary coach returned to Pescara, who sacked Massimo Oddo after a run that has seen them fail to win since August. Zeman's first game? A 5-0 win over Genoa.
They remain bottom of Serie A but surely now have hope they can get out of trouble.
For this and the rest of today's results from the Italian top-flight, click here.
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RB Leipzig reduced Bayern Munich's lead at the top of the Bundesliga to five points with a 2-1 win over Borussia Moenchengladbach.
Emil Forsberg and Timo Werner, with his 12th goal of the season, gave the league's surprise outfit their 14th win of the campaign.
Leipzig's Hungarian goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi saved Thorgan Hazard's penalty on the stroke of half-time before Danish centre-back Jannik Vestergaard finally found the net for the home side nine minutes from time.
Leipzig are now eight points clear of nearest rivals Borussia Dortmund.
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Bayern Munich boss Carlo Ancelotti had a good week somewhat spoiled on Saturday when he was apparently spat on at the end of his side's 1-1 draw with Hertha Berlin.
The Italian has since admitted to offering a middle-finger gesture in response to those he believed had perpetrated the act.
"Yes, I made the gesture after being spat at," he told broadcaster ARD.
Robert Lewandowski's equaliser for Bundesliga leaders Bayern came after the indicated five minutes of added time at the end of Saturday's game.
Hertha boss Pal Dardai described the extra time played as "BayerN
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