Barcelona just about did enough to avoid dropping points at home to Leganes, as Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez scored late on in a 3-1 win.
2018/2019 La Liga
3-1
Match Report
Ernesto Valverde's decision to rest Messi almost backfired after Martin Braithwaite cancelled out a goal from Ousmane Dembele, who was later forced off injured, but the Argentinian came off the bench to inspire Suarez's goal and then rounded out proceedings.
Dembele was almost unplayable right from the start and it came as no surprise to see him find the breakthrough with a tidy finish just after the half-hour mark.
Player Ratings
Match Events
32'GOAL! Barcelona 1-0 Leganes (Dembele)
Dembele jinks past two defenders on a counter-attack before laying it to the left for Alba and moving towards the penalty spot. The left-back cuts back a pass towards the edge of the area for Dembele whose first-time shot is placed excellently towards the far post.
57'GOAL! Barcelona 1-1 Leganes (Braithwaite)
En-Nesyri flies down the left-hand flank with the ball, and Alba’s sliding intervention only takes him out of the play while pushing the winger forward. He then cuts it across the box for Braithwaite who taps it home from inside the six-yard box as he leaves both Barcelona centre-backs for dead!
71'GOAL! Barcelona 2-1 Leganes (Suarez)
Messi smashes a shot towards goal and forces a brilliant flying save from Cuellar, but he’s only able to palm it up in the air. The Uruguay international comes steaming through from an onside position and pokes the ball past the goalkeeper and into the goal with a raised boot – but there is some controversy as it looks as though the striker’s boot made contact with the face of the goalkeeper!
90' GOAL! Barcelona 3-1 Leganes (Messi)
It’s a phenomenal one-two pass inside the area with Alba which gets the captain free from his marker, before raising a thunderbolt of a shot into the roof of the net from close range, denying Cuellar any chance to get a palm to it!
Line-ups
Barcelona XI: T. Vermaelen, L. Suárez, Piqué, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, Philippe Coutinho, M. ter Stegen, S.Roberto, Arthur, Carles Aleñá, O. Dembélé
Subs: L. Messi, I. Rakitić, Vidal, Jeison Murillo, Jasper Cillessen, Semedo, Malcom
Leganes XI: Siovas, Nyom, Iván Cuéllar, M. Braithwaite, K. Omeruo, Recio, J. Silva, Rodrigo Tarín, Vesga, Y. En-Nesyri, O.Rodríguez
Subs: Zhar, Juanfran, Eraso, Michael Santos, Gumbau, Vasyl Kravets, Andriy Luni