Barcelona extended their lead at the top of LaLiga to 10 points over rivals Real Madrid, with a grinding 1-0 win against Valencia at the Camp Nou on Saturday night.
The LaLiga leaders were without several key figures for the game including star striker Robert Lewandowski and their manager Xavi, who had to watch on from the stands after receiving a suspension for his conduct during their shock 1-0 loss to Almeria last Sunday.
Barcelona went a goal up after 15 minutes after with Raphinha connecting with a lovely ball in from Sergio Busquets to head home his sixth goal for the club.
The Blaugarana went in 1-0 at half-time but could have doubled their lead after the break, after Hugo Guillamon handled the ball in the penalty area. Ferran Torres stepped up to take the spot-kick but couldn't convert, scuffing the outside of the woodwork.
The home side continued to attack and had another chance narrowly miss, with Ansu Fati's shot peppering the inside of the post on this occasion.
But the game took a bad turn for Barca, who went down to ten men adter Ronald Araujo pulled down Hugo Duro, stopping him from breaking free on goal, after Jules Kounde didn't get enough power on his headed pass back to Marc-Andre ter Stegen in goal.
For Valencia, this will be their eighth consecutive loss in all competitions, with Rubén Baraja's side currently occupying a spot in the relegation zone.
More to follow...