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First Division - Day 8

Deportivo 4 - Barcelona 5

Deportivo: Aranzubia; Laure, Marchena, Zé Castro, Ayoze; Abel Aguilar, Alex Bergantiños; Bruno Gama (Nelson Oliveira 61'), Valerón (Camuñas 60'), Pizzi; Riki (Salomao 80'). 4-2-3-1.
Barcelona: Víctor Valdés; Montoya, Alex Song, Mascherano, Jordi Alba; Fàbregas (Xavi 60'), Busquets, Iniesta; Tello (Pedro 55'), Messi, David Villa (Adriano 53'). 4-3-3.

Goals:
0-1. 03. Jordi Alba. Controlled Fàbregas through ball and struck shot past keeper.
0-2. 08. Tello. Picked up Messi pass and fired low shot under legs of Aranzubia.
0-3. 18. Messi. Collected Fàbregas back-heel pass and struck shot wide of keeper.
1-3. 41. Pizzi (penalty). After Mascherano tripped Riki on edge of penalty area.
2-3. 37. Alex Bergantiños. Shot which Valdés let through his hands after corner.
2-4. 44. Messi. Ran on to Fàbregas pass and steered angled shot past Aranzubia.
3-4. 47. Pizzi. Curled long free kick over defensive wall in to top corner of net.
3-5. 78. Messi. Got ball in midfield and ran on to beat keeper with angled shot.
4-5. 79. Alba (own goal). Lobbed ball over head of Valdés pressured by Oliveira.

Yellow cards: Mascherano 20', 49', Iniesta 34', Bergantiños 40', Ayoze 51', Valerón 56', Laure 60', Fàbregas 77', Messi 85' / red cards: Mascherano 49'.

Barcelona beat Deportivo 4-5 in a thrilling last match of the evening to ensure top spot for another week. Vilanova's side seemed to have things wrapped up when Jordi Alba, Tello and Messi put them three up with only just over a quarter of an hour on the clock, Fàbregas setting up the first and the third, and Messi the second. However Pizzi got one back with a hotly disputed penalty after Riki fell under a challenge from Mascherano on the edge of the area, and Alex Bergantiños scored a second goal for the locals with a low shot following a corner which went through the hands of Víctor Valdés.

Fàbregas put Messi through again for him to restore the two goal cushion before the break, but Pizzi reduced the gap again after the restart with a well struck free kick, and shortly afterwards Barça were left with ten men when Mascherano picked up a rigid second booking for a foul on Riki. Messi hit the post though with another free kick before completing his hat-trick with a house-special, picking up Xavi's short pass in midfield and turning past his marker before running past two more defenders to score. However a minute later Alba could only loop the ball over his own keeper trying to clear from Oliveira, and there were some nervous moments before the referee blew the final whistle.