Barcelona: Bravo; Dani Alves, Piqué, Mathieu, Adriano (Rakitic 46‘); Busquets, Mascherano, Xavi (Sergi Roberto 80‘); Messi, Luis Suárez (Pedro 65‘), Neymar. 4-3-3.
Valencia: Diego Alves; Barragán, Mustafi, Otamendi, Lucas Orbán (Gayà 46‘); Javi Fuego; Feghouli (Cancelo 67’), Dani Parejo, André Gomes, Rodrigo; Paco Alcácer (Negredo 74’). 4-1-4-1.
Goals:
1-0. 01. Luis Suárez. Ran on to Messi pass and struck angled shot under Alves.
2-0. 93. Messi. Picked up ball in midfield and ran on to beat keeper at second try.
Yellow cards: Adriano 27’, Javi Fuego 28’, Lucas Orbán 35’, Mascherano 54’, Otamendi 66’, Rakitic 77’, Mustafi 79’, Bravo 91’.
Leaders Barcelona had a tricky game against fourth placed Valencia to start off the Saturday programme, but goals in the first and last minutes of the match gave them a 2-0 victory in the end. Luis Suárez opened the scoring after Messi set him up on a rapid breakaway right at the start, but for the rest of the first half the visitors were on top, Rodrigo firing a shot just wide just a couple of minutes after the goal. With ten minutes gone Bravo had to save a Dani Parejo penalty after Piqué brought down Rodrigo in the area, and a few minutes later Paco Alcácer went close before the Spanish international striker turned a shot against the foot of the post. Messi drilled a shot past the upright shortly before the break though, and then curled a free kick against the crossbar soon after the restart. Bravo saved from Rodrigo and Diego Alves kept out Pedro as the game swung from end to end, but in the fourth minute of injury rime Neymar played the ball through for Messi to run on unmarked from inside his own half and beat Alves at the second attempt, taking his all-time tally for the club to 400 goals.