Match ends, Barcelona 7, Osasuna 1.
Barcelona 7-1 Osasuna
- From the section European Football
Lionel Messi scored twice as Barcelona retained their La Liga lead with a thumping win to relegate Osasuna.
The defending champions are level on points with Real Madrid, who beat Deportivo la Coruna 6-2 later on Wednesday and have a game in hand.
Messi's 501st Barca goal opened the scoring, before Andre Gomes smashed in.
Roberto Torres gave the away side hope, but further strikes by Gomes and Messi, two from Paco Alcacer and Javier Mascherano's first Barca goal followed.
After Messi's 12th-minute opener, fans held up their shirts as they mirrored the Argentine's celebration of a 93rd-minute winner - his 500th goal for Barca - at Madrid on Sunday.
That 3-2 victory re-opened the title race in dramatic fashion, but Barca must hope Madrid slip up in one of their five remaining matches if they are to defend last season's success.
Leganes beat Las Palmas later on Wednesday to confirm bottom side Osasuna's relegation.
After Torres curled past Marc-Andre Ter Stegen just after half-time, they were buried by four goals within 20 minutes.
Messi's second of the night was the pick of the bunch as he skipped past a series of challenges and fired home, shortly after Gomes had put Barca 3-1 up with his second, tapping in after Gerard Pique's header struck the post.
Argentina forward Messi has now scored 49 goals this season in all competitions, from 48 games.
'I tried to get out of it...'
Mascherano's first goal in 319 games for Barca was thumped home from the penalty spot after Messi had been withdrawn.
As he ran up to take it, the Barca bench watched on in excitement, with Luis Suarez - rested for the match - barely able to contain his glee.
"At first I tried to get out of it but under pressure from my team-mates and the crowd I decided to take it on," Mascherano said.
"It would have been a fun moment to remember in years to come had I missed it. I wasn't sure about it at all but it was difficult to say no to my team-mates."
It was the 32-year-old's third goal in senior club football, having scored twice during three years at previous club Liverpool - who he left for Barca in 2010.
"The fans behind the goal were chanting for Mascherano to take it," manager Luis Enrique said. "I am happy for him - he is a key player for the club and he has shown that down the years."
The La Liga title run-in
| Barcelona | Real Madrid |
|---|---|
| Espanyol (a) | Valencia (h) |
| Villarreal (h) | Granada (a) |
| Las Palmas (a) | Sevilla (h) |
| Eibar (h) | Malaga (a) |
| Celta Vigo* TBA (a) | |
| * match was postponed in February |
Line-ups
Barcelona
- 1ter Stegen
- 14Mascherano
- 3Piqué
- 19Digne
- 5Busquets
- 21André Gomes
- 4Rakitic
- 6D Suárez
- 7Turan
- 10MessiSubstituted forAleñáat 63'minutes
- 17Alcácer
Substitutes
- 8Iniesta
- 9Suárez
- 13Cillessen
- 18Alba
- 20Roberto
- 23Umtiti
- 28Aleñá
Osasuna
- 25Sirigu
- 34Buñuel Redrado
- 6Sanjurjo Maté
- 37Mondragón
- 16Fuentes Hernández
- 17RomeroSubstituted forOlavide Montesat 72'minutes
- 18Mérida PérezSubstituted forCausicat 79'minutes
- 14Tienza Núñez
- 20de las Cuevas Barberá
- 10Torres
- 7León LimonesSubstituted forKodroat 73'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Fernández
- 8Causic
- 19Kodro
- 21Clerc Martínez
- 30Barja Alfonso
- 33Márquez Álvarez
- 35Olavide Montes
- Referee:
- José Luis Munuera Montero
- Attendance:
- 62,453
Match Stats
Home TeamBarcelonaAway TeamOsasuna
- Possession
- Home77%
- Away23%
- Shots
- Home19
- Away3
- Shots on Target
- Home9
- Away2
- Corners
- Home10
- Away1
- Fouls
- Home3
- Away7
Live Text
Full Time
Second Half ends, Barcelona 7, Osasuna 1.
Corner, Barcelona. Conceded by Salvatore Sirigu.
Attempt blocked. Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Paco Alcácer.
Attempt blocked. Denis Suárez (Barcelona) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by André Gomes.
Goal!
Goal! Barcelona 7, Osasuna 1. Paco Alcácer (Barcelona) right footed shot from the right side of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Denis Suárez with a through ball.
Attempt missed. Carles Aleñá (Barcelona) left footed shot from the right side of the box is too high.
Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Fuentes (Osasuna).
Corner, Osasuna. Conceded by Javier Mascherano.
Substitution
Substitution, Osasuna. Goran Causic replaces Fran Mérida.
Javier Mascherano (Barcelona) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Fran Mérida (Osasuna).
Corner, Barcelona. Conceded by Roberto Torres.
Substitution
Substitution, Osasuna. Kenan Kodro replaces Sergio León.
Substitution
Substitution, Osasuna. Olavide replaces Jaime Romero.
Corner, Barcelona. Conceded by Fran Mérida.
Goal!
Goal! Barcelona 6, Osasuna 1. Javier Mascherano (Barcelona) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the high centre of the goal.
Penalty Barcelona. Denis Suárez draws a foul in the penalty area.
Penalty conceded by Fran Mérida (Osasuna) after a foul in the penalty area.
Offside, Osasuna. Fausto tries a through ball, but Sergio León is caught offside.
Goal!
Goal! Barcelona 5, Osasuna 1. Paco Alcácer (Barcelona) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Javier Mascherano following a corner.
Corner, Barcelona. Conceded by De las Cuevas.
Substitution
Substitution, Barcelona. Carles Aleñá replaces Lionel Messi.
Offside, Osasuna. Fuentes tries a through ball, but De las Cuevas is caught offside.
Goal!
Goal! Barcelona 4, Osasuna 1. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) left footed shot from outside the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Ivan Rakitic.
Attempt blocked. Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Denis Suárez.
Goal!
Goal! Barcelona 3, Osasuna 1. André Gomes (Barcelona) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner following a corner.
Gerard Piqué (Barcelona) hits the right post with a left footed shot from the centre of the box. Assisted by Ivan Rakitic with a cross following a corner.
Corner, Barcelona. Conceded by Jhon Steven Mondragón.
Attempt blocked. Gerard Piqué (Barcelona) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Ivan Rakitic with a cross.
Corner, Barcelona. Conceded by Buñuel.
Gerard Piqué (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Sergio León (Osasuna).
Attempt saved. Roberto Torres (Osasuna) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is saved in the top left corner. Assisted by De las Cuevas with a cross.
Attempt saved. Javier Mascherano (Barcelona) header from the right side of the six yard box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Paco Alcácer with a cross.
Corner, Barcelona. Conceded by Buñuel.
Goal!
Goal! Barcelona 2, Osasuna 1. Roberto Torres (Osasuna) from a free kick with a right footed shot to the top left corner.
Foul by Sergio Busquets (Barcelona).
Jaime Romero (Osasuna) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
