There'll be one minute added onto the end of this game.
88'
Trincao thinks he's got his hat-trick after Messi slips him in down the right-hand channel and he fires past Pacheco. Trincao's celebrations are shortlived though as he strayed offside in the build-up.
87'
Messi clips the ball towards goal from the left of the box but it's not got enough pace on it to worry Pacheco. Messi's looking for a hat-trick now, as is Trincao.
85'
Deyverson makes himself useful again, earning a free-kick off Junior. The Brazilian's not playing as if his side are 5-1 down, to his credit.
83'
Now Barca's three quickfire goals have killed this game as a contest, things are starting to calm down. Deyverson wins a free-kick as he's fouled by Lenglet.
81'
Deyverson enters the game and replaces Joselu.
Borja Sainz enters the game and replaces Lucas Pérez.
O. Dembélé enters the game and replaces A. Griezmann.
Joselu's strike partner Perez also heads off. At least he scored here. Sainz is his replacement.
Substitution Antoine Griezmann Ousmane Dembélé
Alaves make some forlorn substitutions. Joselu is replaced by the Brazilian forward Deyverson.
80'
J. Firpo has scored a goal for Barcelona! Assist by A. Griezmann.
Griezmann grabs his second assist in about as many minutes. The Frenchman's clicking very well now with this Barca team.
GOAL! BARCELONA 5-1 DEPORTIVO ALAVES! Alaves' resistance is well and truly broken now. Messi pops the ball over the top for Griezmann who's making his way into the box. Griezmann crosses first-time for Junior who fires high into the net at the far post. Lovely stuff.
75'
L. Messi has scored a goal for Barcelona! Assist by A. Griezmann.
GOAL! BARCELONA 4-1 DEPORTIVO ALAVES! Messi grabs his second goal of the game too out of nowhere, curling a shot towards the top left corner from outside the box. It's ridiculously good, which is about par for Messi.
Griezmann passed to Messi in the build-up so the Frenchman gets the assist. Barca can afford to step off the gas now.
74'
Trincão has scored a goal for Barcelona! Assist by L. Messi.
GOAL! BARCELONA 3-1 DEPORTIVO ALAVES! Trincao seals the win for Barca by scoring his second goal of the game. Messi darts through on goal, forcing Pacheco to come out and challenge him. Pacheco can't save Messi's blast and Trincao calmly finishes into an empty net.
Messi gets the assist. Barca's captain has been typically brilliant here and has surely helped his team to all three points.
Minute
Description
72'
Pere Pons enters the game and replaces Tomás Pina.
M. Pjanić enters the game and replaces F. de Jong.
S. Dest enters the game and replaces Óscar Mingueza.
Barca make a few changes. Dest replaces Mingueza at right-back.
Pjanic also comes on for de Jong who moved into midfield after Umtiti's introduction.
Alaves make a change of their own. Pons is on for Pina.
68'
Barca are playing a little more slowly now in order to conserve energy. The hosts knock the ball around in front of Alaves' low block without really getting anywhere in particular.
64'
Pedri enters the game and replaces I. Moriba.
Here's that Barca change - Pedri is on for Moriba. Moriba's had a mixed game for Barca, assisting a goal at both ends of the pitch.
63'
Messi drags a shot wide as an opportunity presents itself just inside the box. It looks like Moriba will be heading off shortly.
59'
How will that goal affect Barca? Alaves have created precious little but the visitors have hope now. Koeman will be frustrated that his side have let Alaves back into the game.
57'
Luis Rioja has scored a goal for Alaves!
GOAL! BARCELONA 2-1 DEPORTIVO ALAVES! Alaves are back in this after a terrible error by Moriba. Moriba's pass back is far too lax and Rioja nips into the box to slot past ter Stegen into the bottom corner!
55'
Alaves get a throw-in as Barca uncharacteristically knock a pass straight out of play. Mendez does well to keep in a cross on the opposite side and slips in Perez who blazes over from distance.
53'
Tachi's booked for that foul on Junior. Alaves have had to resort to fouling their opponents a lot so far.
52'
Tachi gets yellow.
Alaves are hustling high up the pitch but Barca are coping well with their press. Tachi catches Junior in the face after the ball's gone away from him. That'll be a card.
50'
The free-kick's too far to the left for Messi to go straight for goal. Instead Barca's captain curls a cross towards the far post but fails to find the head of a teammate.
49'
Barca have a free-kick just outside the box after Tachi's foul on Junior. Messi is standing over it.
47'
We're back underway for the second half. Let's see how those three substitutions change things.
46'
Laguardia enters the game and replaces Martín Aguirregabiria.
Luis Rioja enters the game and replaces Iñigo Córdoba.
S. Umtiti enters the game and replaces Sergio Busquets.
Cordoba has not had much joy down the left for Alaves. Rioja will try to do better.
Barca make a change of their own. Umtiti is on for Busquets.
Alaves make two changes at half-time. Aguirregabiria has been replaced in defence by Laguardia.
45' +2
HALF-TIME: BARCELONA 2-0 DEPORTIVO ALAVES
45' +1
L. Messi has scored a goal for Barcelona! Assist by Sergio Busquets.
GOAL! BARCELONA 2-0 DEPORTIVO ALAVES! Messi makes up for his ruled-out goal earlier by scoring now! It's a lovely goal too as the Argentine cuts inside onto his left foot and dinks the ball into the right-hand post. The sound of it is very satisfying.
Busquets claims the assist for that goal with a direct ball forward from the back. It's left Barca in a great place at the break as the half-time whistle blows!
45'
There'll be two minutes added onto the end of the half.
44'
Alaves are hardly troubling Barca but they are growing into the game. Barca have found it difficult to create much in the past few minutes.
42'
Now Barca get a succession of corners. Messi cuts inside and shoots low but an Alaves defender manages to get in the way.
40'
Perez has a shot blocked and Alaves win two corners in a row. Barca defend both corners successfully.
39'
Cordoba gets free down the left and flings a cross into the Barca box. Barca have a huge gap in their defence but ter Stegen confidently claims the ball.
33'
Mingueza runs across his man to fire straight at Pacheco but he's offside from Puig's throughball.
29'
Trincão has scored a goal for Barcelona! Assist by I. Moriba.
Moriba was well within his rights to shoot there but the teenager had the presence of mind to pick out Trincao.
GOAL! BARCELONA 1-0 DEPORTIVO ALAVES! Trincao fires into the bottom left corner after a layoff in the box from Moriba. Alaves had failed to clear a cross from the right which Moriba picked up.
26'
Lenglet takes his time to get up after taking a minor bang to the head but he's fine. Play continues. Barca are staying patient.
24'
Barca try to squirm the ball through the centre of Alaves but the visitors aren't having it. Alaves have worked hard in these opening 25 minutes.
23'
Alaves have a corner down their right. It leads to nothing as Busquets is fouled in Barca's box.
21'
Alaves can't really get near the ball to threaten Barca. Trincao darts inside and earns a free-kick for the hosts.
17'
Martín Aguirregabiria gets yellow.
Aguirregabiria's booked for a cynical pull on Messi. It was perhaps necessary for Alaves as Messi was breezing through the middle.
16'
Alaves' full-back Duarte is down receiving a spray to the thigh after being fouled by Junior. He gets up soon enough. The free-kick's headed away and Barca break but Messi can't get past Aguirregabiria. Messi gets the free-kick.
14'
Alaves get a corner down their left as the ball goes out of play off Mingueza. Barca manage to deal with it.
12'
The offside flag goes up against Junior as Messi attempts to set him free down the left.
10'
Barca force another corner down their left off Mendez. Alaves manage to successfully clear it.
8'
Alaves counter from the corner as Mendez bursts down the flank. Perez fires high and wide from the left of the box.
6'
Messi takes aim for the bottom left corner from a difficult angle on the left. Pacheco ventures out of his goal and makes the block. It'll be a Barca corner.
4'
Trincao fires wide from inside the area after cutting inside on his left foot. Barca are already asserting themselves.
2'
Barca start strongly as Griezmann has a shot bravely blocked from the centre of the box! The Frenchman had received a smart pass from Trincao.
1'
And we're underway!
Hello! Welcome to our live text commentary of this La Liga match between Barcelona and Deportivo Alaves at Camp Nou, Barcelona.
Barcelona are in blistering league form and sit fourth in La Liga at the moment. Ronald Koeman's team are staking a serious claim to be Atletico Madrid's nearest challengers at the top and will reclaim second place for now with a victory here.
Alaves nabbed a much-needed win over Real Valladolid last time out to end a six-game winless streak in the league. Abelardo Fernández's team are still 16th though and remain in the thick of a relegation battle. Anything other than a heavy defeat here would probably be welcome.
BARCELONA (4-3-3): Marc-Andre ter Stegen; Óscar Mingueza, Frenkie de Jong, Clement Lenglet, Junior Firpo; Ilaix Moriba, Sergio Busquets, Riqui Puig; Trincao, Lionel Messi (c), Antoine Griezmann.
SUBS: Sergino Dest, Miralem Pjanic, Ousmane Dembele, Inaki Pena, Samuel Umtiti, Alex Collado, Pedri, Neto, Matheus Fernandes, Jordi Alba, Konrad De la Fuente.
SUBS: Burgui, Deyverson, Abdelkabir Abqar, Javi Lopez, Víctor Laguardia, Borja Sainz, Jota, Pere Pons, Antonio Sivera, Manu Garcia, Facundo Pellistri, Luis Rioja.
DEPORTIVO ALAVES (4-4-2): Fernando Pacheco (c); Martín Aguirregabiria, Tachi, Florian Lejeune, Ruben Duarte; Edgar Mendez, Rodrigo Battaglia, Tomas Pina, Inigo Cordoba; Joselu, Lucas Perez.
The two sides are out on the pitch in Barcelona. Barca are in their usual home strip. Alaves are in their red-and-white away strip.
Barca keep up the pressure on Atletico at the top then as their focus turns to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. La Liga might be an uphill struggle for Koeman's team now but in form like this Barca will take some stopping in Europe. That's all for now. Goodbye!
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