Barcelona send down rivals Espanyol

Catalans stay in touch with La Liga leaders Real Madrid with 1-0 win

BARCELONA:

Barcelona kept their faint title hopes alive and doomed Espanyol to relegation on Wednesday as Luis Suarez's goal proved the winner in a pivotal Catalan derby at the top and bottom of La Liga.

A cagey contest at Camp Nou exploded into life for six frantic minutes at the start of the second half as Ansu Fati and Pol Lozano were sent off, leaving each side with 10 men before Suarez struck.

Suarez profitted after another superb contribution from a reinvigorated Antoine Griezmann, his backheel setting up Lionel Messi to shoot, with Suarez turning in the rebound.

This 1-0 victory was a far cry from the sparkling 4-1 win over Villarreal on Sunday but it moves Barca to within a point of Real Madrid, who play their game in hand at home to Alaves on Friday.

Espanyol, rooted to the bottom of the table, will be relegated. They sit 11 points adrift of safety with only three games left to play.

"Life or death" read the front page of Mundo Deportivo on Thursday morning - for Barcelona, who had to win to stay in touch with Madrid, and for Espanyol, given they needed a victory to prolong their survival effort.

Griezmann's combination with Suarez and Messi, coming after his sumptuous chip against Villarreal, sustains the Frenchman's momentum but this was more of a gritty win against an Espanyol team that hit the post at 0-0 and had chances.

With the superior head-to-head and a kind last four fixtures, Real Madrid remain firm favourites.

"We have to win our next three games," said Suarez. "What Madrid do is up to them. If they drop points, fantastic. We just have to be there if they do."

Espanyol needed to win but have not beaten Barcelona in the league since 2009 when Mauricio Pochettino was in charge and Rufete, the team's fourth coach this season, accepted Messi's commiserations at the final whistle with a look of resignation.

The club's supporters this week expressed anger after a "shameful season" under the Chinese Rastar Group, which took majority control in 2016.