FC Barcelona close in on the Liga BBVA title

Messi, a free-kick master

Lionel Messi stepped up to take a free-kick on the edge of the area and the Argentine's pinpoint shot gave FC Barcelona an early lead. Messi's sublime shot saw the home side off to a good start as they looked to seal all three points. After beating the wall, the ball crept in at Pau Lopez's left post, leaving the RCD Espanyol keeper no chance at all.

A frenetic pace

As the minutes ticked by, the game's intensity crept up a notch. Barcelona looked for gaps down one side and then the other as Espanyol tried to leave as little space as possible between their lines. A highly disputed first half in a fast-paced encounter during which no ball was given up on.

The best crowd for the derby against Espanyol in the last 10 years https://t.co/J0nrrhvQhp #FCBlive pic.twitter.com/pWDKubMPe9

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) May 8, 2016

Luis Suarez calms FC Barcelona's nerves

Luis Suarez had tried throughout the first half but failed to find the net. The Uruguayan ran onto a through ball and slotted the ball past Pau Lopez. The goal came seven minutes into the second half and calmed his team's nerves as they looked to see out the game and seal all three points.

The Uruguayan striker scores his second goal of the afternoon

Luis Suarez put in a world-class performance at the Camp Nou. Having scored his first goal of the game with his right foot, he scored this one with his head. Showcasing his impressive array of skills, the striker held off his marker to head home and make it 3-0. The goal was his 37th Liga BBVA goal of the season and sees him stay top of Spain's goalscoring charts.

Rafinha and Neymar put the icing on the cake

Barely two minutes after coming into the game, Rafinha pounced, after Pau Lopez failed to gather the ball, to make it 4-0. With seven minutes left on the clock, Neymar scored Barcelona's fifth and final goal of the game. The win saw Barcelona take a huge step towards lifting the league title with just one game left until the end of the season. They depend on themselves to win the Liga BBVA on the last day of the campaign against Granada CF.