Lionel Messi spared Barcelona’s blushes at the death as his penalty gave the Catalans a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Leganes in La Liga on Sunday.
Luis Enrique rotated his squad after Tuesday’s horror show at Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, with Gerard Pique, Jordi Alba and Andres Iniesta all benched.
Javier Mascherano’s hamstring injury, however, saw Andre Gomes moved into the role of midfield pivot, despite his below-par performance at Parc des Princes.
Nonetheless, Barca took the lead in just the fourth minute, when Luis Suarez escaped down the left, before chipping a cross into the box for Lionel Messi to tuck away from a couple of yards out.
Moments later, Lucas Digne was caught out by a long ball, which Nabil El Zhar chested down with the slightest of touches. However, the former Las Palmas man’s volleyed finish was straight at Marc-Andre ter Stegen, as was his low drive on the rebound.
Messi responded by playing a magnificent give-and-go with Suarez, but his flicked effort at Herrerin’s goal was tipped around the post by the goalkeeper.
Yet Lega could – and should – have drawn level just before half-time. Martin Mantovani, the man mountain in Leganes’ defence, rose highest from a corner but couldn’t keep his free header down, before Ter Stegen showed fantastic reflexes to push a deflected shot wide.
Both openings gave the minnows confidence to tackle Barca after the restart. Samuel Umtiti misguided a long ball, which fell to Miguel Guerrero, but the striker’s one-on-one shot with Ter Stegen was batted away by the goalkeeper.
At the other end, Neymar – having been played in down the left – cut inside and side-footed a shot on target that Herrerin parried clear.
Rafinha then skipped past Mantovani and checked back on his right foot, but his belated strike in the box was blocked by the Basque between Lega’s sticks.
That would be the last chance created by Barca until the dying embers as Alexander Szymanowski ran onto another long ball and hit a half-volley into Ter Stegen’s side-netting.
Jeremy Mathieu appeared to push Guerrero to the deck as the last man but avoided a red card, although no such fortune favoured Sergi Roberto.
The full-back was criminally dispossessed just outside his own box, paving the way for substitute Unai Lopez to drive hard and low past Ter Stegen. It was a well-deserved equaliser for Lega, who had more than matched the Catalans.
As the whistles reared their ugly heads again, Messi was cynically chopped down by Mantovani. However, the defender avoided a second yellow card.
It could’ve got worse before it got better for La Blaugrana, had Guerrero’s diving header swerved past Ter Stegen.
With time fast becoming of the essence, Neymar had a near-post flick clawed away by Herrerin, but Barca had their answers prayed seconds later through the Brazilian, who was brought down in the box by Mantovani.
Messi smashed the penalty into the roof of Herrerin’s net, but there was still time for the Catalans to throw away the lead again as El Zhar unleashed a piledriver inches over, deep in stoppage time.
Barcelona 2-1 Leganes
Messi 4, pen 90 (B) Unai 71 (L)
Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Sergi, Mathieu, Umtiti, Digne (Alba 81); Rakitic, Gomes (Iniesta 80), Rafinha (Denis 80); Messi, Suarez, Neymar
Leganes: Herrerin; Tito, Mantovani, Siovas (Insua 87), Rico; Alberto, Moran (Unai 65); El Zhar, Gabriel, Szymanowski (Machis 70); Guerrero
Referee: Ignacio Iglesias
