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Barcelona hosted Leganes at the Camp Nou as they aimed to continue setting the pace at the top of the La Liga standings. In what was a closely contested game, Barcelona secured a hard-fought 2-0 victory, as they moved five points clear of Real Madrid.
Having played just three days ago, Barcelona made a handful of changes to their squad with one eye on the crucial game against Sevilla in the weekend. Clement Lenglet returned from his one-match suspension and was drafted into the starting lineup, while Jordi Alba missed out for the same reason after picking up a booking against Mallorca.
Junior Firpo deputized for the Spaniard and Ivan Rakitic replaced Frenkie de Jong in central midfield, while Ansu Fati was also handed a start.
Martin Braithwaite, who controversially signed for Barcelona after the conclusion of the January transfer window, came up against his former team. However, the Dane was an unused substitute, as the home side got the job done despite being made to work hard for it.
In a tightly contested first half, Barcelona failed to create too many chances and were pegged back by the away side. Leganes missed two glorious chances to take the lead and were punished shortly before half-time, as the Catalan giants broke the deadlock in the 42nd minute.
Ansu Fati, who replaced Braithwaite in the starting XI, drilled a low shot into the bottom corner as Barcelona went into half-time with a slender 1-0 lead.
In a game where chances were few and far between, Lionel Messi produced the decisive moment once again as he got in on the goalscoring act. The Argentine was fouled inside the area and slotted home the penalty himself, as Setien's side opened up a five-point advantage at the top of the table.
As Barcelona made it back to back victories after the restart, here are five talking points from a tightly contested encounter at the Camp Nou.
#1 Ansu Fati grabs Barcelona chance with both arms
Teenage sensation Ansu Fati was handed a rare start, as Quique Setien aimed to rotate his squad with a crucial game against Sevilla on the pipeline. The decision paid dividends, as the youngster produced another golden moment for Barcelona.
Having started the game quietly, Fati burst onto life as the game progressed and showed glimpses of his pace and trickery on the ball. Shortly before the interval, the 17-year-old scored a well-taken goal to put Barcelona ahead and was one of the standout players in the first half.
Fati is widely regarded as one of the finest talents in world football and the youngster enhanced his reputation further with another goal, taking his La Liga tally up to five for the season. He was replaced early in the second half, as Luis Suarez took his place to get some much-needed game time under his belt.
#2 Leganes left to rue missed chances
Barcelona were pegged back in the opening exchanges, as Leganes started the game on the front foot and threatened to score the opening goal of the game. The Blaugrana were caught out in the 13th minute, as their high-line was bypassed by the away side.
Somehow, Leganes failed to put the ball into the back of the net, as Lenglet's crucial goal-line clearance proved to be a pivotal moment in the game. Moments later, Leganes went close to scoring once again but the shot fizzed past the post as Barcelona breathed a huge sign of relief.
The Catalan giants grew in stature before the interval and broke the deadlock through Ansu Fati, whose goal changed the complexion of the game.
#3 Lionel Messi one shy of 700 career goals
Having recorded a goal and two assists on his La Liga return, Lionel Messi played a pivotal role in Barcelona's victory yet again. The little maestro was not at his best in the first half but grew into the game after the interval.
Messi set off on one of his mazy runs and was fouled inside the penalty area, as Leganes were left star-struck by his brilliance on the ball. The diminutive Argentine stepped up and calmly dispatched the resulting penalty, as Barcelona effectively sealed the game with a 2-0 advantage.
With 21 goals and 14 assists, Messi leads La Liga for both those stats and has spearheaded Barcelona's title charge this season. The Catalan giants will hope for their talisman to carry on scoring, with games against Sevilla and Athletic Club on the pipeline.
Having broken several long-standing records over the course of his glittering career, Messi is just one goal shy of recording 700 career goals for club and country.
#4 Barcelona sweating over Pique's fitness
Gerard Pique's importance to Barcelona cannot be overstated, as the Spaniard continues to lead the backline with incredible elegance. With Samuel Umtiti struggling with fitness issues, Clement Lenglet has partnered the veteran defender for the lions share of the season.
However, Barcelona were dealt with a massive blow in the second half, as Pique went down after a rash tackle and was subsequently substituted. The Catalan giants cannot afford to lose the Spaniard to injury in the business end of the season, as they are embroiled in a thrilling title race with Real Madrid.
Barcelona will be sweating over Pique's fitness and it remains to be seen if the 33-year-old makes a swift recovery, as the Blaugrana face Sevilla and Athletic Bilbao in their next two La Liga games.
#5 Griezmann's Barcelona goal drought continues
Antoine Griezmann was lively on the night for the home side, but the Frenchman failed to score for the fifth La Liga game in succession. Since moving to Barcelona in a big-money deal last summer, the 29-year-old has struggled to find the back of the net regularly.
With just eight La Liga goals to his name for Barcelona, Griezmann has not justified his price tag and blanked once again for the home side. The former Atletico Madrid man did put the ball into the back of the net in the second half, but the goal was ruled out upon consultation with the VAR as Nelson Semedo was deemed to have been marginally offside.
Setien praised Griezmann's work ethic earlier this week and his defensive astuteness was on display once again, as he ran the length of the pitch in the dying moments of the game to win the ball back for his side.
However, the World Cup winner needs to recapture his goalscoring mojo quickly and ease the goalscoring burden on Lionel Messi.
