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Attendance: 67,194
Barcelona logo
La Liga
Dec 12, 2015 at 3pm UK
 

2-2

Messi (39'), Rakitic (62')
FT(HT: 1-0)
Perez (77'), Bergantinos (86')

Half-Time Report: Lionel Messi breaks through for dominant Barcelona

Lionel Messi's free kick gives a dominant Barcelona a 1-0 half-time lead over Deportivo La Coruna in La Liga at Camp Nou.

Lionel Messi's free kick has given Barcelona a 1-0 half-time lead over Deportivo La Coruna after a first half which they almost completely dominated in the La Liga clash at Camp Nou.

A much-changed Barca failed to win for the first time in seven games with a 1-1 draw at Bayer Leverkusen in midweek, but with Luis Enrique reverting to his first-choice side, the hosts unsurprisingly dominated the early stages.

Even without the injured Neymar, Barca were incisive in the Deportivo half, and top scorer Luis Suarez should have opened the scoring after just five minutes when he somehow sliced wide from close range after Sandro Ramirez nodded Lionel Messi's deep ball into the box across goal.

The hosts had found their groove, and more superb vision from Messi nearly brought the breakthrough once more as the Argentine spotted Andres Iniesta's run with a fine through-ball, but the captain just could not steer his stretched effort past German Lux.

Lux saved well from Messi's free kick moments later as the early one-way traffic continued, but Depor had their first opportunity of the match when Juanfran swung in a teasing cross and Jonathan Rodriguez beat Gerard Pique to the ball, but the striker was denied by Claudio Bravo.

Sandro could not convert when Ivan Rakitic's cross found its way through to the back post as Barca's frustration continued, and seven minutes later Suarez missed another clear opportunity when he got his header all wrong from a corner after Lux had denied Messi.

Six minutes before the break the home side's dominance was finally rewarded when they were given another free kick in a dangerous position, and this time Messi whipped a dipping effort past Lux from 20 yards.

Suarez hit a half-volley wide from Rakitic's cross as the leaders pressed for a second before the break, but they had to settle for a slim advantage as the half-time whistle sounded.

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Tom Nightingale
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Karim Benzema of Real Madrid celebrates after scoring his team's opening goal during the La Liga match between Real Madrid CF and Getafe CF at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on December 5, 2015
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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Barcelona18122450203038
2Atletico MadridAtletico17115131112038
3Real Madrid17114237162137
4Athletic Bilbao1896327161133
5Mallorca188371821-327
6Villarreal167542827126
7Real Sociedad177461611525
8Osasuna176742225-325
9Real BetisBetis176652021-124
10GironaGirona176472325-222
11Sevilla176471823-522
12Celta Vigo176382528-321
13Rayo Vallecano165561819-120
14Las PalmasLas Palmas175482227-519
15Leganes174671523-818
16Getafe173771114-316
17AlavesAlaves174491928-916
18Espanyol1642101528-1314
19Real ValladolidValladolid1733111234-2212
20Valencia152491323-1010


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