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Barcelona logo
La Liga
Mar 2, 2014 at 8pm UK
 
Almeria

4-1

Sanchez (9'), Messi (23'), Puyol (83'), Xavi (89')
FT(HT: 2-1)
Trujillo (26')

Barcelona see off Almeria to move to within one point of La Liga summit

Barcelona close the gap on La Liga leaders Real Madrid to just one point courtesy of a 4-1 home win over relegation battlers Almeria.

Barcelona have closed the gap on La Liga leaders Real Madrid to just one point courtesy of a 4-1 home win over strugglers Almeria.

The reigning champions were cruising after just 23 minutes thanks to Alexis Sanchez's 16th league goal of the season and a 30-yard free-kick from Lionel Messi.

However, Almeria shocked the Camp Nou by pulling one back three minutes later when Angel Trujillo headed home from Miguel Angel Corona's corner kick.

Barca quickly resumed control of the game and Messi came close to restoring his side's two-goal cushion just before the break, but he sent a brave diving header just wide.

A brilliant Xavi through-pass put Neymar in on goal early in the second period, only for the Brazil international to drill a low shot straight at goalkeeper Suarez Esteban.

Barca's performance then went right off the boil, much to the frustration of an underwhelmed Catalan crowd.

Those supporters were on their feet again on 83 minutes though, as Carles Puyol netted his first goal of the season, tapping home from close range after Messi's header had struck the crossbar.

Xavi added gloss to the scoreline in the dying moments with a brilliant curling effort that found the bottom corner of Esteban's goal from long range.

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Barcelona's Argentinian forward Lionel Messi celebrates his goal during the Spanish league football match FC Barcelona vs UD Almeria at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on March 2, 2014
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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Barcelona17122350193138
2Real Madrid17114237162137
3Atletico MadridAtletico16105130111935
4Athletic Bilbao1795326151132
5Mallorca188371821-327
6Villarreal157532725226
7Osasuna176742225-325
8Real Sociedad167361611524
9GironaGirona176472325-222
10Sevilla176471823-522
11Real BetisBetis165651820-221
12Celta Vigo176382528-321
13Rayo Vallecano165561819-120
14Las PalmasLas Palmas165382227-518
15Getafe163761113-216
16AlavesAlaves164391827-915
17Leganes163671423-915
18Espanyol1642101528-1314
19Real ValladolidValladolid1733111234-2212
20Valencia152491323-1010


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