Barcelona beat Las Palmas 3-0 with Camp Nou closed to fans in light of the circumstances around Sunday's Catalan independence referendum.
Sergio Busquets and Lionel Messi were on target at Barcelona beat Las Palmas 3-0 behind closed doors at Camp Nou, preserving their 100 per cent record in LaLiga against a backdrop of unrest surrounding Catalonia's independence referendum.
LaLiga chiefs rejected a request from Barcelona to postpone the match in light of violent scenes that marred Sunday's vote and left 465 people injured according to the Catalan health ministry after the referendum was declared to be unconstitutional by the country's national government
Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu explained the decision to play at an empty Camp Nou was borne out of solidarity and a "rejection of what has been experienced" as the stadium scoreboard bore the message "Democracia", featuring an illustration of a ballot box.
But a home side featuring five Catalans were seemingly unsettled by the circumstances and their surroundings during a listless first-half showing. Las Palmas enjoyed the greater share of possession and hit the post through Jonathan Calleri, with Barca's only advantage appearing in a 4-0 yellow card count at the break.
The half-time introduction of Ivan Rakitic and Andres Iniesta by Ernesto Valverde proved inspired as their midfield colleague Busquets – one of the Catalan contingent - crowned Barcelona's most convincing passage of play by breaking the deadlock in the 49th minute.
Messi then came to the fore in typical style with a brace inside the final 20 minutes to increase Barcelona's advantage over Real Madrid to 10 points before their rivals host Espanyol later on Sunday, although a late injury to Iniesta took some shine off the win.
Latest Stories
-
Vincent Assafuah explains GLC disciplinary procedure in petition against former AG, Godfred Dame
12 minutes -
‘Principalities who wished you the worst will be disappointed’- Mahama welcomes Vice President after full recovery
15 minutes -
WTISD 2025: Aya Institute urges gender-sensitive policies to bridge the digital divide
23 minutes -
One arrested as missing UEW lecturer is found buried in his home
29 minutes -
Aflao MoMo vendor’s killing: 65-year-old father of key suspect arrested; 8 now in custody
38 minutes -
Mr. Daniel Kwame Wiafe
46 minutes -
KNUST Architecture students spearhead major peri-urban survey in Yilo Krobo
48 minutes -
UEW Co-operative Credit Union marks 23rd AGM, promotes financial literacy and entrepreneurship among students
54 minutes -
MP Vincent Assafuah petitions ILO over ‘politically-motivated dismissal of public-sector workers
1 hour -
CJ C’ttee petition: Mahama has “serious problems to tackle”, not “a 20-second restaurant encounter” – Ansa-Asare
1 hour -
Trump administration revokes Harvard’s ability to enroll foreign students
1 hour -
Nurture Nature Foundation calls for urgent action to address flood crisis in Accra
1 hour -
ECG rallies Suame Magazine traders to tackle transformer theft and power vandalism in A/R
2 hours -
Why do we only see the bad? A call for balanced political accountability
2 hours -
Strong Cedi, weak jobs: Ahiagbah warns of economic mismatch
2 hours