Lionel Messi has now scored 69 penalties for Barcelona

Lionel Messi scored a penalty as La Liga leaders Barcelona came from behind to beat Rayo Vallecano and retain their seven-point lead at the top.
Raul de Tomas, on loan from Real Madrid, had given Rayo a surprise lead with an excellent 20-yard strike.
Gerard Pique headed an equaliser from Messi's free-kick and the Barca captain nonchalantly put the treble-chasing champions ahead from the spot.


Luis Suarez tapped home a late third after a one-two with Ivan Rakitic.
Messi is La Liga's top scorer with 26 goals in 25 games, with Suarez second on 17.
Second-placed Atletico Madrid had briefly narrowed the gap on Barca with a 1-0 win over Leganes earlier on Saturday, Saul scoring the only goal.
Barcelona were made to work hard by Rayo Vallecano, who are in the relegation zone after six consecutive defeats, but Ernesto Valverde's side are now unbeaten in 14 La Liga games, a run going back to November. They have won 13 consecutive league games against Rayo since 2002.
Next up for the Catalan side is a home game against Lyon in the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday, having drawn the first leg 0-0 in France.

    Line-ups
    Match Stats
    Live Text

Line-ups

Barcelona

    1ter Stegen

    2Nélson Semedo

    3Piqué

    23Umtiti

    18Alba

    22Vidal

    5BusquetsBooked at 79minsSubstituted forMalcomat 85'minutes

    8Ramos de Oliveira MeloSubstituted forDembéléat 45'minutes

    10Messi

    9Suárez

    7CoutinhoSubstituted forRakiticat 80'minutes

Substitutes

    4Rakitic

    11Dembélé

    13Cillessen

    14Malcom

    17Murillo

    20Roberto

    21Aleñá

Rayo Vallecano

    13Dimitrievski

    17Advíncula

    20VelázquezBooked at 68mins

    23Gálvez

    16AmatSubstituted forPozoat 64'minutes

    7Moreno Lopera

    14Dias Correia

    12ImbulaBooked at 89mins

    27Comesaña

    18GarcíaSubstituted forEmbarbaat 80'minutes

    9de Tomás Gómez

Substitutes

    1García

    2Román Triguero

    8Trejo

    11Embarba

    15Suárez

    22Pozo

    25Di Santo

Referee:

Mario Melero López

Attendance:

74,158

Match Stats

Home TeamBarcelonaAway TeamRayo Vallecano

Possession

Home69%

Away31%

Shots

Home12

Away8

Shots on Target

Home6

Away1

Corners

Home10

Away4

Fouls

Home12

Away17

Live Text

Posted at
Match ends, Barcelona 3, Rayo Vallecano 1.Full TimePosted at 90'+2'
Second Half ends, Barcelona 3, Rayo Vallecano 1.
BookingPosted at 89'
Giannelli Imbula (Rayo Vallecano) is shown the yellow card.Posted at 89'
Gerard Piqué (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.Posted at 89'
Foul by Giannelli Imbula (Rayo Vallecano).Posted at 88'
Attempt missed. Raúl de Tomás (Rayo Vallecano) right footed shot from more than 35 yards is too high. Assisted by Giannelli Imbula.Posted at 88'
Foul by Samuel Umtiti (Barcelona).Posted at 88'
Raúl de Tomás (Rayo Vallecano) wins a free kick in the defensive half.Posted at 86'
Offside, Barcelona. Jordi Alba tries a through ball, but Luis Suárez is caught offside.Posted at 85'
Attempt missed. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) left footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high from a direct free kick.SubstitutionPosted at 85'
Substitution, Barcelona. Malcom replaces Sergio Busquets.Posted at 84'
Lionel Messi (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the attacking half.Posted at 84'
Foul by Alejandro Gálvez (Rayo Vallecano).
Goal!Posted at 82'
Goal! Barcelona 3, Rayo Vallecano 1. Luis Suárez (Barcelona) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Ivan Rakitic.Posted at 81'
Attempt blocked. Bebé (Rayo Vallecano) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Adrián Embarba.SubstitutionPosted at 80'
Substitution, Barcelona. Ivan Rakitic replaces Coutinho.SubstitutionPosted at 80'
Substitution, Rayo Vallecano. Adrián Embarba replaces Álvaro García.BookingPosted at 79'
Sergio Busquets (Barcelona) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.Posted at 79'
Foul by Sergio Busquets (Barcelona).Posted at 79'
Giannelli Imbula (Rayo Vallecano) wins a free kick in the attacking half.Posted at 75'
Corner, Rayo Vallecano. Conceded by Jordi Alba.Posted at 75'
Attempt blocked. Raúl de Tomás (Rayo Vallecano) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked.Posted at 75'
Attempt blocked. Emiliano Velázquez (Rayo Vallecano) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Giannelli Imbula with a cross.Posted at 75'
Corner, Rayo Vallecano. Conceded by Nélson Semedo.Posted at 73'
Corner, Barcelona. Conceded by Santiago Comesaña.Posted at 69'
Corner, Barcelona. Conceded by Álex Moreno.Posted at 69'
Attempt blocked. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.BookingPosted at 68'
Emiliano Velázquez (Rayo Vallecano) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.Posted at 68'
Luis Suárez (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the attacking half.Posted at 68'
Foul by Emiliano Velázquez (Rayo Vallecano).Posted at 66'
Offside, Rayo Vallecano. José Pozo tries a through ball, but Santiago Comesaña is caught offside.Posted at 66'
Attempt missed. José Pozo (Rayo Vallecano) left footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right following a corner.Posted at 65'
Corner, Rayo Vallecano. Conceded by Samuel Umtiti.Posted at 65'
Attempt blocked. Raúl de Tomás (Rayo Vallecano) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Santiago Comesaña.Posted at 65'
Foul by Arturo Vidal (Barcelona).Posted at 65'
José Pozo (Rayo Vallecano) wins a free kick in the defensive half.SubstitutionPosted at 64'
Substitution, Rayo Vallecano. José Pozo replaces Jordi Amat.Posted at 63'
Attempt blocked. Coutinho (Barcelona) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Ousmane Dembélé.Posted at 59'
Samuel Umtiti (Barcelona) wins a free kick on the left wing.Posted at 59'
Foul by Bebé (Rayo Vallecano).

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Source: bbc.com