Barcelona stroll past Malaga without Messi

Lionel Messi was away going to the introduction of his child yet Barcelona still had all that anyone could need to beat 10-man Malaga 2-0 on Saturday and move 11 focuses clear at the highest point of La Liga. 

Messi was watching the diversion on a TV in healing center as Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho put his group two up inside 30 minutes at La Rosaleda, before Samuel Garcia was sent off in the 30th moment for an unsafe handle on Jordi Alba. 

Down a man and without a win in 12 matches, Malaga may have dreaded a defeat however Barca made due with a clear triumph, maybe with one eye on Wednesday's Champions League last-16 conflict against Chelsea. 

On Messi's withdrawal, Barcelona mentor Ernesto Valverde stated: "I discovered this (Saturday) morning, before leaving home, I had just been called by the delegate of the club and he had revealed to me the conditions encompassing Leo. 

"We officially pretty much knew when it may happen. It wasn't extremely hard to supplant him since I had an unmistakable thought of how the amusement would go." 

Messi is normal back against Chelsea at the Camp Nou, where the score is 1-1 from the primary leg, yet Valverde will have been charmed with how his aggressors filled the void, as Suarez, Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele all conveyed magnificent showcases. 

Specifically, Dembele's splendid turn and pass was bettered just by Coutinho's flicked complete for what was a wonderful second objective. 

"He has that capacity," Valverde said of Dembele. 

"Today I think had more accomplishment than at different circumstances, yet the good thing is that he generally goes at the rival, dependably moves them, generally tries to spill, and we require individuals like that." 

The win implies Barca broaden their leeway over second-set Atletico Madrid, who can pull the shortfall back to eight focuses with a prevail upon Celta Vigo on Sunday. 

Malaga, in the mean time, remain attached to the base of the table. 

- Ronaldo 'from another system' - 

Prior on Saturday, Zinedine Zidane marked Cristiano Ronaldo as "from another cosmic system" after the striker's twofold dragged Real Madrid to a 2-1 prevail upon Eibar. 

Ronaldo headed in a 84th-minute champ at Ipurua, having prior placed Real in front with an insistent close post wrap up. Eibar's Ivan Ramis had balanced in the middle of to give the home side expectation. 

Be that as it may, Ronaldo's two objectives mean he has now scored in seven sequential recreations and brags an astounding 13 objectives generally speaking in that period. 

The 33-year-old's count for club and nation this season remains at 35 objectives in 37 appearances. 

"For me he's from another cosmic system," Real mentor Zidane said. "He realizes that he will score. He is an alternate, uncommon player. The measurements represent themselves." 

Genuine move four focuses behind second-set Atletico Madrid, while Eibar remain eighth. 

Gareth Bale began in advance close by the Portuguese, while Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, sufficiently fit just to fall off the seat in midweek, returned. 

Modric was magnificent all through, the Croatian furnishing a heavenly go with the outside of his foot for Ronaldo's opener. 

"It's valid that following 15, just about 20 days, Luka came in and played an extraordinary amusement," Zidane said. 

"He is a critical player for us and what he did, he did." 

Valencia remain a point behind Real and everything except finished Sevilla's expectations of completing in the main four by beating Vincenzo Montella's men 2-0. 

Sevilla trailed Valencia by eight focuses before commence yet that hole was extended to 11 after two objectives from Rodrigo Moreno fixed an agreeable triumph.