Barcelona stars Lionel Messi and Neymar strike... but Alba is sent off against Espanyol
Pass. Pass. Pass. And then write pass another 22 times. That's how many times Barcelona moved the ball on before Neymar gave them the lead in Saturday's 2-0 Catalan derby win over Espanyol.
Word on the street is that Barça are top heavy, which is true in some cases, but it wouldn't be wise to ignore their continued ability to keep the ball.
They barely let go of it against Espanyol as they followed up sizzling first half performances against Sevilla and Paris Saint-Germain with another one here against their next door neighbour.
When Neymar put the ball in the net, his 31st goal of the season, after 18 minutes, Kiko Casilla had already kept the home side in the game with saves from Neymar and Luis Suarez.
It was Suarez's dummy which created Neymar's goal and it was the Uruguayan's pass which allowed Lionel Messi to score his 47th goal of the season seven minutes later.
Messi, Suarez and Neymar now boast 97 goals between them this season — and Suarez didn't start playing until October, or scoring until January, really — and you'd fancy that to tick on to 100 in the next week.
As for Espanyol, it's now been over eight years since they won a derby at home and six since they won one at all.
Nestled in 10th position, though, it will only be local pride which stings on Saturday night.
Neymar forced Casilla into action after three minutes and the home side's goalkeeper was again on his toes to deny Suarez three minutes later.
When the goal arrived, it wasn't a surprise. Messi's lofted pass, which was the 24th pass of a spell of Barça possession, found Alba, who played the 25th pass across the face of the goal.
Suarez stepped over the ball and Neymar buried it.
Andres Iniesta and Suarez exchanged passes seven minutes later, with the latter playing the ball across the box for Messi to fire home at the near post.
Felipe Caicedo fired Espanyol's first shot over in the 28th minute and Victor Alvarez's touch let him down 10 minutes later, but Luis Enrique's side went into the break completely in control.
Alba's red card changed that slightly, but not dramatically. He was sent off for kicking the ball away and then, seemingly, for something he said to referee Matheu Lopez. Two yellow card offences in a matter of seconds.
Messi hit the post almost immediately, but the majority of the chances then fell Espanyol's way.
Caicedo had a shot deflected wide from distance and Sergio Garcia, a former Barcelona player, shot straight at Claudio Bravo.
Substitute Christian Stuani had two great chances to pull a goal back, but fired over from six yards and then at Bravo from the left side of the box — he should have done better on both occasions.
Messi and Neymar almost added a third late on, but the damage was done, like against PSG, in the first half.
Hector Moreno, like Alba, was given his marching orders for a second yellow card in stoppage time, as Barça closed out the three points and elevated themselves five clear of Real Madrid, who play Celta Vigo on Sunday.
