Match ends, Barcelona 4, Valencia 2.
Lionel Messi struck twice as Barcelona beat 10-man Valencia in a thrilling match to move two points behind La Liga leaders Real Madrid.
Eliaquim Mangala headed the visitors in front from a corner, before Luis Suarez steered in an equaliser.
Messi's penalty made it 2-1 after Manchester City loanee Mangala was sent off for dragging back Suarez, but Munir El Haddadi swept Valencia level.
Messi scored his second after the break and Andre Gomes made it four late on.
Defensive madness meets attacking brilliance
Barcelona desperately needed a victory after losing ground in the title race with a surprise 2-1 defeat at Deportivo last weekend.
In the end, they should have won by more goals than they did - but they were all over the place defensively for the first hour.
Luis Enrique's three-man back line was caught out too often, with Munir denied by keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen when clean through seconds before Mangala scored from the resulting corner.
Valencia were equally sloppy in defence, though. Ezequiel Garay was outpaced down their right by Suarez on more than one occasion, and the Uruguay international was quick to pounce for the equaliser when the visitors switched off at a Neymar throw-in.
Mangala, already on a yellow card, could have no complaints about his dismissal just before half-time.
Enrique, though, had plenty of reason to fume when his own defenders allowed Munir, on loan from Barcelona, all the time he wanted to turn in Jose Luis Gaya's pull-back.
Barcelona did not seem to know how to cover their right flank defensively, and Enrique eventually sent on Sergi Roberto in a move to a back four.
That settled the home side, who could have had plenty more goals - with Neymar going closest as he hit the post with a free-kick.
In the end, they settled for two in the second half; Messi - La Liga's leading scorer - caught out keeper Diego Alves with a near-post drive and substitute Gomes tapped in from Neymar's pass.
Elsewhere in Europe
- Muller extends Bayern's lead to 13 points
- Mbappe scores twice as Monaco stretch lead
- Cuadrado sends Juventus 10 points clear
- Atletico overcome top-four rivals Sevilla
Line-ups
Barcelona
Formation 3-4-3
- 1ter Stegen
- 14Mascherano
- 3Piqué
- 23Umtiti
- 5Busquets
- 12RafinhaSubstituted forAndré Gomesat 74'minutesBooked at 77mins
- 8IniestaBooked at 67mins
- 4RakiticSubstituted forRobertoat 65'minutes
- 10MessiBooked at 86mins
- 9Suárez
- 11Neymar
Substitutes
- 6D Suárez
- 13Cillessen
- 17Alcácer
- 18Alba
- 19Digne
- 20Roberto
- 21André Gomes
Valencia
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Alves
- 21MontoyaBooked at 90mins
- 24Garay
- 5MangalaBooked at 44mins
- 14Gayá
- 18Soler
- 8PérezBooked at 24mins
- 10ParejoBooked at 43mins
- 2CanceloSubstituted forBakkaliat 84'minutes
- 9El HaddadiSubstituted forZazaat 73'minutes
- 15OrellanaSubstituted forAbdennourat 45'minutes
Substitutes
- 6Siqueira
- 11Bakkali
- 12Zaza
- 13Domenech
- 20Medrán
- 23Abdennour
- 39Valderrama Domenech
- Referee:
- Alejandro José Hernández Hernández
- Attendance:
- 77,058
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home72%
- Away28%
- Shots
- Home28
- Away6
- Shots on Target
- Home12
- Away5
- Corners
- Home6
- Away3
- Fouls
- Home4
- Away12
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Barcelona 4, Valencia 2.
Booking
Martín Montoya (Valencia) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Neymar (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Martín Montoya (Valencia).
Goal!
Goal! Barcelona 4, Valencia 2. André Gomes (Barcelona) right footed shot from very close range to the top right corner. Assisted by Neymar.
Booking
Lionel Messi (Barcelona) is shown the yellow card.
Post update
Attempt missed. Neymar (Barcelona) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses the top right corner. Assisted by Sergi Roberto.
Substitution
Substitution, Valencia. Zakaria Bakkali replaces João Cancelo.
Post update
Offside, Barcelona. Javier Mascherano tries a through ball, but Luis Suárez is caught offside.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Luis Suárez (Barcelona) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Post update
Luis Suárez (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by Ezequiel Garay (Valencia).
Post update
Gerard Piqué (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Simone Zaza (Valencia).
Post update
Attempt saved. Neymar (Barcelona) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Lionel Messi.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Sergi Roberto (Barcelona) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by André Gomes.
Post update
Attempt missed. Daniel Parejo (Valencia) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right from a direct free kick.
Booking
André Gomes (Barcelona) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Foul by André Gomes (Barcelona).