Lionel Messi is hit by a bottle after Sergio Busquets

Sergio Busquets was the unlikely hero for Barcelona, scoring with the last kick of the game to give Luis Enrique’s side a 1-0 win over Valencia and close the gap on Real Madrid to two points.

There were 93 minutes on the clock when Lionel Messi drifted out to the right and crossed for Neymar to head goalwards.

Valencia keeper Diego Alves made the save but Busquets scored from the rebound and as Messi and Co celebrated he was hit by a plastic bottle as home supporters pelted the pitch.

Valencia had defended well and gone close themselves with former Manchester City forward Alvaro Negredo drawing the best save of the game from Claudio Bravo.

The frustration had previously been all Barcelona’s. Luis Suarez thought he had scored his first league goal for the visitors after 68 minutes but it was incorrectly ruled out for offside - the Uruguayan was level with the last Valencia defender.

There was a lively start to the first half with Jeremy Mathieu booked for chopping down Negredo. Valencia forced their first chance on 10 minutes when Rodrigo Moreno was foiled by Claudio Bravo. But although they had the early upper hand it was Barcelona who had the best opportunity of the first half and it fell to Suarez.

Gerard Pique played a long ball out of defence which Neymar cleverly flicked into Suarez’s path. The ball dropped it front of him around the penalty spot but Diego Alves in the Valencia goal made the save.

On 20 minutes Neymar went down dramatically under a challenge from Nicolas Otamendi and as if to do out-do his opponent the defender responded to the Brazilian inclining his head towards him as he bent down to remonstrate with him for diving by throwing himself down in the penalty area.

In the resulting melee neither Neymar nor Otamendi’s amateur dramatics were punished as yellow cards were shown to Pique and to Antonio Barragan.

(dailymail.co.uk)

ANN.Az