Barcelona cruise to victory against Alavés

GAME OVER! The referee blows the whistle on a reasonbly easy afternoon for Barcelona. Alaves made it 2-1 and had a chance or two but Messi ended it and then Suarez put the final nail in the coffin from a penalty. Barcelona go three points clear of Madrid at the top of LaLiga.

We will have four minutes of added time.

Burke on for Aleix Vidal.

Messi's free is a mile over the bar. 

Semedo on for Sergi Roberto.

Suarez off for Carles Perez.

Ely gets booked for fouling Messi. I don't think he has any issue with that one as he leaves his leg in quite cynically.

De Jong gets back to head a ball into the box out for a corner.

Busquets makes way for De Jong. Barcelona's first change.

Referee gone to VAR now. Suarez heads a ball down and it's handball. The defender puts his hand up to block it but, kind of, pretends that he doesn't know what's happening. Arm was in an awkard position. Penalty fairly awarded.

We still have 20 minutes to play though.

The key seems to be to get Messi angry. The referee made a strange decision with the double-foul by Umtiti and Wakaso and Messi wasn't happy. 5 seconds later, he buries one and ends this one as a contest, you'd think.

MESSI! To the rescue. He absolutely buries it from outside the box.

Referee gives the ball back to Barcelona. There's a row as to who should have it. We are finally back underway.

Wakaso and Umtiti booked for the same challenge. The pair of them launch themsleves into a tackle. Wakaso didn't even do anything? Strange decision by the ref and one that looked far worse than it was.

Alaves' purple patch might be over. Barcelona have wrestled control back. Aleix Vidal with a booking for a foul on Pique. He might have been booked for the row he had with the linesman after it actually.

Corner whipped in and it's just wide by Duarte. Barcelona suffering now.

Corner for Alaves now after Aleix Vidal gets into a nice area.

Alaves looking good now. Ball sent back to Ter Stegen and Pique lets Lucas between them. Ball is cleared by Ter Stegen just about but Barcelona are looking very shake all of a sudden.

There was a VAR check. Busquets had his foot stood on by Manu Garcia but it was well before the goal. We kick off again and we're good to go.

Messi gets it from Aleña, who has looked very good this afternoon, but Messi's cross is off target.

Change for Alaves Rioja on and he replaces Javi Munoz.

Another Griezmann goal but he was offside. Lovely ball over the top for Griezmann but he was a good yard on the wrong side of the defender.

Lovely ball in from the left and Alaves manage to get it away. Good start by Suarez.

We are back underway for the second half!

Just enough time to kick off again and it's half-time.

Dagger through Alaves' hopes and dreams. 

Alaves improving here as Barcelona eye half-time but they are lacking quality in the final third. Another attack comes to nothing.

Perez finds Munoz as Alaves break out. The pass from Garcia is behind Munoz though and it's a very tame end to that counter. Barcelona back on the attack. Messi lines one up from outside the box and that's blocked.

Sent into the front post and it's headed out. Griezmann breaks and finds Messi. He dribbles forward and sends a shot across goal. SO CLOSE! It dribbles parallel to the goalline and Pique is standing there watching it roll past him. He thought it was in.

First corner of the game for Alaves.

Nice chance for Barcelona. Roberto plays it onto Griezmann's foot and he sends it across goal first time. Suarez is there but it's too far ahead of him.

Taken short and Sergi Roberto tries to wrap his foot around it to send it towards goal. He manages that but there's no pace on it. Pacheco comfortable with the stop.

Shot into the side netting is blocked and Barcelona have a corner. 

There's another one of those passes over the top but it's the wrong trajectory and wide.

Wakaso in a nice position. He wins it at the edge of the box, runs across the penalty area to make a nice angle for himself but scuffs the shot completely with Aleix Vidal outside him.

Umtiti steps in front of a miscontrolled ball by Pere Pons and he is fouled. Barcelona win the free and win the ball back too. More defending for Alaves to do.

Alaves trying to respond here and making Barcelona do a bit of chasing.

Busquets finds Roberto and he plays back to Messi, who has drifted all the way out to the right. Busquets plays it in to Vidal, who keeps making that run in behind the defenders. Goalkick.

Griezmann loses his man in the penalty area and falls in a heap while the ball is in the air. He wants a penalty, as do the fans at the Camp Nou, but the referee says no. It was Martin who ran across him but it's nothing and referee waves play on.

Now Griezmann races clear and pulls back to Suarez. The ball gets lost somehwere under his feet and Alaves scramble away.

Sergi Roberto down the right and he crosses. Wakaso wins it and takes it down with a heavy touch. Barcelona win it back and they continue to pile pressure on Alaves' goal.

There it is! Messi is offside though. Busquets sends it over the top and Messi takes it down before poking home. Replay shows it was a shade offside.

Messi tries to round three defenders in the penalty area. He nearly pulls it off too.

Another cross-field pass. To Alba this time and he can't reach it. Headed away but the opener might be close.

Griezmann down the left now as they come to life. Pacheco grabs it low and at the front post.

Chilena from the Chilean. Vidal is offside anyway and doesn't really connect with the effort. Suarez gets it, and he was offside too. 

Long ball over the top looking for Griezmann but that's way to long for him. Out for a goalkick. Really tired effort to start this game.

All Barcelona so far. Alaves can't get hold of the ball, and don't particularly want to. Umtiti launches one across the field to Roberto and Barcelona win the second ball and start again.

Umtiti plays to Aleña and Pere Pons spins him around. Ref whistles for a free. 

Messi pokes the ball to Roberto and he continues his run. Alaves recover and get it out but that's the first scare of the afternoon for the visitors. 

We are underway at Camp Nou as Barcelona try to get back ahead of Real Madrid on points in LaLiga. They're currently top on goal difference.

Carles Puyol gives Messi the player of the month award for November. 

Manu Garcia and Messi up for the coin toss. 

The teams walk out onto the field. Camp Nou not as full as it was on Wednesday night. 

He's a look at LaLiga. Sevilla beat Mallorca earlier today so they can enjoy their Christmas break knowing they did what they needed to do this weekend. Barcelona can move three clear of Real Madrid with the game against Athletic Bilbao to come.

Luis Suarez will miss the derby against Espanyol after Christmas if he gets booked today.

This could be down to many factors but their inability to create shots and willingness to shoot is worrying.

Alaves are reeling after losing to Real Jaen in the Copa del Rey during the week. They were beaten 3-1 in the game and life keeps throwing obstacles in their way with a trip to the Camp Nou today. 

Alaves XI: Pacheco, Martín, Ely, Navarro, Duarte, Pere Pons, Manu Garcia, Vidal, Javi Muñoz, Wakaso, Lucas Perez.

Busquets was sick despite being named to start on Wednesday. He was changed for Rakitic late in the day but he's back again today and should add even further stability to Barça's midfield.

Busquets was sick despite being named to start on Wednesday. He was changed for Rakitic late in the day but he's back again today and should add even further stability to Barça's midfield.

Vidal really added to Barcelona's midfield in the second half on Wednesday and was supposedly furious not to start that game. He is in today from the get-go!

Lenglet and Rakitic left out after playing midweek. They were both accused of fouls on Varane in the first half of the Clásico but Aleña, who has been linked with Getafe, is in along with Arturo Vidal.

Barcelona XI: Ter Stegen, Alba, Pique, Umtiti, Sergi Roberto, Busquets, Aleña, Vidal, Messi, Suarez, Griezmann.

Hello and welcome to our live online coverage of Barcelona vs Alaves in the aftermath of the Clásico. Kick-off is at 16:00 CET from Camp Nou.