Luis Suarez struck a second half winner for Barcelona to close the gap on Real Madrid at the top of La Liga to one point and relegate rivals Espanyol.

Quique Setien started Antoine Griezmann, Lionel Messi and Suarez once again after their impressive display in the victory over Villarreal on Sunday and while they failed to reach those sort of heights in this derby, they still combined to deliver the winning goal.

Raul de Tomas struck the post for the visitors in the first half as Espanyol more than held their own for the opening 45 minutes, but it wasn’t until the start of the second half that the contest truly came to life.

A bizarre four-minute spell saw Ansu Fati, who came off then bench at the interval, and Pol Lozano sent off for two separate high tackles before Suarez struck what proved to be the decisive blow, finishing off a move that also involved Griezmann and Messi.

The win for Barcelona puts the pressure back on Real Madrid, who will play their game in-hand against Alaves on Friday night, while Espanyol now face the reality of relegation to the Segunda Division after a dismal season.