Messi inspires Barca victory at empty Nou Camp

Barcelona’s Lionel Messi scored twice in a 3-0 win over Las Palmas on Sunday in a Liga match played without fans following clashes between police and voters in Catalonia over a banned independence referendum.

In the late game, Real Madrid earned its first home league victory of the season by beating Espanyol 2-0 with a goal in each half by midfielder Isco, while Valencia moved up to third in the standings after beating visiting Athletic Bilbao 3-2.

League leader Barca tried to have its game postponed, but the request was turned down by La Liga and the Catalan club announced 25 minutes before kickoff that the game would be played behind closed doors.

Club president Josep Maria Bartomeu said the stadium was closed to show opposition to police violence against voters in Catalonia’s independence referendum, which was banned by the national government, and not over safety concerns.

Spanish riot police on Sunday burst into polling stations across Catalonia to try to halt the referendum on a split from Spain and Catalan officials said more than 800 people were injured in the crackdown.

Barca’s Sergio Busquets scored for the first time in the league in three seasons to give the hosts the lead in the 49th minute, leaping to head in a curling corner from Messi.

Argentine Messi then struck his 10th league goal of the season to double Barca’s advantage in the 70th.

Messi then latched onto a pass from fellow forward Luis Suarez to pounce again in the 77th, sealing Barca’s seventh straight domestic league win this season and maintaining its 100 percent start in La Liga and the Champions League.

Barcelona leads the standings on 21 points, five clear of Sevilla in second, while Real is fifth on 14. Valencia, with 15, climbed above Atletico Madrid on goal difference.

The bizarre circumstances of the Barcelona game appeared to affect the home side in the first half as it lacked energy and imagination, mustering only two shots on goal.

“It was very strange, of course it’s not normal, but today’s events overshadowed the game,” Busquets said on playing behind closed doors.

“Today was a special day, we had to focus on the sporting part, which wasn’t very nice for us, and we were affected by everything BT PUIFS UIJOHT XFSF PO PVS NJOET u IF BEEFE