Barcelona coach Enrique says Clasico victory was morale booster

Messi capped a virtuoso individual display with an injury time victor at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday, moving Luis Enrique's men back to the top of the table on goal difference.

Madrid was in control from the start against relegation-threatened Deportivo in La Coruna, taking the lead through Alvaro Morata in the first minute.

Barcelona striker Paco Alcacer was delighted to score his double in victory over Osasuna.

Gomes scored in the 30th and 57th minutes, and Alcacer netted in the 64th and 86th.

75 min: FYI: Barça's 4th goal, which was also #Messi 's 33rd of the season and 502nd of his career, was Barça's 150th this season!

Pepe Mel's Deportivo, after a campaign of struggle now mathematically safe from the drop, gave Real Madrid food for thought with a Florin Andone goal 10 minutes before the break, but Lucas Vazquez re-established the two-goal cushion heading into half-time.

There is a doubt about on-loan goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu, who has been suffering with discomfort in his shoulder.

However, while Messi's goal was good, the Barcelona fans produced an even better celebration.

And Enrique is hoping to build on the momentum gained by Messi's strike with the last kick of the game to snatch all three points from El Clasico.

The resulting corner was taken short to Ivan Rakitic, whose bouncing cross was greeted by an assured right-footed finish from Gomes. Osasuna pulled one back through a peach of a free-kick by Roberto Torres, who caught Marc-Andre Ter Stegen wrong-footed with his shot.

Luis Enrique's counterpart in the Osasuna dugout Petar Vasiljevic, meanwhile, is not as lucky as the Barcelona boss with regards to fitness issues, as he could have as many as 11 players unavailable for the trip to Camp Nou on Wednesday, not making things any easier for him in the fight against relegation.

Alcacer then steamed clear to coolly round Sirigu and completed the rout four minutes from time, sending a resounding message to Zinedine Zidane and company.

Mascherano's first goal in 319 games for Barca was thumped home from the penalty spot after Messi had been withdrawn.

- The Argentine scored the 500th goal for Barcelona under Luis Enrique in all competitions (501 in total). He is the league's leading scorer with 33 goals, nine more than teammate Luis Suarez and 14 more than Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo.

Osasuna will debut a new third kit against Barcelona at the request of TV broadcasters concerned their other kits would clash.

To the delight of everyone, Mascherano was only too happy to step forward to convert from 12 yards to end his near seven season goalless run.