GERARD PIQUE SAVES BARCA'S UNBEATEN STREAK IN DRAW

Barcelona needed a late header from Gerard Pique to earn a 1-1 draw at city rivals Espanyol on Sunday -- and a new club record.

Gerard Moreno threatened a La Liga upset at a soggy RCDE Stadium when he opened the scoring midway through the second half with a header from substitute Sergio Garcia's cross.

However, central defender Pique headed home an 82nd-minute Lionel Messi free-kick to stretch the runaway leaders' unbeaten start to the season to 22 games, the best run in the club's history.

Meanwhile Lionel Messi demands Barcelona flop is sold and replaced with Real Madrid target, MESSI wants Lucas Digne out of Barcelona and has his eye on a replacement. 

Ernesto Valverde's men were in danger of falling to their first league defeat of the season when Gerard Moreno nodded the hosts ahead midway through the second half, but centre-back Pique met a Lionel Messi free-kick in the 82nd minute to snatch a point.

Barcelona are now 12 points clear at the top of the table from Atletico Madrid, who host third-placed Valencia later on Sunday.

The match was played in pouring rain and Valverde slammed the "dangerous" pitch.

"Even though it was raining, we thought that the pitch would hold, but then we saw that the grass was not going to hold up and that the pitch was becoming dangerous," the Barcelona coach said.