La Liga: Barcelona defeat Las Palmas in empty Camp Nou amid Catalonia clashes

Barcelona maintained their perfect start to the new season with a 3-0 win over Las Palmas.

The match was played in an empty Camp Nou, after being initially postponed because of protests over the Catalonian independence referendum going on.

There was tension across Catalonia throughout the morning, as Spanish police attempted to shut down various polling stations as the region held a referendum, which had been deemed illegal by the Spanish government.

Lionel Messi scored twice for Barca, after Segio Busquets had opened scoring for Ernesto Valverde’s men.

The victory is Barca’s seventh from seven games and see them maintain a five-point lead at the top of the Primera Division, while Las Palmas remain in 17th.