owners, which could come at league meetings next month. After that,

BARCELONA, Spain -- Alexis Sanchez scored a second-half goal as Barcelona and Lionel Messi struggled past Espanyol 1-0 Friday to remain top of the Spanish league. Neymar drew two defenders before guiding a pass through both pairs of legs across goal for Sanchez to tap in at the far post for the easy 68th-minute winner. Barcelona opened up a four-point advantage over Atletico Madrid, which plays Athletic Bilbao on Sunday, and a nine-point lead on Real Madrid. Madrid faces Rayo Vallecano on Saturday. Messi is coming off one of his worst months of football, having not scored in the league since September. The Argentina international, who has been troubled by an injury, lacked rhythm and made uncharacteristic turnovers at the Camp Nou Stadium to start November goalless. Barcelona next plays against AC Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday. Messi did score at Milan nearly two weeks ago. While Barcelona laboured to another victory, it maintained its impressive start under new coach Gerardo Martino who has led the team to 34 of a possible 36 points. Messi missed time with a right leg injury and by the end of the match he looked like he was either frustrated or feeling the effects of not being 100 per cent fit. Barcelona dominated possession and controlled the tempo from the start with Espanyol goalkeeper Francisco Casilla diving to make a save from Sanchez early on, with the Chilean enjoying some of the hosts best opportunities throughout. Espanyol needed over half an hour to register its first shot on goal, and it was nearly ahead in the 36th but Victor Valdes got a leg to Victor Sanchezs low shot following a smart run onto Thievy Bifoumas clever touch. Andres Iniesta forced a save from Casilla with Dani Alves hitting the post in the ensuing scramble as Barcelona nearly went ahead just before halftime. Casilla was in top form as he got a hand to Messis well-guided header in the 54th. Messi then had two opportunities from free kicks but never came closer to scoring his first league goal since Sept. 28. Neymar nearly found the net moments before setting up Sanchez, and appealed for a foul when Casilla put him to the ground outside the area in the 76th with the empty net beckoning. Espanyol should have tested Valdes in the 85th but Manuel Lanzarote showed poor finishing as he weakly headed over goal. Nike Air Max 90 Sale .com) - It may just be the right place and the right opponent for the Detroit Red Wings to snap their longest losing streak of the season. Wholesale Nike Air Max 90 . Ellis had a season-high 37 points and two key assists late, Dirk Nowitzki led a fourth-quarter rally with 14 of his 35 points, and the Mavericks spoiled Howards best offensive night in Houston with a 123-120 victory over the Rockets on Wednesday night. https://www.cheapnikeairmax90china.us/ . - A pitch clock will be used this season during minor league games at Triple-A and Double-A, but it has been ruled out for the major leagues this year. Fake Nike Air Max 90 . The Maple Leafs may not have had a pick until the third round, but they have made the biggest move of the second day of the Draft, dealing defenceman Carl Gunnarsson and a fourth-round pick in the draft to the St. Nike Air Max 90 Outlet . Malone will become an unrestricted free-agent and as per the collective bargaining agreement, the Lightning will be responsible for two-thirds of the remainder of his contract over twice the length of the rest of the deal.ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- The formal bids to buy the Buffalo Bills have been submitted, and a prospective ownership candidate could be selected as early as Tuesday. Two people familiar with the discussions told The Associated Press on Monday night that late owners Ralph Wilsons estate is closing in on naming a candidate. One of the people said the sale is "moving quick," and a prospective ownership group could be presented to the NFL for preliminary approval within days. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity because the sale is being conducted privately. Buffalo Sabres owners Terry and Kim Pegula have been considered the favourites since they first expressed interest in purchasing the team in early June. They were among at least three groups to submit binding bids before a deadline on Monday. The other two groups to submit bids were New York City real estate mogul Donald Trump and a Toronto group fronted by rocker Jon Bon Jovi, four people told the AP. The Pegulas have a net worth of more than $3.5 billion, and have the support of local business leaders and public officials because of their commitment to keep the Bills in western New York. The bids were submitted to Morgan Stanley, the banking firm overseeing the sale. Three of the people said the estate issued purchase agreements to at least four groups, and potentially five. The other groups identities are not known, and its unclear if they submitted bids. The purchase agreements are formal documents that are negotiated separately by each of the parties and Proskauer Rose, the legal firm representing the estate. The agreements are binding documents that outline the terms and conditions of the sale. Once those agreements were completed over the past week, the only outstanding question left was for each group to determine its bid price. The franchise was last valued by Forbes at $935 million. But the sale price is expected to exceed $1 billion because NFL franchises rarely go on the block.dddddddddddd The Bills are on the market after Wilson, a Hall of Famer who founded the franchise, died in March. The Cleveland Browns were sold for close to $1.05 billion two years ago. The Miami Dolphins sold for an NFL-record $1.1 billion in 2009, but their deal also included their stadium. The timing of the sale process remains on track for the team to have a new owner before the end of the year -- and potentially by next month. Once identified, the prospective owner would be presented to members of the NFL Finance Committee, which is scheduled to meet next week. The candidate must also go through an extensive background check conducted by an NFL-contracted security firm. The final step would be approval from three-quarters of the leagues 31 other owners, which could come at league meetings next month. After that, NFL owners are next scheduled to meet in December. U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer has stayed closely involved with the sale process to ensure the Bills stay in New York. Last week, Schumer expressed his support of the Pegulas in conversations with at least 10 NFL owners. During a stop in Buffalo on Monday, Schumer said he had conversations regarding the sale process with both Terry Pegula and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell earlier in the day. "We talked about the lay of the land. Im not going to get into details," Schumer said. "But I believe that (Pegula) is enthusiastic about owning and keeping the Bills in Buffalo for generations." Under the lease agreement reached in December 2012 with New York State and Erie County, the Bills are essentially locked in to playing at Ralph Wilson Stadium through the end of the 2019 season. There is a one-time out clause that would allow the team to break the agreement for just under $28.4 million in 2020. ' ' '