Messi, Suarez send Barca to the top

Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez fired Barcelona to the top of La Liga by scoring five of their six goals at the Nou Camp yesterday.

Suarez scored the first and last goals in the 6-1 win over Rayo Vallecano. “He is giving us more and more with every week that passes” said Luis Enrique.

Messi scored a 12-minute second-half hat-trick to take him level with Cristiano Ronaldo for 30 league goals this season. It was also a record breaking 24th La Liga hat-trick taking him one clear of the Portuguese and setting a new domestic record. 

The day before, Real Madrid had suffered a huge blow to their Primera Division title bid as they were beaten 1-0 at Athletic Bilbao thanks to a first-half header by Aritz Aduriz.

The European champions lacked their usual intensity and attacking flair, above all in the first half, and drop points for the second match running, following last weekend's 1-1 draw with Villarreal.

Yesterday, however, Suarez had no problems with the early start as he put the home side ahead after just six minutes. He received the ball from Xavi having sprung Rayo’s adventurous offside trap and, with the outside of his right boot, spun a shot past the advancing Cristian Alvarez. It was one of his best goals since joining the club, and it was also his ninth since the turn of the year.

Barcelona should then have wrapped up the three points in the next 20 minutes but were wasteful in front of goal and unfortunate with a penalty decision that went against them. 

First Suarez was sent racing away once again as Rayo persisted with a suicidal high defensive line but his cross to Pedro was cut out by a recovering defender.

The former Liverpool striker then went through on Alvarez but was bundled down from behind by Abdoulaye Ba only for the referee to wave play on. Pedro was next to go close went put through by Messi but his effort was saved by Alvarez who was helping to keep Rayo in the game.   — Sports Mail