Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar each scored as champions Barcelona thrashed basement club Sporting Gijon 6-1 on Wednesday to go provisionally top of La Liga and banish any lingering doubts about their recent stuttering form.
Published : 02 Mar 2017, 02:17 AM
Messi scored for the fifth league game in a row to put Barca ahead in the ninth minute, heading Javier Mascherano's floated pass over goalkeeper Ivan Cuellar, who had woefully misjudged the flight of the ball.
Sporting defender Juan Rodriguez clumsily knocked Suarez's angled shot into his own net to double Barca's advantage two minutes later although Carlos Castro pulled one back for the visitors in the 21st minute from close range.
Neymar struck a fifth in the 66th minute by curling a free kick inside the near post and Ivan Rakitic capped a resounding attacking display by flicking up and thumping home from inside the area in the 87th.