FC Barcelona bounced back from their worst run of La Liga defeats for 13 years in emphatic fashion as Luis Suarez scored four in an 8-0 thrashing of Deportivo la Coruna on Wednesday.
Ivan Rakitic, Lionel Messi, Marc Bartra and Neymar were also on target as Barca reasserted their control on the Spanish title race.
However, only Barca’s superior head-to-head record continues to separate them from Atletico Madrid at the top of the table with four games remaining as Fernando Torres’s hot-streak continued with the winner in a 1-0 success at Athletic Bilbao.
Real Madrid remain just a point behind the leaders in third as goals from Karim Benzema, Lucas Vazquez and Luka Modric ensured a 3-0 win over Villarreal.
“We are human, we aren’t machines and we can all commit errors or have a bad game,” Suarez told Spanish TV station Movistar+.
“Today is a demonstration that the group is more united than ever and desperate to win the league. It is still in our hands.”
Barca had taken just one point from their last possible 12 in the league and been dumped out of the Champions League amidst a run of just one win in six games that threatened to derail their season.
However, they remain in control of their own fate and few would bet against them winning their last four games and claiming a 24th Liga title after a performance as good as any in the 39-game unbeaten run they enjoyed prior to losing at home to Real Madrid earlier his month.
Suarez settled the visitors’ nerves after just 11 minutes when he outmuscled Sidnei to volley home the opener despite the hosts’ desperate appeals for a foul.
Ceslo Borges then missed two huge chances to bring Deportivo level as he was denied by Claudio Bravo and a last-ditch block by Bartra before Suarez gave Barca the cushion they desired when he latched onto Messi’s sumptuous through ball to slot low past Manu.
Emphatic Rakitic
Suarez turned provider for Barca’s third just after the break when his cross to the back post was volleyed home emphatically by Rakitic.
Messi created the fourth with another defence splitting pass and Suarez kept his composure to seal his sixth hat-trick of a prolific season.
Suarez was gifted his fourth of the night from Neymar’s unselfish cross despite Laure blocking his initial attempt on the line for his 49th goal of the season.
The former Liverpool striker then added a second assist to his four-goal haul as Barca again tore the Deportivo defence apart and his cut-back was gratefully tapped home by Messi.
Bartra joined the party as he galloped forward from his own half without facing a single strong Deportivo challenge before firing into the far corner.
And Neymar completed a perfect night for the Spanish champions when he tapped home at the far post from Suarez’s third assist of a spectacular display for his first goal in six games.
Torres’s sensational form kept Atletico in the race as he scored for the fifth consecutive game with a towering header from Antoine Griezmann’s cross for the only goal of the game seven minutes before half-time in Bilbao.
However, victory came at a cost for Atletico as inspirational defender Diego Godin limped off with a hamstring injury that is likely to see him miss at least the first-leg of their Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich.
Even without Godin, Atletico handled Bilbao’s aerial bombardment to register their 31st clean sheet of the season and keep their title hopes very much alive with three of their last four games to come at home.
Real knew they had to win to realistically remain in the race as they kicked-off two hours after Barca ran riot in Galicia, but impressed again in racking up an eighth consecutive La Liga win.
Benzema headed home his 27th goal of the season four minutes before half-time after Sergio Asenjo could only parry Cristiano Ronaldo’s fierce effort.
Vazquez was handed a rare start by Gareth Bale’s absence through injury, but took full advantage of his opportunity as he raced onto Benzema’s layoff before firing low past Asenjo to double Madrid’s lead 21 minutes from time.
However, Modric went one better with a sensational strike to volley home Danilo’s cross six minutes later.
By AFP
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