La Liga: Barca go on top with a thumping victory

Ronaldo magic rescues Real Madrid from another upset

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Messi and Suarez celebrating after their win on Thursday. Image Source: twitter

Internet Desk: FC Barcelona beat Sporting Gijon by 6-1 in La Liga at the Camp Nou on Thursday to go on top of the league table.

It was a free-flowing attacking display from Luis Enrique’s men, who made light work of the struggling Asturians through goals from Leo Messi, an own goal, Luis Suarez, Paco Alcacer, Neymar Jr and Ivan Rakitic.

Lining up with an unfamiliar 3-4-3 formation, Barca started brightly, pushing Sporting deep and controlling the tempo of the game, a pattern that would follow throughout the one-sided encounter.

After several minutes of patiently exchanging passes in the opposition’s half, Mascherano had a go at picking the lock, and did so to perfection. His diagonal ball over the top found his compatriot Messi all alone and, with the keeper rushing out to claim the ball, looped a header into the net for 1-0.

Barca’s good start was about to get better just two minutes later as a perfectly weighted through ball from Neymar found Suarez in the clear. The Uruguayan took on the keeper before shooting towards goal from a tight angle, which eventually went in via the assistance of Sporting defender Juan Rodriguez.

Sporting refusted to give in and managed to reduce the deficit midway through the half. Burgui played a through-ball in behind Busquets to find Sergio who, in turn, found the post with his toe-poke but the rebound fell kindly to Castro who couldn’t miss from point-blank range (2-1).

But Barca were in no mood to mess around as they ruthlessly restored their two-goal lead not long after. Rakitić’s dinked cross was headed away but not out of danger as Suárez, even when back-peddling, was able to smash home a volley for 3-1.

Sporting came close to reducing the score once again through a Burgui effort, which had to be tipped wide by Ter Stegen. The clearance from the resulting corner found Neymar with the freedom of the opposition half to gallop into, but his side-footed strike was denied by the legs of Cuellar.

Suarez made way for Alcacer at the break and it was not long before the centre-forward was off the mark. Similar to the first half, Barça came bursting out of the traps; Messi was on hand to set up the Spanish international who dispatched emphatically with his left foot for a 4-1 lead.

Just before the hour mark, Messi dinked a free-kick over the wall from the edge of the box but was denied by the woodwork in what was his last action of the game before being substituted to a standing ovation.

So when Barca won a free-kick on the corner of the penalty area minutes later, Neymar’s eyes lit up. The Brazilian placed the ball before arrowing it into the corner of the net for 5-1.

Rakitic gave the home fans a final souvenir just before the end as he lashed the ball into the roof of the net from close range, capping off a fine night’s work from the whole squad.

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Ronaldo scored twice for Real Madrid on Thursday. Image Source: twitter

In another match, Real Madrid struck late to rescue a point against Las Palmas. The Whites, who were earlier reduced to 10 men, were 3-1 down with 85 minutes played, but claimed a share of the spoils courtesy of a Cristiano Ronaldo double in a game that was played at a frantic pace right from the off. Indeed, within the first 10 minutes both sides had already scored. Real Madrid drew first blood, when on 8 minutes Kovacic played a sublime threaded through ball to Isco, who finished with real aplomb when clean through. However, the hosts’ joy was short-lived, with the visitors restoring parity in the very next move after some fine play from Tana culminated in his powerful driven effort from inside the area flying into the back of the net.