Barcelona’s Brazilian forward Neymar (center) celebrates with Barcelona’s Uruguayan forward Luis Suarez (left) and Barcelona’s Argentinean forward Lionel Messi after scoring their third goal. — AFP

MADRID: Barcelona stretched their advantage at the top of La Liga to seven points yesterday thanks to another clinical display from Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez to down Real Sociedad 4-0. Messi was making his first league start in two months as he continues his comeback from knee ligament damage.

But the Argentine was initially outshone by his strike partners as they each swept home from two Dani Alves crosses to put Barca in command at the break. Neymar then added his second shortly after the half-time before teeing up Messi for his first league goal since September in stoppage time. Atletico Madrid can close the gap at the top to four points when they host Espanyol later. Meanwhile, Real Madrid are now nine points adrift ahead of their trip to Eibar today.

Barca boss Luis Enrique made four changes from the side that destroyed Roma 6-1 in the Champions League in midweek, but with Messi, Suarez and Neymar deployed once more in attack, the Catalans didn’t miss a beat. Suarez should have opened the scoring after just two minutes when he was brilliantly played in by Neymar, but Geronimo Rulli rushed from his line to bravely smother the Uruguayan’s effort just inside his area. The Argentine goalkeeper did well once more to deny Neymar at a narrow angle from Messi’s wonderful through ball eight minutes later. Even when Rulli was beaten, the woodwork saved Sociedad when Andres Iniesta headed Suarez’s perfectly measured cross against the post.

The visitors’ luck eventually ran out on 22 minutes, though, when Messi released Alves down the right and Neymar was quickest to meet his low cross and drive the ball into the top corner. Alves was the creator once more for Barca’s second just before the break as his floated cross picked out Suarez to acrobatically volley into the far corner.

Barca had to wait just eight minutes after the break for a third with the full-backs proving Sociedad’s downfall again as this time Jeremy Mathieu squared for Neymar to apply a simple finish. That strike took Neymar and Suarez’s tally in La Liga this season to 26 - the same as the entire Real Madrid squad. However, both then turned their hand to trying to set up Messi.

The four-time World Player of the Year fired into the side-netting and then straight at Rulli from two Neymar crosses before pulling a free-kick inches wide of the far post. It looked like being a forlorn afternoon for Messi when his brilliant curling effort came back off the crossbar four minutes from time. However, a final piece of magic between Neymar and Suarez allowed the Brazilian to roll the ball invitingly across goal for Messi to slot into an empty net and seal a fantastic week for Barca which has seen them take a strangle hold of La Liga and clinch their place in the last 16 of the Champions League. — AFP