Luis Suarez netted his first hat-trick for La Liga leaders Barcelona to lead their 8-0 rout at last-placed Cordoba on Saturday, while Cristiano Ronaldo also scored three to ensure Real Madrid stayed in the title race.
Lionel Messi notched his 50th and 51st goals in all competitions to help Barcelona match their biggest away win in league history and seal Cordoba’s relegation.
Later, Ronaldo almost single-handedly dealt Sevilla their first loss at home in 35 games going back to February last year with a hard-fought 3-2 victory at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.
Photo: AFP
Barcelona lead Madrid by two points with three games left to decide who replaces Atletico Madrid as champions.
“Hope is the last thing you lose. We have to do what we are supposed to and win the last three games,” Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said.
Barcelona take a run of 15 wins in 16 matches back to Camp Nou, where they face former coach Pep Guardiola’s Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals on Wednesday. Real Madrid visit Juventus tomorrow in their final-four tie.
Messi surpassed the 50-goal mark in his 50th match of the season. Suarez, likewise, stayed in fine form with five goals in his past two matches and 17 in his past 16 appearances, while Neymar earned and converted a penalty five minutes from time to extend his scoring run to four straight matches.
Elsewhere, Atletico Madrid were held 0-0 at home by Athletic Bilbao as the soon-to-be-dethroned titleholders remained in third place, 11 points adrift.
RC Deportivo de La Coruna were left in the relegation zone after drawing 1-1 at home with sixth-placed Villarreal.
Cordoba resisted as long as Barcelona misfired, but once Messi unlocked their five-man defense with a lobbed pass for Ivan Rakitic to rifle into the top of the net, the hosts quickly collapsed.
Suarez got his first goal in first-half stoppage-time, and Dani Alves crossed for Messi and Suarez to add two headed goals, before Gerard Pique netted a header of his own.
Messi, Neymar and Suarez then polished off the demolition to equal Barcelona’s highest away wins at UD Almeria in 2010 and at UD Las Palmas in 1959.
“If we want to win the league, we have to take care of business, regardless of where we play or the situation of our opponents,” Barcelona coach Luis Enrique said. “Today, we took care of business.”
Ronaldo’s three goals took his league-leading tally to 42, keeping the Ballon d’Or holder two ahead of Messi as the two stars vie to finish the league as top scorer.
Sevilla held their own and traded scoring opportunities with Jose Antonio Reyes leading their attack until holding midfielder Gregorz Krychowiak smashed his face into the back of Sergio Ramos’ head, causing his nose to bleed profusely.
The Polish player went to the sideline to receive treatment in the 30th minute and when he returned 10 minutes later Madrid here winning 2-0.
Ronaldo scored them both against the undermanned defense, first heading home Francisco “Isco” Alarcon’s cross in the 36th minute, before he acrobatically dived to stab in a ball flicked on by Javier Hernandez a minute later.
Back to full strength, Sevilla mustered a push before halftime that yielded a penalty for Carlos Bacca to convert in stoppage-time after Ramos fouled Aleix Vidal.
Gareth Bale returned from a left-leg injury in the 66th minute and three minutes later sent in a cross to the far post that Ronaldo scored with a brilliant header, lifting the ball over goalkeeper Sergio Rico from a tight angle.
Substitute Vicente Iborra slotted in a short pass from Vidal to boost Sevilla’s hopes of a comeback in the 79th minute and Unai Emery’s team just missed equalizing when Denis Suarez’s effort squirmed by the post with five minutes to play.
Sevilla stayed in fifth place, level on points with Valencia in fourth as they contest the final Champions League berth.
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