Messi double keeps Barcelona record rolling

MADRID: A Lionel Messiinspired Barcelona tightened their grip on the La Liga title race with a comprehensive 4-0 win at Eibar on Sunday to open up an 11- point lead at the top. Munir El Haddadi tapped home the opener from Luis Suarez’s cross before Messi doubled Barca’s advantage with a brilliant individual effort just before half-time. Messi doubled his tally from the penalty spot before Suarez lashed home the fourth six minutes from time. Barca’s 11th consecutive league win also stretches their record unbeaten run to 36 games. Atletico Madrid can close the gap at the top to eight points when they visit Gary Neville’s Valencia later on Sunday. Real Madrid remain 12 points adrift of Barca in third despite Cristiano Ronaldo’s four-goal show in a 7-1 demolition of Celta Vigo on Saturday. The European champions were without the suspended Neymar, who made the most of his free weekend to return to his native Brazil. However, El Haddadi made the most of his rare chance to start with a simple finish at the back post eight minutes in after Messi’s brilliant pass had played in Suarez behind the Eibar defence. Suarez was surpassed by Ronaldo in the fight to be La Liga’s top scorer and the Uruguayan look determined to hit back early on, but fluffed his lines with just Abel Riesgo to beat two minutes later. And Suarez finally got the goal he craved to move back to within one of Ronaldo in the scoring charts with a brilliant nutmeg of Capa before smashing the ball into the far corner. That goal also took Suarez, Messi and Neymar’s combined tally for the season to 100. (AFP)