Deportivo 0-8 Barcelona: Luis Suarez scores four in Barca routBy Jack Wilkinson
Last Updated: 20/04/16 11:21pm
Luis Suarez scored four goals as Barcelona got their La Liga title charge back on track with an emphatic 8-0 victory at Deportivo La Coruna.Having opened the door to Atletico and Real Madrid with three consecutive league defeats, the Catalans could ill afford another slip up in the title race at Estadio Riazor.
But Suarez's 13-minute first-half brace allayed those initial fears for Luis Enrique's men, before Ivan Rakitic struck two minutes after the interval to put the game beyond Victor Sanchez's men.Barca then cut loose as Suarez scored twice more before Lionel Messi, Marc Bartra and Neymar completed the rout.
The result sees Barca remain top of the Primera Division and heap pressure on title rivals Real, who play Villarreal later on Wednesday night.
It took the Catalans just 11 minutes to break the deadlock at the Riazor, with Suarez out-muscling Deportivo centre-back Sidnei to turn Rakitic's corner home from close range.
The outcome of the game then hinged on the next 13 minutes as Celso Borges spurned two glorious chances to get the hosts level.
First he failed to turn Lucas' floated ball home on 18 minutes before Claudio Bravo thwarted his tame effort, after Cani's deflected shot fell for him six yards out.
And Deportivo were made to pay five minutes later as Messi's incisive pass put Suarez through on and the Uruguayan drilled low past Manuel Fernandez.
Suarez should have completed his hat-trick on 34 minutes but somehow managed to hit Neymar's cross over the target from six yards.
The miss didn't prove costly, though, as Barca got their third on 47 minutes, with Rakitic volleying Suarez's cross clinically into the back of the net.
Suarez did get his third six minutes later as Barca cut the hosts' defence to shreds again, with Messi's clever pass playing the former Liverpool man through, before he scored his fourth on 64 minutes.
Lucas spurned another good chance to reduce the arrears for the hosts on 69 minutes and they were punished again as Messi got in on the act, turning Suarez's unselfish cross beyond Manuel 17 minutes from time.
Bartra then bagged the goal of the game with Barca' seventh, bursting from deep into the Deportivo area before producing a fine finish.
And then it was left for Neymar to end his month-long wait for a goal with his side's eighth, converting Suarez's cross from close range on 81 minutes.
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