Suarez inspires Barca to 4-1 goal-fest at Granada
Luis Suarez filled in for the suspended Lionel Messi by scoring one goal and participating in three more to keep Barcelona close to Spanish leader Real Madrid yesterday.
Barcelona’s 4-1 victory at 10-man Granada left the defending champions two points behind Madrid, who won 3-0 at home against Alaves earlier in the day. Madrid still have a game in hand.
Asked about his team’s impressive performance, despite Messi’s absence due to an accumulation of five yellow cards, coach Luis Enrique said “squads win titles”.
“We played a serious match. The game got complicated when they drew even on an isolated play, but we quickly resolved the situation and could establish the ample margin of victory that I think we deserved,” he said.
Suarez imposed himself on the match from the start, hitting the bar and forcing two good saves from Guillermo Ochoa before he chipped the ball over the goalkeeper a minute before halftime.
Suarez’s goal was his 23rd in the league this season, leaving him second to Messi with 25.
After Granada levelled through substitute Jeremie Boga, Suarez turned playmaker by muscling off his marker and passing for substitute Paco Alcacer to beat Ochoa in the 64th.
A shot by Ivan Rakitic was deflected in by Matthieu Saunier in the 83rd, shortly after Granada’s Uche Agbo picked up a second booking. Suarez played a part in this goal too, when he tried to dribble past a defender who knocked the ball into Rakitic’s path. Neymar capped the victory in stoppage time after Suarez passed for Alcacer, who then found the Brazilian alone to tap home. Neymar also hit the upright with the final kick of the match. Granada stayed in second-to-last place. Karim Benzema continued his strong scoring form with a fourth goal in as many rounds to keep Madrid atop the table with a 3-0 win over Alaves. Madrid dictated the first half and Benzema’s opener in the 31st came from a one-two with Dani Carvajal, who had gone on as a substitute for Raphael Varane.
“[Benzema] always finds the way to get the team going by either scoring or setting up goals,” coach Zinedine Zidane said.
But in their first match since a long international break, Madrid faded in the second half and Alaves threatened to snatch a draw.
The win wasn’t secure until the 85th when Francisco “Isco” Alarcon fired in a second goal from a pass by Cristiano Ronaldo. Defender Nacho Fernandez then headed in the rebound after Gareth Bale’s free kick came off the bar.
Edgar Mendez had the best shot for Alaves in the 60th when he was left all alone in the six-yard box, only for the forward to drive the ball back past the far post.
The Basque team are outperforming their small budget and face Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final. Alaves are 10th. SPAIN