Barcelona 6-1 Celta Vigo

Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez's penalty helped Barcelona beat Celta Vigo — Suarez is La Liga's top scorer with 23 goals in 22 matches this season

Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez combined to score an audacious penalty as La Liga leaders Barcelona thrashed Celta Vigo to move three points clear.

With Barca leading 3-1, Messi nudged the spot-kick forward and to his right for Suarez to run into the area and side-foot in to complete his hat-trick.

Messi opened the scoring with a sublime free-kick before Celta striker John Guidetti drilled in a penalty to level.

After Suarez's second-half treble, Ivan Rakitic and Neymar sealed the rout.

The defending champions still have a game in hand on nearest rivals Atletico Madrid, with Real Madrid four points adrift of Barca in third.

Relive Barca's entertaining win against Celta

How the penalty unfolded

Barcelona beat Celta Vigo — Penalty-taker Lionel Messi gives Celta keeper Sergio Alvarez 'the eyes', looking goalwards but passing the ball to the right...

Barcelona — Sure enough, Suarez arrives quickly on the scene to calmly side-foot into the Celta net....

Stylish Barca extend unbeaten run

Barcelona had not been beaten in 29 previous matches in all competitions before the visit of a Celta team which had won two of the past three meetings between the sides.

Celta, who Luis Enrique left to manage Barca in May 2014, earned a surprise 1-0 win at the Nou Camp last season and thrashed their former boss's side in a 4-1 home success in September.

And they will have been quietly confident of causing another upset as they held their hosts 1-1 at the break.

Barca failed to find their rhythm in the first half, giving no indication to the virtually silent home supporters of what excitement would unfold in the second half.

Suarez clipped in Messi's pass to put Barca back in front just before the hour and bundled in Neymar's cross on the goal-line for his second.

The Uruguay striker completed a 22-minute hat-trick by converting Messi's audacious penalty, before substitute Rakitic's lob and Neymar's cool finish extended their unbeaten run to 30 matches.

Selfless Messi delays landmark goal

If Messi had converted the penalty, it would have been his 300th La Liga goal for Barcelona.

But did his selfless act in teeing up Suarez mean that he would gain an unwanted statistic - another 'missed' penalty?

It was a tongue-in-cheek question posed by former Spanish referee Eduardo Iturralde on Twitter, where it was spread to a wider audience by Guardian football writer Sid Lowe.

"Messi goes down as having a penalty not scored and an assist," confirmed football statisticians Opta.

Was it meant for Neymar and not Suarez?

That's what Brazil forward Neymar claimed afterwards.

"We practised the penalty - it was for me, but Luis was closer and scored," he said. "It doesn't matter, he scored so it worked well.

"We love each other a lot and that friendship is the most important thing, no matter who scores the goals."

I would have trodden on the ball - Luis Enrique

The penalty evoked memories of when Barca legend Johan Cruyff played a one-two with Ajax team-mate Jesper Olsen to score from the spot in 1982, plus a less successful attempt by Arsenal pair Robert Pires and Thierry Henry in 2005.

"We all remember Cruyff's goal," said Barca boss Luis Enrique. "I wouldn't dare to do it because I would tread on the ball.

"Some will like it, some won't, but as Barca players and members of the club, on top of winning titles we try to enjoy our football in a spectacular way."

Atletico stay in touch

Second-placed Atletico Madrid briefly moved level with Barcelona following a 1-0 win at Getafe earlier on Sunday.

Spain striker Fernando Torres tapped in Yannick Carrasco's low cross from the left after 61 seconds - and that proved enough for the visitors.

Diego Simeone's team moved back into second at the expense of Real, who host their neighbours at the Bernabeu on 27 February.

Atletico striker Fernando Torres — Torres has scored two goals in his past two matches, taking his tally to four in 18 Liga matches this season

Line-ups
Match Stats
Live Text

Line-ups

Barcelona

Formation 4-3-3

13Bravo
6Alves da SilvaSubstituted forVidal Parreuat 61'minutes
3Piqué
14Mascherano
18Alba
20Roberto CarnicerSubstituted forRakiticat 61'minutes
5Busquets
8IniestaSubstituted forTuranat 78'minutes
10Messi
9Suárez
11Neymar

Substitutes

1ter Stegen
4Rakitic
7Turan
17El Haddadi
22Vidal Parreu
23Vermaelen
24Mathieu

Celta Vigo

Formation 4-3-3

1Álvarez Conde
2Mallo NovegilBooked at 42mins
22CabralBooked at 11mins
19Castro Otto
21Planas AntolínezBooked at 26mins
18WassSubstituted forDiop Gueyeat 83'minutes
6Radoja
8HernándezSubstituted forDíazat 65'minutes
12Beauvue
11GuidettiSubstituted forDrazicat 77'minutes
23Señé EscuderoBooked at 74mins

Substitutes

5Díaz
13Blanco Veiga
16Drazic
28Fernández Fernández
31Iglesias Quintas
33Diop Gueye
34Goldar

Referee:: Alejandro José Hernández Hernández
Attendance:: 72,580

Match Stats

Home TeamBarcelonaAway TeamCelta Vigo

Possession: Home64%; Away36%

Shots: Home20; Away10

Shots on Target: Home11; Away4

Corners: Home1; Away1

Fouls: Home10; Away16

Live Text

Post update
Match ends, Barcelona 6, Celta de Vigo 1.
90'+3'
Full Time
Second Half ends, Barcelona 6, Celta de Vigo 1.

90'+2'
Post update
Corner, Barcelona. Conceded by Cabral.
90'+1'
Goal!
Goal! Barcelona 6, Celta de Vigo 1. Neymar (Barcelona) left footed shot from the left side of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Luis Suárez following a fast break.
90'
Post update
Foul by Gerard Piqué (Barcelona).
90'
Post update
Señé (Celta de Vigo) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
89'
Post update
Foul by Aleix Vidal (Barcelona).
89'
Post update
Pape Cheikh (Celta de Vigo) wins a free kick on the left wing.
89'
Post update
Foul by Aleix Vidal (Barcelona).
89'
Post update
Dejan Drazic (Celta de Vigo) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
87'
Post update
Offside, Barcelona. Arda Turan tries a through ball, but Luis Suárez is caught offside.
84'
Goal!
Goal! Barcelona 5, Celta de Vigo 1. Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Luis Suárez with a through ball.
83'
Substitution
Substitution, Celta de Vigo. Pape Cheikh replaces Daniel Wass.
81'
Goal!
Goal! Barcelona 4, Celta de Vigo 1. Luis Suárez (Barcelona) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Lionel Messi following a set piece situation.
80'
Post update
Penalty Barcelona. Lionel Messi draws a foul in the penalty area.
80'
Post update
Penalty conceded by Jonny (Celta de Vigo) after a foul in the penalty area.
80'
Post update
Attempt blocked. Neymar (Barcelona) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Sergio Busquets.
78'
Substitution
Substitution, Barcelona. Arda Turan replaces Andrés Iniesta.
78'
Substitution
Substitution, Celta de Vigo. Dejan Drazic replaces Guidetti.
77'
Post update
Andrés Iniesta (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Accessibility links