Barcelona 4 Villarreal 1: MSN pass 100 for season in routine win + Highlight

Barcelona kept the heat on Real Madrid at the top
of LaLiga as their MSN frontline passed 100 goals
for the season in a clinical 4-1 win over Villarreal.
Fran Escriba's men came into the game having
conceded just 10 goals on their travels all season,
fewer than any side in LaLiga.
And fittingly, it was Barca's best that settled the
contest as Neymar, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez
each netted.
Cedric Bakambu had briefly caused concern with
an equaliser that exposed the defensive flaws that
have hampered Luis Enrique's men all season.
But the first of Messi's two strikes brought up
a century of goals between himself, Suarez and
Neymar - the Argentina star having scored 51 of
them in another season of mesmerising brilliance
after following up a first-half strike with a late
penalty.
Playing before Madrid's trip to relegated Granada,
Barca kept up their end of the bargain to go three
points clear of their fierce rivals, but it is a fixture
that ought not to hold fear for Zinedine's Zidane
men - who also hold another game in hand over
the Catalans.
Each of the goals indicated exactly what Barcelona
will need in the run-in - Neymar's quick feet,
Messi's dazzling dribbling and Suarez's brute
power - and Luis Enrique's stony insistence that
Barca will give their all to overhaul Madrid
was boosted by an 11th home win in a row - their
best sequence in LaLiga under his stewardship.
Villarreal refused to be drawn into Barcelona's trap
early on and the hosts' sedate pace of play was
summed up when Messi wafted a 20-yard free-
kick into Andres Fernandez's arms, but they raised
the tempo to take the lead a minute later.
Messi worked half a yard in the area and his
deflected shot fell kindly for Neymar - perhaps
inches offside - and the Brazilian smartly prodded
home his 10th league goal of the season.
Bakambu was guilty of killing a Villarreal chance
when his pass to Roberto Soldado was too heavy
but the striker kept his cool shortly after when
Barca's risky positioning on halfway was split by a
single pass and the DR Congo international raced
clear to finish.
Barca's attack had renewed sharpness after
conceding and Messi dragged across the face of
goal before skinning Roberto Soriano and crossing
for Gerard Pique, who could only nod wide on the
stretch, but Villarreal retained a threat on the break
and Soldado headed a similar opening off-target.
But the hosts did take a lead into the interval with
a goal typical of Messi, the Argentina captain
skirting around Villarreal's defensive line before
clipping a shot across Fernandez and in - aided by
a deflection off Mario.
Messi saw a right-footed blast punched clear by
Fernandez but he was powerless to keep out
Suarez when the Uruguayan surged down the right
channel and blasted a shot through the
goalkeeper's grasp.
Cruising to victory, Barca put the cherry on top with
a goal oozing with class as Neymar scooped the
ball over Mario before crossing to Suarez, whose
shot was handled by Jaume Costa and Messi
delicately dinked a Panenka down the middle to

cap a satisfying outing.