Alaves 0 - 6 Barcelona: Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi spark Barcelona in six-goal rout of Alaves

Posted Sunday, February 12, 2017 by PA

Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi ran riot as Barcelona fired in four goals in nine second-half minutes on their way to a 6-0 thumping of Alaves.

Efforts from Suarez and Neymar late in the first half had the visitors in front at the break, but their hosts remained in the game until Messi added a third just before the hour mark.

The floodgates then opened, with Ruano Alexis' own goal, an Ivan Rakitic strike and another Suarez effort seeing Barca rack up half a dozen by the 67th minute.

As impressive as the Catalans were as an attacking force, though, their opponents shot themselves in the foot time and again. The most feared strike force in club football took full advantage.

The win, Barca's biggest in LaLiga this season, was another reminder to Real Madrid that the Catalans have no intention of surrendering their title.

The only negative for the visitors was a horrific-looking ankle injury to Aleix Vidal, who was carried off on a stretcher in the final minutes after a challenge from Theo Hernandez.

Luis Enrique's side, in their mint green third strip, applied plenty of early pressure, with Messi's snapshot from the left of the area saved at his near post by the legs of goalkeeper Fernando Pacheco.

Vidal fired over from inside the area as the visitors went close again, but they should soon have fallen behind.

Hernandez was given the chance to launch a counter-attack when he received the ball just over halfway and left Lucas Digne for dead with a superb burst of speed to give himself a one-on-one chance.

But Marc-Andre ter Stegen in the Barca goal stayed on his feet to block the Alaves man's unconvincing effort.

The Catalans were seeing plenty of moves break down around the area and their frustration was growing, but they broke the deadlock in the 37th minute as Suarez finished off a flowing move.

Neat interplay saw the ball worked out to Vidal on the right and his first-time low cross into the six-yard box was tapped home by Suarez.

The Uruguayan also had a hand in his side's second, which followed three minutes later.

Pacheco made a hash of cutting out a clipped ball into Suarez's path and the striker was able to nod the ball back from the byline for Neymar to punish the mistake by stroking a simple finish into the net.

Alaves had chances early in the second half, but, having failed to take them, were ruthlessly cut to pieces.

Messi ended any doubts over the result in the 59th minute.

The Argentinian nicked possession following a heavy touch by a defender before advancing into the area and firing through the legs of Pacheco.

In the 63rd minute Alexis' own goal made it four, the ball deflecting in off the legs of the Alaves man as the hosts tried, in vain, to shut out Messi again.

Barca's fifth, two minutes later, came as a result of another Alaves error as a cross-field ball was cut out by Saurez, who burst up field, a one-two with Messi getting him into the area.

He was held up, but inadvertently set up Rakitic for the Croatian to blast a shot into the top corner.

Suarez then made it six, volleying home after a Pacheco parry, to wrap up a thumping win.