La Liga: Messi, Suarez grab doubles as relentless Barca bulldoze Betis


Agencies | Published: January 22, 2018 11:18:21 | Updated: January 22, 2018 21:49:46


Luis Suarez celebrates scoring Barcelona's fifth goal with Lionel Messi while Real Betis' Antonio Adan cuts a dejected figure. - Reuters photo

Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez both scored twice as Barcelona thumped Real Betis on Sunday to move 11 points clear at the top of La Liga.

The visitors scored all five goals in a dominant second-half performance to extend their unbeaten league record, reports BBC.

Ivan Rakitic slotted in the opener before Messi hammered in a second soon after from the edge of the box.

Suarez's volley made it 3-0 before Messi's clinical strike and a curled effort from the Uruguay forward.

The former Liverpool striker's brace moves Suarez onto 100 La Liga goals in just 114 matches.

Messi, meanwhile, is the top scorer in the Spanish top flight with 19 goals from 20 games.

Barca, the only unbeaten side in Europe’s top five leagues, lead the way in La Liga with 54 points after capitalising on second-placed Atletico Madrid’s 1-1 draw with Girona on Saturday and third-placed Valencia’s 2-1 defeat at Las Palmas, according to a Reuters report.

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