Barcelona
dealt a stinging blow to Real Madrid's title hopes when Luis Suarez and Neymar
continued their scintillating form to fire the champions to a stunning 4-0
victory in the La Liga 'Clasico' on Saturday.
Suarez
struck twice either side of goals from Neymar and captain Andres Iniesta as
Barca humiliated their arch rivals with an imperious performance at the
Bernabeu to surge six points clear at the top after 12 matches and crank up the
pressure on under-fire Real coach Rafa Benitez.
Barca's
dominance, which prompted the angry Real fans to roundly whistle their own team
and chant for president Florentino Perez to step down, was all the more
remarkable considering coach Luis Enrique had started with a fit-again Lionel
Messi on the bench.
The
Argentina captain, who has been out for nearly two months with a knee injury,
came on for Ivan Rakitic just before the hour and promptly sent Suarez clear to
score a fourth for the European champions.
An
utterly dominant Barca could easily have added to their tally in the closing
stages and Real's humiliation was complete when substitute Isco was shown a
straight red card for a wild lunge at Neymar six minutes from time.
Chasing
a sixth La Liga title in eight years, Barca have 30 points, with Real, who lost
3-2 at Sevilla in their previous outing, on 24.
Atletico
Madrid can climb back to within four points of Barca and leapfrog Real into
second with a win at promoted Real Betis on Sunday.
Goals
from Imanol Agirretxe and Xabi Prieto earlier on Saturday gave Real Sociedad
coach Eusebio Sacristan a winning start in a 2-0 success at home to stuttering
Sevilla.
Eusebio,
a former Celta Vigo and Barcelona B coach, took over from David Moyes this
month after the Scot was sacked with Sociedad hovering just above the
relegation places.
Saturday's
victory at the Anoeta stadium in San Sebastian thanks to Agirretxe's goal in
the 73rd minute and Prieto's effort four minutes later lifted the Basque club
to 14th on 12 points from 12 matches.
Europa
League holders Sevilla, who play at Borussia Moenchengladbach in the Champions
League on Wednesday, are 10th on 15 points pending the rest of the weekend's
results.
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