Luis Suárez netted a hat-trick while Lionel Messi scored twice – his 50th and 51st goals of the season in all competitions – as Barcelona routed bottom club Córdoba 8-0 on Saturday to extend their lead at the top of La Liga.
Barcelona opened up a five-point gap over Real Madrid, with Carlo Ancelotti’s second-placed team visiting Sevilla later on Saturday, while the defeat, Córdoba’s 17th game without a win, confirmed the team’s relegation.
It took until the 42nd minute for Barcelona to take the lead, as Messi played Ivan Rakitic clear to start the rout, before Suárez grabbed his first goal in first-half injury time.
Dani Alves crossed for both Messi and Suárez to add headed goals before defender Gerard Piqué netted a header of this own.
Messi scored his second, then turned down the opportunity for a hat-trick, instead allowing Neymar to take an 85th-minute penalty to make it 7-0. Instead, it was Suárez who sealed his hat-trick in the 88th minute.