BARCELONA: Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo both scored twice to lead Barcelona and Real Madrid to comfortable wins in La Liga on Saturday.

While Luis Suarez netted a hat-trick for Barcelona, Messi scored two superb goals and Philippe Coutinho scored a brilliant first league goal to hammer Girona 6-1 and set a new club record of 32 consecutive Liga matches without a loss.

That is one more than the streak in 2010-11 under Pep Guardiola.

“It was a resounding victory. We were very good and we were able to find a lot of space,” said Barca midfielder Sergio Busquets.

Besides Ronaldo’s double, Real also got goals from Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema as their ‘BBC’ strikeforce hit back with a vengeance in a 4-0 win at home to Alaves, a fifth successive win in all competitions for Zinedine Zidane’s side.

Barca lead the standings on 65 points, 10 clear of closest title rivals Atletico Madrid and 14 ahead of champions Real.

SUAREZ HAT-TRICK

Visiting striker Portu gave Girona a surprise lead in the third minute of their first league game at the Nou Camp.

However, Suarez quickly levelled down the other end, while two goals from Messi — first after fooling two defenders and the second a superbly-struck free kick, and another from the Uruguayan saw Barca march into a 4-1 lead at halftime.

Barca’s record signing Coutinho had set up Suarez’s second goal and then struck for the first time in La Liga with a spectacular long-distance shot from well outside of the area in the 66th minute. Suarez completed a hat-trick in the 76th, tapping in a cut-back from Ousmane Dembele.

“It was a tough night. Our tactics worked well in the third minute but then we woke up the beast,” added Girona coach Pablo Machin. “We were nervous from the start and they were very sharp. Messi is always the one who makes the difference and he was especially good tonight.”

‘BBC’ BACK ON AIR

Zidane restored Bale to the starting XI to reunite the ‘BBC’ front line of the Welshman, Ronaldo and Benzema and the trio, supported by the incisive play of Lucas Vazquez, made the difference against Alaves.

Benzema’s pass with his heel set up Ronaldo to drive in his first goal in the 44th. The French striker then stole the ball and laid off for Bale to make it 2-0 in the first minute of the second half.

Vazquez passed for Ronaldo to fire in his second goal in the 61st before Bale earned a penalty in the 89th that Benzema converted.

When asked if this meant that the trio was back to playing at its best, Zidane replied that it had never been missing.

“The only thing we want is that they feel they are playing at 100 percent,” Zidane said. “They have played a good match, as did Lucas. The four in attack played very well.”

Published in Dawn, February 26th, 2018