Luis Suarez Helps Barcelona Crush Espanyol and Prepare for 2 Final Hurdles
Luis Suarez has scored more goals this season than Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Neymar and Barcelona's opponents on Sunday afternoon, Espanyol.
That's right. In La Liga, Suarez has 37 goals. Los Pericos have scored 36.
The Uruguayan hitman also has more than Levante and Getafe, also on 36, Malaga on 34 and Real Betis on 32.
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This has been an out-of-this-world season from Suarez, who is hitting numbers the likes of Messi and Ronaldo, the undoubted stars of world football in the past decade, would be pleased with themselves.
Across all competitions this season, Suarez has 56 goals. And he has done as much as anyone in recent weeks to help Barcelona find their level after a dip that threatened to ruin their entire campaign.
They were knocked out of the UEFA Champions League and lost every point they had ahead of Atletico Madrid in the title race, but at the vital minute, they swerved away from the edge of the cliff.
Suarez struck four against Deportivo La Coruna on April 20, ending Barcelona's losing run, then four against Sporting Gijon in the next game for good measure.
One followed in the 2-0 win over Real Betis, and he struck two of Barcelona's haul in their 5-0 win over Espanyol on Sunday.
That's 11 goals and four assists in four games for the striker, with arguably three man-of-the-match displays, including the Espanyol game.
His first was well-taken, fired between Pau Lopez and his near post, before a fantastic header from a Neymar corner earned him the second.
Barcelona looked more like themselves, feeling the benefits of the midweeks without playing in the Champions League.
They have another week's gap ahead of the final game of the league season, against Granada on Sunday, and their date with Sevilla in the Copa del Rey final the week after that.
Of course, Barcelona's players would rather be involved in the Champions League final than heading off on their holidays or to their national teams on May 23.
But what they must focus on is the two hurdles that lie ahead of them.
As Luis Enrique pointed out at the Camp Nou after the game, even though the Andalusian team have already been saved from relegation, the trip south could be dangerous.
Per Sport, the coach said after the game:
"Granada are already safe? We do not trust anything and we will try to achieve our goal through football. Playing away from home is always a handicap, there are several aspects you cannot control. We are just a small step closer.
There will be tension as it is one match to decide a league. Real Madrid will have the same situation as us because they play for the league in one match that is away from home. This league has been hotly contested and now we have to finish the job next week.
"
Suarez's form gives Barcelona a great chance of heading to the team with the second-worst defence in La Liga, behind bottom club Levante, and not just winning but absolutely mauling them.
That would be the perfect statement heading into the Copa del Rey final against Sevilla, which will be held at the Vicente Calderon Stadium.
When Unai Emery's men have played away from home this term, they have largely been poor, not having won once away from the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium in La Liga.
While the fear that people will only be talking about one of the Madrid teams come the end of the season thanks to the Champions League final cannot be eased, things will be a lot better for Barcelona if they can sit back and shine their league and cup pots.
With Suarez's goals and their return to form, they are a good bet to be double-winners in 2015-16.
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