Cordoba vs Barcelona match report: Luis Suarez scores bis first Barca hat-trick as Lionel Messi and Neymar complete rout

Cordoba 0 Barcelona 8: Catalans keep foot on the gas in relentless march to La Liga title

Luis Suarez celebrates his first hat-trick for Barcelona with Neymar and Lionel Messi (Getty Images)

Luis Suarez took his goal tally to 17 in his last 16 games as he claimed his first hat-trick for Barcelona in a 8-0 rout of Cordoba that kept them firmly in control of La Liga.

Lionel Messi scored twice but gave up the chance of a hat-trick of his own when he gave the ball to Neymar to wrap up the scoring from the penalty spot with five minutes to go after he was brought down by Adrian Gunino. Ivan Rakitic and Gerard Pique were the other scorers.

Neymar should have scored inside two minutes but he volleyed over from close range in a game played at a slow tempo in the heat. Rakitic finally volleyed into the roof of the net to give Barça the lead after 42 minutes and Suarez slotted home in first-half stoppage time.

Messi headed in after the restart, with further headers from Suarez and Pique as Barcelona hit their stride. Messi tapped in his second with 10 minutes to go.

Line-ups

Cordoba: (4-2-3-1) Juan Carlos; Crespo (Gunino, h-t), Lopez, Echaide, Edimar; Krhin, Deivid; Bebe (Vico, 62), Luso (Ekeng Ekeng, 58), Fidel; Andone.

Barcelona: (4-3-3) Bravo; Alves, Pique, Mascherano (Mathieu, 61), Alba, Rakitic (Pedro, 69), Iniesta (Xavi, 61), Messi, Suarez, Neymar.

Referee: Carlos Clos Gomez