Barcelona’s Luis Suarez celebrates his second goal against Eibar during their LA Liga match at Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona yesterday. (Reuters)

AFP/Barcelona


Barcelona needed a clinical Luis Suarez hat-trick to secure a 3-1 comeback win at home to modest Eibar that put the champions level on 21 points with Real Madrid at the top of La Liga yesterday.
Barca’s defence has been ragged this season and more poor play at the back allowed Borja Gonzalez in to give Eibar a surprise 10th-minute lead at the Nou Camp.
A well-worked move resulted in a simple header for Suarez to level in the 21st minute and Neymar drove into the area and fed the Uruguayan to make it 2-1 with a low strike into the corner three minutes into the second half.
Chances were scarce after the break until Neymar lifted a pass over the top for Suarez in the 85th minute and he chested the ball down and arrowed a shot past Asier Riesgo in the Eibar goal for his second La Liga hat-trick.
Suarez’s third goal, his seventh in the Spanish top flight this term, came moments after Javier Mascherano was shown a straight red card after he appeared to verbally abuse one of the referee’s assistants.
Real, who host Barca in the first La Liga ‘Clasico’ of the season on Nov. 21, lead on goal difference after they secured a nervy 3-1 win at 10-man Celta Vigo on Saturday.
Celta are third on 18 points, one ahead of Villarreal, who drew 0-0 at promoted Las Palmas earlier on Sunday.
Atletico Madrid, the 2014 champions, can climb above Celta into third on 19 points with a win at home to eighth-placed Valencia in Sunday’s late kickoff.
Basque side Eibar, who were relegated last season but gained a reprieve when Elche were thrown out of the league for tax irregularities, are seventh on 13 points, one ahead of Valencia.