Barca Move Five Points Clear

Barcelona produced a masterful performance to demolish Getafe and send a message to Real Madrid, who play on Wednesday.

Lionel Messi opened the scoring with a chipped penalty, Luis Suarez doubled the lead before the half-hour mark and Neymar added a third moments later, the 100th goal of the season between the trio.The feat means they have now broken the 99 goals scored by Messi, Thierry Henry and Samuel Eto’o during Pep Guardiola’s first season in charge of the club during the 2008-09 season.

Last season, Real Madrid’s frontline of Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema scored 97 goals in 143 games in all competitions, with that number now also surpassed by Barcelona’s brilliant threesome.

Xavi Hernandez curled into the top corner to make it 4-0 as Getafe were given a hammering, the game over long before half time.

Suarez rubbed salt in the wound with a fifth with five minutes of the half remaining, turning the second half into a procession.

Messi curled into the far corner to start the second half and finish the scoring.

The onus is now on Los Blancos, who host Almeria, to record a victory and restore the gap at the top of the table to two points, Barca’s walloping of Getafe extending it to five.