Barca played the ideal game: Suarez

Ideally three points would be the best from this game but realistically they are looking at one point if they can minimize the effect of Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez and hit Barcelona on the counterattack.

La Liga’s top scorer Neymar took his total to 14 this season as he knocked in a Jeremy Mathieu cross after 53 minutes and in injury time he set up Messi to score from close range.

“It comes naturally for them”.

Suarez, meanwhile, has scored in six consecutive rounds, and remained second in the league with 12 goals.

A solitary goal by an in-form Antoine Griezmann saw Atletico Madrid overcome Espanyol to keep the pressure on Barcelona – but they were rocked by a serious injury to midfielder Tiago. “These players are very smart and we know perfectly that we are in the first third [of the season] and the best part is still to come”.

“Griezmann continues to grow playing on the right, through the middle or coming from deep and it is down to him what level he can achieve”.

Luis Suarez said Barcelona had played the “perfect game” after they thrashed Roma 6-1 with a breathtaking, attacking performance at the Camp Nou.

The return of arguably the planet’s best player Messi is an ominous warning to the rest of European football, but Enrique’s men made light of the absence of the Argentina forward, winning their last five games in La Liga, notching up 17 goals in the process. “It’s natural”, Luis Enrique said after the match.

Sacristan was installed as the new manager after Sociedad had lost patience with former Manchester United and Everton boss David Moyes. Suarez struck again just before the interval with a sweet volley and the rout continued in the second half as Neymar, Suarez and Messi all combined to give Gerard Pique a tap-in.

The Express quoted Suarez as saying earlier this year: “I do owe so much to Steven when Arsenal wanted to sign me”. Barcelona kept arriving easily on both flanks and Dani Alves was played through by Messi to square the ball for Neymar, who beat his marker and stabbed Barcelona’s first goal into the top of the net.

“We are not losing sight of who we are, independent of the form we are in”, said the Brazilian.