Uruguayan sensation Luis Suarez lit up the Estadio Camp Nou on Sunday after his glorious hattrick gave FC Barcelona a 3-1 win over Eibar.
Eibar, who were unbeaten on the road before today’s match, took a shock lead in the 10th minute when Verdi slotted in the rebound after Keko’s shot was parried away by Barcelona Claudio Bravo.
Suarez equalized for the Catalans 12 minutes later after heading in a wonderfully executed volley from Sandro. Minutes into the second half, Suarez gave the Catalans the lead after tapping in from 6 yards out following a neat Neymar pass.
Two minutes after Javier Mascherano was sent off for Barcelona in an off the ball altercation, Suarez grabbed his hattrick in emphatic fashion after lashing home a powerful drive into the bottom left hand corner from the edge of the box.
Suarez is Irreplaceable: Enrique
Speaking to the press after his side’s 3-1 win over Eibar, FC Barcelona manager Luis Enrique heaped infinite praise upon hattrick hero Luis Suarez, an year after the Uruguayan made his first appearance for the club.
“Suarez is an irreplaceable player, even if he doesn’t score, because he gives so much to the team,” said Enrique (via the club’s official twitter account).
“We found it hard to create danger from the start and that means we have to keep improving. I liked the support of the fans.
“We tried to fix the problems we had the first half. With a team like Eibar, unbeaten away from home, ita s normal that we had trouble getting going.
“Today was tough for us. We got through the game on intensity and effectiveness.
“First goal was a gift. Then the problems start. If not well-positioned, you suffer. We tried to solve things at half-time,” he added.
“It seems every mistake by us leads to a goal lately. I’m glad with how the team reacted, we should continue like that”
Suarez and Neymar powering Barcelona in Messi’s absence
There were concerns in some quarters as to how FC Barcelona would handle the loss of Argentine sensation Lionel Messi to injury. However, FC Barcelona brushed aside all those concerns over the past few weeks after spectacular performances from Neymar and Luis Suarez.
Neymar scored a hattrick last weekend against against Rayo Vallecano as his side came away with a 5-2 win. Luis Suarez reciprocated Neymar’s achievement by dispatching 3 past Eibar this week. Apart from the goal scoring, the South American duo have been instrumental in creating a whole host of chances for their fellow teammates.
With Messi still a month away from returning to full fitness, the Neymar-Suarez partnership must continue to blossom for the Catalans, if they are to retain their La Liga crown.
Luis Enrique: “Today was tough for us. We got through the game on intensity and effectiveness.” #FCBlive #FCBEibar pic.twitter.com/C30QImonX3
a FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) October 25, 2015
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