Suarez shines, Barca returns to second place in La Liga

Striker Luis Suarez scored two beautiful goals, thereby contributing greatly to Barca's 5-0 victory in the match against Las Palmas in round 18 of La Liga.

Goals: Suarez 14', 57', Messi 52', Turan 59', Aleix Vidal 80'

With two lightning-fast moves on his right foot, Suarez scored two goals for Barca in the 14th and 57th minutes. This double played an important role in relieving the pressure as well as deciding the fate of the match. Along with three other players who scored, Messi, Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal, Suarez made the team's first big win in 2017.

With three points from their match against Las Palmas, Barca have begun to regain hope in La Liga. The defending champions are currently in second place with 38 points, two points ahead of third-placed Sevilla and two points behind leaders Real Madrid (who have played two games less). This result could have a psychological impact on the match between Sevilla and Real tonight, January 15.

Luis Suarez is regaining his peak form. Photo: Reuters

For Barca fans, the match against Las Palmas could be a measure of the courage of coach Luis Enrique. Having to face a team currently ranked eighth on the table, the coach showed no hesitation in leaving out two key players, Neymar and Andres Iniesta. This choice was partly correct when the two alternatives, Turan and Rafinha, both played well and contributed to the victory. Turan himself sparked two goals and scored another, while Rafinha assisted the second goal. The effective performance of these two players helped Barca not only win big but also save Neymar and Iniesta's energy for the first leg of the Copa del Rey quarter-final against Sociedad.

In addition to coach Enrique's courageous decision, Barca's victory was also largely due to striker Suarez. After scoring the opening goal in 2017 in the second leg of the King's Cup Round of 16, Suarez seemed to be finding the form that brought him the Golden Boot award last season. In the first scoring situation, the striker wearing the number 9 shirt surprised the entire Las Palmas defense when he shot with one touch into the near corner after a cross from Andre Gomes. At the beginning of the second half, this star continued to amaze when he received the ball in the penalty area and quickly curled the ball into the far corner.

While Suarez shone, Messi played a quieter role than in the previous three matches. The captain spent most of his time leading the game and creating connections for Iniesta. However, when given the chance, Messi still found a way to put the ball in the opponent's net. The proof was in the 52nd minute, when M10 rushed in to make it 2-0 after a push by goalkeeper Javi Varas.

Messi has his fourth goal in four consecutive matches since the beginning of 2017.

With a brace from Suarez and a goal from Messi, the first match was almost over for Barca from the beginning of the second half. The remaining two goals from Turan and Vidal were like dessert after the feast.

Suarez could have had a hat-trick if he had finished successfully in a one-on-one chance with the goalkeeper in the 59th minute. After the ball bounced back, Turan rushed in to score the rebound to increase the score to 4-0.

For Vidal, the goal was even more meaningful as it was his first in a Barca shirt. The right-back was overjoyed after finishing accurately from Paco Alcacer's right-wing pass. The match against Las Palmas was also the first time Vidal started for Barca in La Liga.

Turan played effectively when replacing Neymar as left winger.

While Barca dominated and won by a landslide, Las Palmas had a match that was not worthy of eighth place. The team only had one shot on goal in more than 90 minutes of play. Las Palmas' most important player, striker Kevin Prince Boateng, also barely managed to keep the center-back pair Mascherano - Umtiti in check.

According to VNE