FC Barcelona v Eibar: Suárez hat-trick muscles past Barça (3–1)

Barcelona (CNA).-  Barça’s victory against Eibar this Sunday, allows the Catalans to keep place at the top of La Liga table and is its third straight across all competitions, following last week’s win over Rayo and Tuesday’s Champions League triumph at Bate Borisov. Although Eibar opened the scoring in the 10th minute on Sunday, when Borja González struck home a long rebound following a diving stop by Barça goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, the Uruguayan Luis Suárez stormed the team to the victory. His first goal arrived in the 22th minute, when he headed home a beautiful one-touch volley from Sandro Ramírez. Three minutes after the break Suárez put Barça into the lead with his second goal. Suárez's scored his third goal hat-trick and the win in the 84th minute. This Sunday’s hat-trick was Suárez’s second since debuting for Barça exactly one-year ago to the day.

Luis Suárez was all FC Barcelona needed on Sunday evening. Faced with an early deficit against a pugnacious Eibar that were eager to prove their unbeaten road record wasn't a fluke, the Catalans rode the brute strength of their Uruguayan striker to another come-from-behind victory in La Liga, this time by a score of 3–1 at Camp Nou.

Suárez’s third goal was the climax of the game, coming with six minutes to play and right on the heels of a free kick awarded to Barça and a Javier Mascherano red card for some unwelcome dialogue with the referee. With Barça down to ten men and holding on to a 2–1 lead, and with the match turning more aggressive by the minute, Suárez brilliantly cradled a long pass from Neymar after the ensuing free kick and slotted in to put Barça up 3–1.

The come-from-behind victory was FC Barcelona’s third in nine La Liga games this season. The first was a 2–1 comeback win at Atlético de Madrid in Week 3 while the second came just last weekend when the Catalans scored five straight goals en route to beating Rayo Vallecano 5–2 at Camp Nou.

Eibar opened the scoring in the 10th minute on Sunday, when Borja González struck home a long rebound following a diving stop by Barça goalkeeper Claudio Bravo. The save — coming after a midfield steal by Simone Verdi, an Eibar counter and a low, hard shot by Keko — left Bravo too far out of position and gave Borja an open look with just a pair of defenders in the way.

Cue Luis Suárez

The Uruguayan first drew Barça even at 1–1 on the stroke of 22 minutes when he headed home a beautiful one-touch volley from Sandro Ramírez. Neymar and Suárez, working on the far side, sent the ball out to the perimeter to Sergio Busquets, who in turn found Sandro. By the time the play had come full circle, both Neymar and Suárez were all alone at the doorstep, with Suárez in better position to head past Eibar goalkeeper Asier Riesgo.

Three minutes after the break Suárez put Barça into the lead with his second goal. Neymar stole an Eibar outlet pass and dribbled in closer before passing inside to Suárez, who calmly settled and buried a low shot inside the left post and out of the reach of Riesgo.

Suárez's sealed his hat-trick — his second since debuting for Barça exactly one-year ago to the day — and the win, in the 84th minute.

The victory was Barça’s third straight across all competitions, following last week’s win over Rayo and Tuesday’s Champions League triumph at Bate Borisov, and allows them to keep pace at the top of the La Liga table.