Spanish champions Barcelona have once again moved above Real Madrid to the top of La Liga after recording a 6-1 win over struggling Sporting Gijon at Camp Nou.
The success has seen the Catalan giants, who had Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez among their scorers, jump above Real Madrid onto 57 points, but victory for Zinedine Zidane's side in their home game with Las Palmas on Wednesday night would see the Madrid outfit return the summit.
Barcelona's team showed four changes from the one that started Sunday's 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid, with Javier Mascherano, Jordi Alba, Ivan Rakitic and Denis Suarez replacing Gerard Pique, Jeremy Mathieu, Andres Iniesta and Sergi Roberto as Luis Enrique shuffled his pack at Camp Nou.
As for Sporting, highly-rated centre-back Jorge Mere missed out through suspension following his red card against Celta Vigo, but on-loan right-back Douglas, who belongs to Barcelona, started against his parent club.
The first half-chance of the match fell to Barcelona inside the first three minutes, but Rafinha could only curl his effort wide of the far post after finding space down the right.
Sporting survived the first eight minutes of action at Camp Nou, but Barcelona made the breakthrough in the ninth minute when Messi headed a searching Mascherano pass over the onrushing Ivan Cuellar, and it was 2-0 less than two minutes later when Luis Suarez found the back of the net courtesy of a hack from Sporting defender Juan Rodriguez.
Neymar's threaded pass had sent Luis Suarez racing into the away side's box, and the centre-forward rounded Cuellar before finding the bottom corner, albeit with the help of a deflection from Rodriguez, who was ultimately credited with the goal.
For all of Barcelona's dominance, relegation-threatened Sporting were actually back in the match in the 21st minute when Carlos Castro converted from close range after Burgui's low effort had hit the post and fallen kindly for the number nine.
The home side scored their third of the night just six minutes later, however, when Luis Suarez rattled a volley into the top corner after a header from Jean-Sylvain Babin had fallen to the Uruguay international inside the Sporting box.
Both teams had chances to add to the scoring in the latter stages of the first period, but Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen kept out a curling effort from Burgui, before Cuellar denied Neymar from close range down the other end.
Paco Alcacer replaced Luis Suarez at the interval as Barcelona boss Enrique switched his attention to a busy next couple of weeks, while Victor Rodriguez was introduced for the visitors in place of the ineffective Douglas.
It did not take long for Alcacer to make his mark either, as the Spain international scored Barcelona's fourth in the 49th minute after Messi had robbed Babin of the ball and fed his teammate inside the Sporting box.
Babin had a half-chance for Sporting just before the hour after meeting a cross from Burgui, but the centre-back's header was over the target, before Messi hit the top of the crossbar with a delicate free kick down the other end.
Just past the 60-minute mark at Camp Nou, Messi took his place alongside Luis Suarez on the bench as Enrique again took the chance to rest his key players ahead of their home match with Celta Vigo this weekend.
Neymar was left on the field, however, and the Brazilian joined the party in the 66th minute when he curled a free kick into the top corner to send Barcelona into a 5-1 lead on home soil.
Rakitic came close to scoring a sixth for the Catalan giants 10 minutes from time after sending one towards the bottom corner, but Cuellar was on hand to make a smart save as Sporting survived another dangerous moment.
Rakitic continued to force the issue, however, and scored a sixth for Barcelona in the 87th minute when he played a one-two with Roberto before finding the back of the net from a narrow angle.
Next up for Barcelona, who will now eagerly watch Real Madrid in action against Las Palmas, is a home match against Celta Vigo this weekend, while Sporting's fight against the drop will continue at home to fellow strugglers Deportivo La Coruna.
Matt Law
