Granada vs Barcelona match report: Luis Suarez impresses with goal and assist as Barca keep pressure on Real Madrid

Granada 1 Barcelona 3

(Getty Images)

Luis Suarez followed up on his scintillating two-goal performance in the Champions League victory at Manchester City on Tuesday by helping Barcelona to open up the La Liga title race with a 3-1 victory at Granada.

The Uruguayan was again in supeb form, scoring one goal and having a hand in both of the others as Barca shrugged off last week’s shock home defeat by Malaga.

They moved a point behind the La Liga leaders Reakl Madrid, who play Villareal at home this evening.

There were signs of the scrappy play they had shown in the 1-0 loss to Malaga but all that changed after 25 minutes when the Granada defender Cala deflected away a cross shot by Suarez and Ivan Rakitic cracked the ball home.

That was it until the second half, but Barcelona stamped their authorityn on the game within three minutes of the restart with Lionel Messi also finding his form. He had gone close twice before Rakitic chipped a pass through for Suarez who slipped the ball past the goalkeeper Oier Olazabal to make it 2-0.

Barca looked set to slip into cruise control but relegation-threatened Granada pulled a goal back five minutes later when Marc Bartra felled Lassane Bangoura and Fran Rico hit the spot kick past Claudio Bravo.

Suarez, though, was proving too hot for the hosts and he sped clear in the 70th minute and left Oier floundering before unselfishly setting up Messi with an open goal.

“I think it was important for us to keep racking up points after a tough game against Malaga,” Rakitic, the Croatian midfielder, told Spanish television. “What was really impressive was the intensity of the team from the kick-off.”

Granada: (4-4-2) Oier; Nyom, Babin, Cala, Foulquier, Robert Ibanez, Iturra, Fran Rico, Lass (Candeias, 79; Cordoba (Success, 78), Javi Marquez (Ruben Rochina, 67).

Barcelona: (4-3-3) Bravo; Dani Alves, Bartra, Matthieu (Busquets, 75), Alba; Rakitic, Mascherano, Xavi (Rafinha, 65); Messi, Suarez (Pedro, 79), Neymar.

Referee: Santiago Jaime Latre