A defender’s nightmare: Camp Nou’s front trio has the potential to tear open even the best of defences and they showed that against Atletico. Photo: Reuters
Messi shrugged off speculation surrounding his future at the Camp Nou to cross for Neymar to scramble home the opener after Suarez’s miscontrol and then tee up Suarez to register just his second La Liga goal.
The Argentine then handed Atletico a route back into the game, though, when he was adjudged to have brought down Jesus Gamez inside the area on the hour mark and Mario Mandzukic slammed home from the penalty spot.
However, Messi made amends by sealing the three points when he slotted home from close range three minutes from time to move Barca back to within a point of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga.
Atletico are now four points adrift of Real, who also have a game in hand over both their title rivals.
Blaugrana manager Jose Enrique acknowledged that he will only silence his critics by continuing to put a winning team out on the field. "Victories are the only thing that can calm the situation," he said. "I need to transmit the best idea of how to play football to my players and be as competitive as possible. If we are capable of winning titles or not will be the judge of my era.”
Atletico boss Diego Simeone, meanwhile, lamented his side's slow start. “I think there were two games. In the first-half Barca were better; dynamic and intense. We played badly in the first-half," conceded the Argentine. "In the second-half we were competitive. It was much closer to what we normally are in the second. We scored and could have got an equaliser, but in the end, the third goal finishes the game.”
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