Barcelona 6-1 Sporting Gijon: Barca move top to apply pressure on Real Madrid in La Liga title race

Barcelona regained top spot in La Liga with a comfortable 6-1 victory over Sporting Gijon at the Nou Camp.

A header from Lionel Messi, making his 500th Barca start, and Juan Rodriguez's own goal set the Spanish champions on course to victory inside 11 minutes.

Carlos Castro pulled one back for the visitors midway through the first half but Luis Suarez's sensational volley saw Luis Enrique's men wrestle back the initiative.

The hosts then cut loose after the break as Paco Alcacer's third goal of the season, an exquisite Neymar free-kick and Ivan Rakitic's thunderous drive moved Barcelona two points clear at the top of La Liga, piling the pressure on Real Madrid ahead of their game with Las Palmas.

A much-changed Sporting Gijon, who suffered their ninth defeat in their last 12 outings, remain third from bottom, although head coach Rubi will have one eye on Sunday's trip to Deportivo.

It took just nine minutes for Barca to hit the front, Messi evading the offside trap to latch on to the returning Javier Mascherano's raking diagonal pass before looping the ball over Gijon 'keeper Ivan Cuellar.

One became two in an instant, Neymar threading Suarez in behind before the despairing Rodriguez inadvertently turned the Uruguayan's effort home while attempting to clear.

Moments after Rafinha should have extended Barca's lead, but sliced wide, Castro was well placed to halve the deficit, tapping home from close range after Sergio Alvarez had struck the post.

Barca soon regained their two-goal lead, though, Suarez lashing home a thunderous volley after Jean Babin's poor defensive header.

The onslaught continued after the break as Sporting, who made seven changes ahead of kick-off, failed to mount a threat.

Three minutes after coming on as a half-time substitute, Alcacer got a much-needed goal, stroking past Cuellar after fine build-up play from Messi down the right channel.

Neymar got in on the act in the 66th minute, whipping a sublime free-kick around the wall and beyond the reach of the Sporting 'keeper to end a 10-game La Liga goal drought at the Nou Camp.

With the game meandering to an end, Rakitic put the icing on the cake for Barca, playing a neat one-two with Sergi Roberto four minutes from time before hammering a stunning effort home, before all eyes focused on whether Real could respond at the Bernabeu.