Match ends, Barcelona 6, Sporting de Gijón 0.
Luis Suarez scored his second consecutive four-goal haul as Barcelona returned to the top of La Liga with victory over Sporting Gijon.
Victories for Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid earlier on Saturday had left Barca third by kick-off.
Lionel Messi's looping header into an empty net gave Barca the lead.
Suarez made it 2-0 before Barca won three late penalties, the Uruguayan scoring two and Neymar the other, and Suarez converted Messi's pass late on.
Sporting had Ognjen Vranjes harshly sent off for conceding the third penalty for a foul on Neymar.
Striker Suarez also scored four in Wednesday's 8-0 win over Deportivo La Coruna.
Barca over their crisis?
At the start of April, Barcelona were nine points clear at the top of La Liga - and unbeaten in 39 games.
But losing to Real in El Clasico sparked a disastrous run of one win in six games, allowing the Madrid clubs to close the gap, while Atletico knocked them out of the Champions League.
However, 14 unanswered La Liga goals in four days have taken them to within three wins of successfully defending their title.
They are level on points with Atletico and one point above Real, with their head-to-head record meaning they will edge out either Madrid side if they finish the league equal on points.
Unstoppable Suarez?
Luis Suarez took control of the race for the Pichichi - the Spanish golden boot - with his second quadruple of the week.
He now leads Real's currently injured star Cristiano Ronaldo 34-31 with three games left.
Suarez's fellow Uruguayan Diego Forlan is the last player other than Ronaldo or Messi to win the award - back in 2008-09.
The former Liverpool striker had a hand in the opener, putting keeper Ivan Cuellar under pressure before the ball came to Messi, who headed a looping effort into the empty net from 18 yards.
Barca's second did not come until the 63rd minute when Suarez converted Andres Iniesta's pass - possibly from an offside position.
Suarez scored their first penalty after Roberto Canella handled Dani Alves' cross. His hat-trick goal came from the spot after Antonio Sanabria shoved over Neymar.
Barcelona got a third penalty when Vranjes was deemed to have pushed Neymar, and was sent off for a second booking.
Out-of-form Neymar this time took the penalty, and scored down the centre, with keeper Cuellar almost keeping it out.
But Suarez still had time for his fourth when he fired home Messi's pass via the post.
Line-ups
Barcelona
Formation 4-3-3
- 13Bravo
- 20Roberto CarnicerSubstituted forAlves da Silvaat 45'minutes
- 3PiquéSubstituted forBartraat 66'minutes
- 14Mascherano
- 18Alba
- 4RakiticSubstituted forTuranat 75'minutes
- 5Busquets
- 8Iniesta
- 10Messi
- 9Suárez
- 11Neymar
Substitutes
- 1ter Stegen
- 6Alves da Silva
- 7Turan
- 12Rafinha
- 15Bartra
- 17El Haddadi
- 21Correia
Sporting Gijón
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Cuéllar
- 21VranjesBooked at 84mins
- 2HernándezBooked at 71mins
- 4Lichnovsky Osorio
- 18López BlancoSubstituted forCanellaat 69'minutes
- 17Mascarell
- 24Ait Atmane
- 22Pérez RodríguezSubstituted forSanabriaat 62'minutes
- 25HalilovicBooked at 85mins
- 3Menéndez Díez
- 9GuerreroSubstituted forCastro Garcíaat 75'minutes
Substitutes
- 6Álvarez Díaz
- 11Lora
- 15Canella
- 16Castro García
- 19Carmona
- 20Sanabria
- 26Díaz Fernández
- Referee:
- Carlos Clos Gómez
- Attendance:
- 75,882
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home72%
- Away28%
- Shots
- Home24
- Away5
- Shots on Target
- Home10
- Away3
- Corners
- Home6
- Away1
- Fouls
- Home11
- Away11
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Barcelona 6, Sporting de Gijón 0.
Goal!
Goal! Barcelona 6, Sporting de Gijón 0. Luis Suárez (Barcelona) right footed shot from the left side of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Lionel Messi.
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Foul by Sergio Busquets (Barcelona).
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Rachid (Sporting de Gijón) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Goal!
Goal! Barcelona 5, Sporting de Gijón 0. Neymar (Barcelona) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the centre of the goal.
Booking
Alen Halilovic (Sporting de Gijón) is shown the yellow card.
Dismissal
Second yellow card to Ognjen Vranjes (Sporting de Gijón) for a bad foul.
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Penalty Barcelona. Neymar draws a foul in the penalty area.
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Penalty conceded by Ognjen Vranjes (Sporting de Gijón) after a foul in the penalty area.
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Neymar (Barcelona) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Foul by Ognjen Vranjes (Sporting de Gijón).
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Foul by Javier Mascherano (Barcelona).
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Carlos Castro (Sporting de Gijón) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Offside, Barcelona. Lionel Messi tries a through ball, but Luis Suárez is caught offside.
Goal!
Goal! Barcelona 4, Sporting de Gijón 0. Luis Suárez (Barcelona) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the high centre of the goal.
Post update
Penalty Barcelona. Neymar draws a foul in the penalty area.
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Penalty conceded by Antonio Sanabria (Sporting de Gijón) after a foul in the penalty area.
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Corner, Barcelona. Conceded by Ognjen Vranjes.
Substitution
Substitution, Sporting de Gijón. Carlos Castro replaces Guerrero.