Suarez hits hat-trick, BBC back for Real

Barcelona forwards Lionel Messi, Philippe Coutinho and Luis Suarez combined to devastating effect to hammer Girona 6-1 Saturday as they went 10 points clear at the top of La Liga and set a club record of 32 games unbeaten in the league. Visiting striker Portu gave Girona a shock lead in the third minute of their first league game at the Nou Camp. However, Suarez quickly levelled down the other end, while two goals from Messi and another from the Uruguayan saw Barca march into a 4-1 lead at halftime. Barca's record signing Coutinho had set up Suarez's second goal and then struck for the first time in La Liga with a spectacular long-distance shot from well outside of the area in the 66th minute. Suarez completed a hat-trick in the 76th, tapping in a cut-back from Ousmane Dembele. Earlier Saturday Real Madrid's "BBC" strikeforce hit back with a vengeance when Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema all scored in a 4-0 win at home to Alaves, a fifth straight win in all competition for Zinedine Zidane's side.

? #LaLigaSantander ?

? ¡Y este domingo mucho más! ? pic.twitter.com/mG48fHX7eY— LaLiga (@LaLiga) February 24, 2018

Barca lead the standing on 65 points, 10 clear of Atletico Madrid who visit Sevilla Sunday and 14 ahead of champion Real. Ernesto Valverde's side also surpassed the club's longest run without a defeat in the league, which had stood since April 2011 when Pep Guardiola was in charge of the Catalans. Valverde has favoured a 4-4-2 formation for most of the season but after his side had struggled to a 1-1 draw at Chelsea in the Champions League Tuesday the coach opted for an ultra-attacking 4-3-3 against Girona, with Dembele often joining the South American trio to create a ruthless four-man attack. Ronaldo put Real ahead on the stroke of halftime, taking advantage of a clever backheel from Benzema and before celebrating the goal he pointed to his maligned French team mate, who had been subjected to plenty of criticism from the home fans in recent weeks.

Suarez: 3 goals, 2 assists Messi: 2 goals, 1 assists Coutinho: 1 goal, 1 assist Dembele: 1 assist

Barcelona's front four are ? pic.twitter.com/5viOQn3VZY— B/R Football (@brfootball) February 24, 2018

Benzema was also the catalyst for Real's second goal which came under a minute into the second half, with the striker winning the ball back in midfield and tearing towards goal, slipping it into Bale's path for the Wales international to slot it inside the near post. Ronaldo struck Real's third goal of the day and his 299th in La Liga in the 61st minute, meeting a cutback from in-form winger Lucas Vazquez first time and sending it under the reach of former Real goalkeeper Fernando Pacheco. Ronaldo then surrendered the opportunity to score a hat-trick by offering Benzema penalty-taking duty after Bale was brought down, and the Frenchman made no mistake, converting from the spot in the 89th minute. It was the first time Benzema had taken a penalty for Real and the first time he, Bale and Ronaldo had all scored in the same game since 2016.

Cristiano Ronaldo had the chance to score his 50th career hat-trick and 300th Liga goal... but he let Karim Benzema take the penalty to complete Real Madrid's 4-0 win against Alavés.

Classy ???#UCL pic.twitter.com/GyhtXpsfq7— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) February 24, 2018

RESULTSCelta 2 (Aspas 56, Gomez 79) Eibar 0Real Madrid 4 (Ronaldo 44, 61, Bale 46, Benzema 89-P) Alaves 0Leganes 0 Las Palmas 0Barcelona 6 (Suarez 5, 44, 76, Messi 30, 36, Coutinho 66) Girona 1 (Portu 3)  SUNDAY'S MATCHESVillarreal v Getafe, Athletic v Malaga, Valencia v Sociedad and Sevilla v Atletico