Barcelona Wins To Keep Pressure On Atletico

Barcelona have boosted their chances of a La Liga title run thanks to a 6-1 hammering of Real Sociedad.

Ronald Koeman‘s side recorded their biggest win of the 2020/21 campaign as they returned to second place in the table just four points behind league leaders Atletico Madrid.

Koeman was looking for a statement from his players at the Estadio Anoeta and early goals from Sergino Dest and Antoine Griezmann put them into a 2-0 lead at the break.

However, there was to be no let up from the visitors after the break, as Dest grabbed only his second league goal of the season, before Lionel Messi superbly made it 4-0 on the night.

With Barcelona rampant in the final half hour, French star Ousmane Dembele fired home Ilaix Moriba’s pass to make it 5-0.

Sociedad substitute Ander Barrenetxea did pull a fine consolation back for the hosts before Messi grabbed his second goal of the game to hand Koeman a first six-goal haul of the season.

La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid have received a timely boost in their title push thanks to a 1-0 win at home to Alaves.

Diego Simeone‘s side welcomed the Basque club to Madrid on the back of a patchy run of form in the league and a Champions League exit at the hands of Chelsea.

However, despite struggling to create much in the first 45 minutes at the Estadio Wanda Metropolitano, with Jan Oblak producing a vital stop from Pere Pons, star man Luis Suarez edged them in front just after the restart.

Kieran Trippier‘s excellent cross found the Uruguayan international in space between two Alaves defenders and he bulleted home a header past Fernando Pacheco.