Real Madrid beware: Minus Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez keep Barcelona machine in motion

Neymar and Luis Suarez continued their remarkable run of goal-scoring form in the absence of Lionel Messi as Barcelona beat Villarreal. Andy Mitten was at the Camp Nou.

Luis Suarez, left, and Neymar combined to score all three Barcelona goals against Villarreal. David Ramos / Getty Images

Barcelona // Eighty-five minutes showed on Camp Nou’s scoreboards when the home fans began to sing for the injured Lionel Messi.

They had seen their team go into half time goalless against Villarreal, before Neymar and Luis Suarez put them 2-0 ahead.

The pair had scored 19 of Barcelona's 22 goals since Messi limped out of a game against Las Palmas in September.

The injured Argentine will miss the Catalan club’s next game, the clasico against Real Madrid on November 21, but Neymar and Suarez help keep Barcelona a winning machine without their best player.

As well as their goals, they had assisted a further seven since Messi’s injury as Barca won eight, drew one and lost one.

The win against Villarreal extended that run to nine wins, with the best moment of La Liga season so far coming five minutes from time.

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Neymar headed the ball towards Suarez, with Barca’s No 9 wide on the left. The Uruguayan then spun a ball beyond two outstretched defenders into the path of Neymar.

The Brazilian flicked the airborne ball over the head of a third defender, the experienced Jaume Costa, then pirouetted 180 degrees before volleying it past Villarreal’s French Under 21 international goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, on loan from Paris Saint-Germain.

Neymar claimed afterwards he had thought about the move in advance and it came off.

It was Neymar’s finest goal in Spain so far, and how the crowd loved it as they saw Neymar and Suarez embrace for the third time in 25 minutes.

Villarreal are tough opponents and clashes between the pair are high scoring, 32 in the previous 10 games. They had also taken 20 points from Barcelona in their past 20 league encounters.

The goals did not flow in the late November sun, but the yellow cards did.

Referee Carlos Gomez had officiated 18 previous Barca games and only produced 21 yellow cards; yesterday, he brandished five for the Catalans alone. Had Suarez, Neymar, Andres Iniesta, Gerard Pique or Jeremy Mathieu picked up a second yellow, they would have been out of el clasico.

How Real Madrid’s Rafa Benitez would have watched with interest. Barca will find it hard enough without Messi, but to be without another star, especially as Ivan Rakitic and Rafinha are injured, would have hurt.

While the crowd was indignant, coach Luis Enrique held his nerve, not substituting any of the booked players until replacing Pique in the 82nd minute. His decision was vindicated as his best players provided the magic.

Neymar had put his side 1-0 ahead on the hour, slotting home from close range.

It took an hour of pressing to tire Villarreal, then Barca were awarded a penalty 10 minutes later, won for the second game in succession by Munir El Haddadi.

Suarez stepped up, scored, then pointed to Neymar.

The pair hugged. They get on well; better still, they form part of the best forward line in football when Messi is fit, but two in-form world-class strikers more than suffice.

At the other end, it was the fourth clean sheet in succession for Barca.

Messi aside, they are going into el clasico in formidable form. Asked by reporters if Neymar is now the second best striker in the world behind Messi — a loaded question which would have irked many in Madrid — Enrique, avoiding the trap, replied: “That’s up to others, I’m delighted to have this squad.”

Not one to be drawn into hyperbole, Enrique was equally deflective when asked if Neymar’s goal was the best moment of the season.

“I don’t know, but it’s clear we’re getting better,” he said. “But I hope we’re still far away from our best this season.”

With Neymar and Suarez in such form, Madrid should beware.

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