BARCELONA // Luis Suarez scored twice and Paco Alcacer got his first league goal for Barcelona as the Catalans recorded their biggest home win of the season, hammering an eighth-placed Las Palmas who they twice struggled to overcome last term.
Barca have stumbled too often against mid-table teams at Camp Nou this season, but a much changed side impressed despite Andres Iniesta, Neymar, Gerard Pique and Ivan Rakitic being on the bench or rested – the Croatian for the fourth successive league game.
Third at the start of play, Barca had dismissed director and Lionel Messi’s former coach Pere Gratacos on Friday.
The director had made mildly disparaging comments about Messi needing to have great players around him, but it is understood that the club were looking to change Gratacos and he gave them an excuse to make the change.
Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu assured fans that he was relaxed about Messi extending his contract beyond 2018 and the Argentine shone against Las Palmas.
His goal means he has scored 13 in the last 12 games and in all seven matches since the 1-1 draw with Real Madrid on December 3.
Given five of Barca’s six most recent games have been goalless at half time, there was relief when they went ahead after 13 minutes.
The goal came after right-back Aleix Vidal, starting only his second league game of the season, found another player who has been struggling for Barca.
Andre Gomes crossed the ball along the pitch shaded from the January sun by Camp Nou’s grandstands and Luis Suarez was a willing recipient, striking the ball first time with his right foot towards the near post of Javi Varas for his 13th league goal of the season.
The Uruguayan repaid the favour with a cross to Gomes in the 24th minute but the Portuguese’s effort was saved by the legs of Varas.
Gomes, who has yet to score for Barça since his €30 million (Dh117.2m) transfer from Valencia, also came close in the 31st minute controlling a forward ball pass from Sergio Busquets before shooting wide.
Messi also shot across goal a minute later after his turn on the edge of the six-yard box confused three defenders.
Barca’s top scorer also had a free-kick pushed over the bar after 42 minutes. He was on form and could have appealed for a penalty on the stroke of half-time, but chose to continue and get a shot – his side’s 11th in the first half – at goal.
Las Palmas were the only current Primera Liga team who Messi had not scored against, but that statistic changed six minutes into the second half when Varas was unable to hold a cross from Rafinha and Messi converted the loose ball.
Rafinha also assisted Barca’s third in the 57th minute, though Suarez’s control with two defenders in front of him led Luis Enrique to jump in the air in celebration.
Barca were rampant and the fourth arrived a minute later when Varas pushed another Suarez shot away, but Arda Turan was waiting to knock in his 12th goal in 22 games.
He managed just two last term. Rakitic was introduced to great applause from the huge 81,480 crowd after replacing the impressive Gomes on 62 minutes.
There was one final surprise with 10 minutes left when Vidal set up Paco Alcacer, another close season €30m signing from Valencia, for his first league goal at his new club.
Alcacer was hugely relieved and happy. Like everyone associated with Barca on what soon became a welcome, relaxed afternoon for the home side.
“Extraordinary,” opined the Las Palmas coach Quique Setien. He wasn’t talking about his own team.
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