Barca biting at leader's heels

With Lionel Messi's fifth goal in six matches this year, Barcelona saw off Eibar 4-0 on Sunday to keep pace with Real Madrid and Sevilla at La Liga's halfway point.

Substitute Denis Suarez, Uruguay striker Luis Suarez and Brazil forward Neymar also netted as the defending champion cruised to victory to move to within two points of Madrid and one back of second-place Sevilla.

Madrid, which has a game in hand, held onto top spot with a 2-1 victory over Malaga 2-1 at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Saturday. Two goals by defender Sergio Ramos snapped Real's three-game winless streak. Sevilla beat Osasuna 4-3 on Sunday.

"We can always improve, but I feel we are in position to fight for titles," Barcelona coach Luis Enrique said.

"We need a good run of victories to get even closer to the top."

Denis Suarez, who came off the bench 10 minutes into the match because of a right-ankle injury to midfielder Sergio Busquets, put Barca ahead with a low shot from the edge of the area in the 31st minute.

Argentine superstar Messi netted for the fifth straight league match from close range in the 50th. That came after a cross by Luis Suarez, who scored from inside the area in the 68th minute before Neymar fired the fourth following a counter attack in injury time.

Messi and Suarez are the league's leading scorers with 15 goals each, three more than Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo.

Messi is having another superb season with the Catalan club, scoring 28 times in 26 matches. Only once has the Argentine gone two consecutive games without a goal, dating back to September.

"Their players up front will wear you down," Eibar midfielder Pedro Leon said. "They will score at your first mistake."

Tenth-place Eibar, which has won only once in its last six matches, had a goal disallowed for offside at 2-0.

Sevilla edged a 4-3 thriller at Osasuna to guarantee the Europa League champion its best campaign ever at the halfway point.

Captain Vicente Iborra bagged a brace - in addition to an own goal - to help Sevilla, thriving under Argentine coach Jorge Sampaoli, win its fifth in a row.

Franco Vazquez and Pablo Sarabia also scored for the visitor late on to secure the points.

"We wanted to make history with the best campaign ever in the first part of the season, and we did it," Iborra said.