Suárez, Neymar score as Barcelona wallop Sporting Gijón

Luis Suárez and Rafinha struck first-half goals and Neymar hit two late on to give Barcelona a 5-0 win at 10-man Sporting Gijón, their first game this season without Lionel Messi.

After a slow and dull start by Barça, Arda Turan set up Suárez and the Uruguayan rounded Sporting goalkeeper, Iván Cuéllar, to tap in the opener in the 29th minute.

Rafinha then headed in Sergi Roberto’s cross at the near post for the second three minutes later.

Sporting lost captain, Alberto Lora, to a second yellow card for a late challenge on Roberto in the 74th minute. The floodgates opened with nine minutes remaining when substitute Paco Alcácer hit the crossbar but Neymar pounced on the rebound and tapped in.

Roberto came up with his second assist of the game when his cross was headed home by Turan for Barça’s fourth in the 85th minute and Neymar got his second two minutes from time with a close-range strike past Cuéllar.

The win gives Barcelona 13 points from their first six La Liga games.

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