Barcelona kept pace with Real Madrid at the top of La Liga on

Saturday as Luis Suarez and Neymar once again compensated for the

absence of Lionel Messi with a goal apiece in a 2-0 win at Getafe.

Madrid were comfortable 3-1 winners over Las Palmas thanks to goals from Isco, Cristiano Ronaldo and Jese Rodriguez.

Neymar and Suarez have now combined for Barca’s last 14 league goals

since Messi went down with knee ligament damage over a month ago.

However, it was Sergi Roberto who shone brightest for Barca as his

stunning backheel assist freed Suarez for the opener before also

crossing for Neymar to volley home the second to cap off a rapid

counter-attack.

“I think we played a very intelligent game,” Suarez told Canal Plus.

“We controlled the ball during the whole game and tried to find the space we could.”

However the former Liverpool man denied he and Neymar’s relationship was making it easy to forget Messi in his absence.

“People remember him just as well because he is the best player in the world.”

On-loan Celtic striker Stefan Scepovic had Getafe’s best opportunity

of the game 12 minutes in, but he scuffed his shot wide with just

Claudio Bravo to beat and with that went Getafe’s chance of causing an

upset.

Barca’s dominance in possession was rewarded with a brilliantly

crafted opening goal as Roberto flicked Neymar’s cross perfectly into

Suarez’s path and the Uruguayan kept his cool to register his 300th

career goal for club and country.

Roberto was at the heart of the second goal just before the hour mark

too as Bravo collected a corner and bowled the ball out for the

midfielder, who carried it forward before picking out Neymar and the

Brazilian fired a volley in at the near post.

Madrid also enjoyed an easy afternoon despite missing a host of star names against La Liga newcomers Las Palmas.

Real were without Keylor Navas, Sergio Ramos, James Rodriguez, Gareth

Bale and Karim Benzema through injury as coach Rafael Benitez preferred

not to risk any of his stars ahead of Paris Saint-Germain’s visit in

the Champions League on Tuesday.

However, they suffered another injury scare as Luka Modric was

replaced at half-time with a hip problem putting his participation in

midweek in doubt.

The Canary Islanders were making their first visit to the Santiago

Bernabeu in 13 years, but couldn’t have gotten off to a worst start as

Isco and Cristiano Ronaldo put Madrid 2-0 up inside 15 minutes.

Hernan’s header briefly gave the visitors hope seven minutes before

half-time, yet Madrid restored their two-goal advantage just five

minutes later through Jese Rodriguez’s fine finish.

“We played very well again in the first-half. We started the game

sensationally well and then maybe with the advantage our tempo dropped

in the second-half,” said Madrid boss Rafael Benitez.

“But we controlled the game in the second-half thanks to our good play in the first.”

Elsewhere, Celta Vigo moved ahead of Atletico Madrid into third as

they twice came from behind to defeat David Moyes’s Real Sociedad 3-2 at

Anoeta.

Former Liverpool striker Iago Aspas equalised both times for the

Galicians after Imanol Agirretxe had put Sociedad in front and Pablo

Hernandez’s stunning volley a minute from time moved the visitors to

within three points of Madrid and Barca.

Villarreal secured their first win in four league games as goals

either side of half-time from Mario Gaspar and Cedric Bakambu saw of

Sevilla 2-1.

Fernando Llorente reduced the arrears 14 minutes from time, but

defeat sees Sevilla slip eight points off the top four ahead of their

clash with Manchester City in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Valencia moved up to sixth as three second-half goals handed them bragging rights against local rivals Levante.

Paco Alcacer opened the scoring from the penalty spot before Sofiane Feghouli and Zakaria Bakkali sealed the three points.