Athletic Bilbao vs Barcelona 2 : 5

Barcelona finished a poor run at San Mames to beat Athletic Bilbao 5-2 and close in on Real Madrid at La Liga's summit. 

Atletico Madrid hair-raisingly whipped their city equals 4-0 on Saturday and second-set Barca exploited their old foe's embarrassment to decrease the crevice to a solitary point. 

Lionel Messi credited his 23rd group objective of the season by means of a redirected free-kick and Luis Suarez's 26th-moment strike set Luis Enrique's men headed for a first win in four endeavors in Bilbao. 

The hosts held assaulting desire and pulled a merited objective over after the leap forward Mikel Rico yet an own objective from Oscar de Marcos and a radiant Neymar strike in speedy progression put the result pretty much certain - regardless of the possibility that it was Athletic striker Artiz Aduriz adjusting off an unglued time of four objectives in seven minutes. 

Lionel Messi (Football.com)

Xabier Etxeita was deservedly sent off for a stunning 75th-moment thrust on Suarez, leaving Barcelona to close out triumph with an awesome fifth in the 86th moment - Messi showcasing hypnotizing footwork to nourish Sergio Busquets, who crossed to give substitute Pedro Rodriguez a tap-in. 

The in-structure Aduriz snared a sixth-moment volley over at the close post as slack set-piece stamping just about fixed Barcelona. 

Luis Enrique's group were a long way from their familiar best amid the opening trades and obliged a cut of fortune to take a fourteenth moment lead. 

The chance was introduced by an unnecessary handball from Iker Muniain and Messi's ensuing free-kick spun fiendishly off the guarding divider to escape Gorka Iraizoz. 

Claudio Bravo in the Barcelona objective indicated great responses to upset Aduriz when he goaded goalwards in the twentieth moment - a spare that was soon bettered by inverse number Iraizoz keeping out a Suarez header from point-clear range. 

Markel Susaeta's free-kick was pushed clear by Bravo before Suarez finished a time of predominance for the goalkeepers, driving at the Athletic barrier and trading passes with Messi to rifle a 20-yard drive that Iraizoz got a hand to however couldn't stop. 

Barcelona ought to have driven 3-0 in the 29th moment as Xavi sprung the offside trap to round Iraizoz yet Neymar's exertion from his lessening was tidied up the line by Aymeric Laporte and Suarez was not able to change over the postliminary. 

Aduriz just about pulled Athletic go into the match when Gerard Pique neglected to clear Mikel Balenziaga's cross and the striker nodded against the left-hand post, while Unai Lopez side-footed a volley wide when given adequate space to lessen the unpaid debts following 53 minutes. 

That early second-half miss impelled Athletic on and they at last discovered the net as Rico tapped home on the bounce back when Bravo spared from Aduriz. 

Messi surrendered ownership in the manufacture up to that objective, however presented appropriate reparations by serving to restore Barcelona's two-objective preference in the 62nd moment - guiding Suarez's dinked cross towards objective where it struck the grievous De Marcos and acted unbecomingly. 

After two minutes, Ivan Rakitic and Messi coordinated a brilliant counter-assault, the last's pass was dummied by Xavi and Neymar stroked home a clinical completion from the edge of the zone. 

The objective hurry proceeded as Muniain found Busquets snoozing to play in Aduriz for the objective his endeavors merited. 

Etxeita sort of soured a brilliant display of football with his X-evaluated test, yet just briefly as Pedro - Suarez's substitution - topped triumph in glorious style.