Barca thumps Athletic 5-2 in memorable match

Madrid: Lionel Messi led Barcelona to a decisive 5-2 away victory over Athletic Bilbao Sunday, bringing his team to within just a point of Real Madrid, which is at the top of the La Liga standings.

It took the four-time World Player of the year just 15 minutes to get Barca on the board on a deflected free kick, but then the Argentine was on hand 10 minutes later to set up the shot on goal for Uruguay's Luis Suarez that put the visitors up by two at a nearly full San Mames stadium in Bilbao in a first half that was filled with dangerous drives toward both areas.

At the start of a goal-studded six-minute stretch, Mikel Rico got one in for the home squad shortly after the break, but then De Marcos handed another goal to Barcelona on an own-goal off Messi's header and then the Argentine was there to set up Neymar, who made it 4-1 just a few minutes later.

Aritz Aduriz found the twine for Athletic, proving that the home squad continued to scrap and hadn't lost heart, but the team went down to 10 men after the referee tossed Xabier Etxeita on a red card in the 75th minute on a violent and needless challenge of Suarez, who had to leave the match, and Pedro Rodriguez scored a fifth goal 11 minutes later for the final result in one of the hardest-fought and most memorable matches ever played in Bilbao.

Atletico Madrid is now in third place in the 22nd week of the La Liga tourney, followed by Sevilla and Valencia.