Arda Turan sets career goal record

While Barcelona thrashed Las Palmas 5-0 at the Nou Camp on Saturday, their Turkish star Arda Turan broke his career record, reaching 12 goals in a season. Turan, who had finished the 2008/09 and 2009/10 seasons with 11 goals for Galatasaray, scored his 12th goal against Las Palmas. He achieved 11 goals in the 2013/14 season, while he was playing for Atletico Madrid. Barcelona's Luis Suarez scored twice, and Lionel Messi was also on target as they thrashed Las Palmas with a ruthless second-half display to provisionally go second and cut the gap with Real Madrid to two points. Suarez scored his 101st Barca goal by stroking in Andre Gomes' cutback in the 15th minute as the Portuguese midfielder got his first assist since his 35 million euro ($37.24 million) move from Valencia last summer.

Messi scored for the seventh straight competitive game by pouncing on a loose ball in the 52nd after Rafinha's shot was parried by goalkeeper Javi Varas, while Suarez curled in a pass by Rafinha for his second and Barca's third in the 57th. Suarez spurned the chance to seal a hat-trick a minute later, but Arda Turan pounced after Varas saved again to score the fourth, while out-of-favor right back Aleix Vidal netted his first goal for the club in the 80th minute. Barcelona coach Luis Enrique had rotated his side after Wednesday's 3-1 victory over Athletic Bilbao in the King's Cup, resting Neymar, Gerard Pique, captain Andres Iniesta and Sergi Roberto, but still watched his side dominate Las Palmas.

"I'm most happy with how we played without the ball. It was our best display of the season in that aspect and one of the best since I've been here. That was how we prevented Las Palmas creating problems for us," said Luis Enrique.

"Somehow we didn't kill off the game in the first half, but we were much better in the second. The entire team's defensive work was enormous."