By Daily Sports on October 30, 2018

Gerard Pique says Barcelona are “better than ever” after a Luis Suarez hat trick helped them thump Real Madrid 5-1.

Barca made light work of their Clasico rivals despite missing Lionel Messi, whose broken arm forced him to watch the game from the stands.

Philippe Coutinho and Arturo Vidal were also on target for the home side, with Madrid replying through Marcelo as they briefly threatened a comeback after the break.

“We scored five goals!” Pique told reporters. “These are moments to enjoy. It’s not easy to score five goals against your rival, so you have to enjoy it when it happens.

“I’m really happy. It’s an important result. The team’s better than ever and this week [wins against Sevilla, Inter Milan and Madrid] has given us a lot of confidence. We’ve been at a great level without even having our best player.”

Suarez said the club missed having Messi on the pitch but applauded the team’s effort.

“It’s better for Messi to play as he is the best in the world and he gives you a boost but we should be very proud as a team, as we showed that we are a great team without Messi and we have a great coach [Ernesto Valverde],” Suarez said

“It was a question of time before I got back to my normal level,” he added. “The criticism is motivation for me to re-find my best form. I felt good, the sensations are good.”

Pique also called for Jordi Alba, exiled from international football since the World Cup, to be recalled to the Spain squad following an impressive run of form. The left-back scored against Inter and created Coutinho’s opener against Madrid.

“When you don’t have the best player on the pitch [Messi], everyone has to take a step forward,” Pique said. “The full-backs were really good. I hope [Spain manager] Luis Enrique rectifies his error and brings Jordi Alba back into the squad.” (ESPN)

•Photo shows Barcelona players

Source Daily Sports

Posted October 30, 2018

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