After a slow start at Barcelona, Luis Suarez now has a strike rate comparable to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, while his selfless style has also helped instil a spirit of camaraderie within their deadly attack.
In recent seasons, Barca’s play was emphasised by their short-passing football but now it is the ruthlessness of their forward trio that is propelling the club towards a second treble in six years.
Messi, Suarez and Neymar have amassed 108 goals between them and have the Spanish record of 118 goals scored by Real Madrid trio Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain in the 2011-12 season well and truly in their sights.
Suarez arrived from Liverpool under a cloud following his four-month biting ban but now settled in, he has 17 goals from his last 16 games in all competitions following Barca’s 8-0 demolition of Cordoba on Saturday.
Blog: Sunday cover: Luis Suarez super charges Barcelona's Primera Liga title challenge
Reaction: 'Three very important points' for Barcelona as Luis Suarez fuels rout
During his first few months in the side after his comeback in October, he was praised for his team ethic and providing assists. It is only now that the goals have started to come freely while his unselfish attitude has proved contagious.
Against Cordoba, Messi also hit a double but despite his competition with Ronaldo to be the league’s top scorer, he turned down the opportunity for a hat-trick by allowing Neymar to take a penalty.
The Argentine’s action comes in stark contrast to a week ago, when Ronaldo was angry that Alvaro Arbeloa nipped in ahead of him to score against Almeria, leading to some whistles from the Bernabeu crowd.
“I am very happy at the moment and this is all down to the support and confidence that my team mates have given me,” Suarez told reporters.
“Without them and my family I would not be scoring these goals.”
Suarez immediately struck up a close friendship with Messi and this, along with their effective link-up play, is a reason why the Argentine is enjoying his football again.
After a lean 2014, he now has 40 La Liga goals, two behind Ronaldo, and the impact of Suarez has certainly taken some of the pressure off him.
Barca remain on course to repeat the 2009 side’s treble, sitting at the top of the La Liga standings with a two-point advantage over Real Madrid with three games to go.
They also face Athletic Bilbao in the King’s Cup final but before that comes a Champions League semi-final first leg with Bayern Munich on Wednesday.
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SPECS
Nissan 370z Nismo
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 363hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh184,500
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Booklava works on a subscription model. On signing up you receive a free book as part of a 30-day-trial period, after which you pay US$9.99 (Dh36.70) per month to gain access to a library of books and discounts of up to 30 per cent on selected titles. You can cancel your subscription at any time. For more details go to www.booklava.com
Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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Scorebox
Dubai Hurricanes 31 Dubai Sports City Eagles 22
Hurricanes
Tries: Finck, Powell, Jordan, Roderick, Heathcote
Cons: Tredray 2, Powell
Eagles
Tries: O’Driscoll 2, Ives
Cons: Carey 2
Pens: Carey
RACE CARD
4.30pm: Maiden Dh80,000 1,400m
5pm: Conditions Dh80,000 1,400m
5.30pm: Liwa Oasis Group 3 Dh300,000 1,400m
6pm: The President’s Cup Listed Dh380,000 1,400m
6.30pm: Arabian Triple Crown Group 2 Dh300,000 2,200m
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (30-60) Dh80,000 1,600m
7.30pm: Handicap (40-70) Dh80,000 1,600m.
Company Profile
Company name: Fine Diner
Started: March, 2020
Co-founders: Sami Elayan, Saed Elayan and Zaid Azzouka
Based: Dubai
Industry: Technology and food delivery
Initial investment: Dh75,000
Investor: Dtec Startupbootcamp
Future plan: Looking to raise $400,000
Total sales: Over 1,000 deliveries in three months
Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
