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Everything is a-okay at Barcelona again it seems. AP/Press Association Images
fightback

Crisis? What crisis? Barca get back to winning ways against Atletico

Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez all found the net for the Catalan giants.

MESSI, NEYMAR AND Luis Suarez were all on target as Barcelona eased talk of a club crisis with a 3-1 win over La Liga champions Atletico Madrid on Sunday.

Messi shrugged off speculation surrounding his future at the Camp Nou to cross for Neymar to scramble home the opener and then tee up Suarez to register just his second La Liga goal.

The Argentine also handed Atletico a route back into the game, though, when he was adjudged to have brought down Jesus Gamez inside the area on the hour mark and Mario Mandzukic slammed home from the penalty spot.

However, Messi made amends by sealing the three points when he slotted home from close range three minutes from time to move Barca back to within a point of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga.

Atletico are now four points adrift of Real, who also have a game in hand over both their title rivals.

“The crisis has already passed and now we need to have our minds on the field,” Neymar told Canal Plus.

“We don’t have a problem. It is in the past and now we are together.”

Barcelona had failed to beat Atletico in six meetings last season and wouldn’t have been looking forward to facing Diego Simeone’s men after an unsettling week at the Camp Nou.

A 1-0 defeat to Real Sociedad last weekend was followed by sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta’s sacking and the club’s under fire president Josep Maria Bartomeu calling club elections for the end of the season.

Meanwhile, reports suggested relations between Messi and coach Luis Enrique were at breaking point after the Argentine missed training on Monday.

However, the four-time World Player of the Year did his talking on the pitch as Barca’s star-studded South American frontline guided them to victory.

(C) AFP 2014

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