Barcelona striker Luis Suarez struck another four goals in their 6-0 rout of Sporting Gijon.

Suarez scored four goals for the second game in a row and unseated Cristiano Ronaldo as Primera Division top scorer as Barcelona thumped 10-man Sporting Gijon 6-0 with the help of three penalties to further affirm their title ambitions.

Lionel Messi's looping header put Barca ahead on 12 minutes and Suarez doubled the lead from close range in the 64th. The Uruguayan then netted two penalties in the space of three minutes and allowed Neymar to convert the third spot-kick before firing in his fourth goal in 26 minutes.

Suarez moved to 34 goals for the season, two more than Ronaldo, who was unavailable for Madrid this weekend with a thigh strain.

Sporting defender Ognjen Vranjes was sent off for a second booking for fouling Neymar for the third penalty.

“In the first half we lacked speed, we were well-positioned and football at the top level you have to have speed," Barca coach Luis Enrique said. “They had a pair of chances to draw level.

“The second half was different, we had better opportunities and we put the game away. For us it's vital to score a lot of goals," he added.

When asked for an overview, the manager said: “I'll stick with the positive things. We have one home game left and two away, surely it will be tough on the road but we'll take advantage of a long week to prepare for the game against Betis."