MADRID - Goals from the prolific duo of Luis Suarez and Neymar earned Barcelona a tight 2-1 win at Las Palmas Saturday to propel it nine points clear at the top of La Liga.
The league's leading marksman Suarez opened the scoring after six minutes, meeting Jordi Alba's cross at the far post to net his 12th goal in seven matches in all competitions and take his Liga tally to 25.
Las Palmas equalized four minutes later when striker Willian Jose beat the offside trap to latch on to Jonathan Viera's brilliant backheeled pass and steer the ball past Claudio Bravo.
Neymar restored Barca's lead in the 39th minute when Lionel Messi's shot was parried by goalkeeper Javi Varas and the Brazilian netted the rebound.
Suarez, after scoring his 41st goal of the season in all competitions, had a good chance to increase Barca's lead early in the second half but Varas made a brilliant stop.
Las Palmas almost equalized on the hour when Bravo saved a shot from Viera and Willian Jose put the rebound into the side netting.
Barcelona gradually took more control in the second half after a very even first 45 minutes but still suffered from the home side's counter-attacks.
Substitute Sergio Araujo, a former Barcelona B player and Argentina junior international, squandered three chances for Las Palmas near the end.
Atletico Madrid can close the gap on the runaway leaders to six points if it beat Villarreal Sunday and third-placed Real Madrid can move to within seven points of Barcelona with a win at Malaga.
Mueller rescues Bayern
Thomas Mueller scored twice for Bayern Munich in a 3-1 come-from-behind victory over Darmstadt that stretched the side's overnight lead in the Bundesliga to 11 points Saturday.
Darmstadt forward Sandro Wagner, the only Munich-born player on the pitch, shocked his former side by putting away the visitors' first real chance in the 26th minute.
But Mueller equalized three minutes after the break and then won the game with a spectacular overhead kick in the 71st.
Substitute Franck Ribery, who returned from injury, crossed for Robert Lewandowski to complete the scoring in the 84th with his league-leading 22nd goal of the season.
Also, Borussia Moenchengladbach defeated Cologne 1-0 in the Rhine derby, Hertha Berlin drew 1-1 with Wolfsburg, Hoffenheim defeated Mainz 3-2 and Ingolstadt beat Werder Bremen 2-0.
