Goal-machine Suarez on course for another landmark
By Adriana Garcia
VALENCIA, Spain (Reuters) - Luis Suarez could become Barcelona's highest scoring Uruguayan in Saturday's La Liga match at Granada, having equalled in only two seasons what compatriot Ramon Alberto Villaverde Vazquez aggregated in his decade-long stint with the club.
The 29-year-old's brace against Espanyol in Barca's 5-0 triumph last Sunday saw him reach 81 goals for the Catalans to equal the record of Villaverde Vazquez who had joined the club in 1954 and played 10 seasons, scoring 81 goals in 224 games.
In only his second season at Barcelona, Suarez has struck 50 goals in all competitions this season to help the team remain in contention for a domestic double, overtaking his previous record of 49 for Ajax in the 2009-2010 campaign.
"He is very intelligent," Barca coach Luis Enrique said on the club website.
"Sometimes relying too much on one player can hurt you, but if the team plays its game, Luis — who is lethal in the area — will have plenty of chances to score goals. It’s not just the goals, it's the way the team plays that lets him score."
More goals are expected from Suarez, who has found the back of the net in four successive league games, netting 11 goals while setting up four more in that spell.
With 37 goals scored so far, four more than Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, and with one La Liga game remaining, Suarez is on the verge of clinching the Pichichi award as the top scorer in La Liga.
Since the 2008-2009 season, when Diego Forlan won it for Atletico Madrid, the award has gone to either Ronaldo or Lionel Messi.
(Editing by Amlan Chakraborty)