Barcelona: FC Barcelona put pressure on La Liga leaders Real Madrid by picking up their first win in four games as two second-half strikes from Lionel Messi and one from Luis Suarez secured a 3-0 win at struggling Osasuna on Saturday.

The Spanish champions missed a slew of chances in a dominant first-half display but their class eventually shone through when Suarez tapped Jordi Alba's cutback into an empty net in the 52nd minute to break the deadlock.

Messi sealed the points in the 72nd by finishing off another pass from Alba and in stoppage time the Argentine wizard toyed with the Osasuna defence to grab the third and move ahead of Suarez and Cristiano Ronaldo as the league's top scorer with 11 goals.

Barca are second in the standings and provisionally moved three points behind Real, who host Deportivo La Coruna later on Saturday hoping to set a club record of 35 games unbeaten in all competitions.

"We had a lot of chances and we knew that as soon as we got ahead it would open up. Fortunately, we were able to see out the game," Suarez told reporters.

"We can't give up the fight, we're Barca and we're title candidates, we won't give up whether we're five, six or seven points behind."

Osasuna went into the game bottom of the table and with the worst home record in the league. (agencies)