DHAKA: Barcelona needed a clinical Luis Suarez hat-trick to secure a 3-1 comeback win at home to modest Eibar which put the champions level on 21 points with arch-rivals Real Madrid at the top of La Liga on Sunday.

Barca's defence has been ragged this season and more poor play at the back allowed Borja Gonzalez in to give Eibar a surprise 10th-minute lead at the Nou Camp, reports the stuff.co.nz

A well-worked move resulted in a simple header for Suarez to level in the 21st minute and Neymar drove into the area and fed the Uruguayan to make it 2-1 with a low strike into the corner three minutes into the second half.

Chances were scarce after the break until Neymar lifted a pass over the top for Suarez in the 85th minute and he chested the ball down and arrowed a shot past Asier Riesgo in the Eibar goal for his second La Liga hat-trick.

Suarez's third goal, his seventh in the Spanish top flight this season, came moments after Barca's Javier Mascherano was shown a straight red card having appeared to verbally abuse one of the referee's assistants.

"We started off going behind, it was a difficult game because of that and that's what we need to start looking at," Suarez told Spanish television.

"Last season we conceded very few goals," added the 28-year-old, who made his Barca debut exactly one year ago on Sunday.

"These are phases in which every time the opponents get forward they score and we have to correct that."

Real, who host Barca in the first La Liga 'Clasico' of the season on November 21, lead on goal difference after they secured a nervy 3-1 win at 10-man Celta Vigo on Saturday  (Sunday NZ time).

Celta are third on 18 points, one ahead of Villarreal, who drew 0-0 at promoted Las Palmas earlier on Sunday (Monday NZ time).

Basque side Eibar, who were relegated last season but gained a reprieve when Elche were thrown out of the league for tax irregularities, are seventh on 13 points, one ahead of Valencia.

BDST: 1110 HRS, OCT 26, 2015
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