Luis Enrique: Suarez is a penalty-box killer

Luis Enrique has described Luis Suarez as “a killer” in the penalty area after his hat-trick sent Barcelona into the Club World Cup final.

The Uruguay international scored all three goals as the European champions breezed past Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao 3-0 in Yokohama, despite both Neymar and Lionel Messi missing the game.

“He’s an assassin in the area, a killer, a striker capable of finishing a move that seems like it has no end product,” Luis Enrique said of Suarez’s performance.

“He’s the first to press and to help and what he does motivates everyone else to do the same.

“The team put on a very serious display, without mistakes. We didn’t allow them to create chances and their stars couldn’t appear, thanks to our pressing.

“Against a team who are tight inside their area, you look to find combinations, the centre with the wings or with shots from outside the box.”

Neymar was only fit enough for the bench as a result of a groin injury, while Messi was ruled out just hours before kick-off due to renal colic, and Luis Enrique admits they are doubts for the final against River Plate on Sunday,

“We don’t know. I don’t know if they will play,” he added. “The champion is still up in the air. We are two teams with the same desire to be champions.”