Lionel Messi scored on his 500th Barcelona start as the Catalans cantered to a 6-1 victory over Sporting Gijon in La Liga on Wednesday.
Barca adopted a 3-4-3 formation for the second game running, with Jordi Alba at left centre-back and Andres Iniesta replaced by Ivan Rakitic in central midfield. Sporting, meanwhile, lined up with Blaugrana loanee Douglas on the right wing of an ultra-defensive 4-5-1.
An atrocious offside trap by Sporting was easily sprung by Messi, who met a clipped ball over the top and planted a looping header over Pichu Cuellar.
It was all far too easy for Barca as Suarez broke another offside trap, rounded Cuellar and squeezed a finish through the legs of Juan Rodriguez.
However, Sergio Busquets was slow to read danger down the left as the ball was squared for Carlos Castro via the far post for the Sporting striker to tap in.
Yet that was as good as it got for the Asturians, whose inability to clear their lines from a corner resulted in a header falling straight to Luis Suarez, the No 9 smacking the ball home first time on the volley.
Real Madrid loanee Burgui looked to be in the mood when he danced his way through the Barca box, but his shot was tipped wide by Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Shortly before half-time, Neymar was released down the left, before cutting inside and having only Cuellar to beat, but the Brazilian’s side-footed finish was pushed away by the goalkeeper.
Suarez was replaced by Paco Alcacer for the restart, and a poor misjudgement from Elderson let Messi in, the Argentine’s cutback perfectly finished off by the substitute.
Messi made way for Andre Gomes with half an hour still to play, but not before he ran up in slow-motion style and dinked a free kick onto the frame of Cuellar’s goal.
Set-piece duties fell to Neymar in the No 10’s absence, and the former picked his spot to perfection for 5-1, curling his effort into the top-right corner.
Rakitic played a deft one-two with a teammate, but his angled drive towards the bottom-right corner was tipped around the post by Cuellar.
However, he was luckier the second time when he interchanged with Sergi Roberto and proceeded to smash a volley into the roof of Cuellar’s net.
Barcelona 6-1 Sporting Gijon
Messi 9, Rodriguez og 11, Suarez 27, Alcacer 49, Neymar 65 (B) Castro 21 (SG)
Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Mascherano, Umtiti, Alba; Rafinha (Sergi 74), Rakitic, Busquets, Denis; Messi (Gomes 61), Suarez (Alcacer 46), Neymar
Sporting Gijon: Cuellar; Lillo, Rodriguez, Babin, Elderson; Douglas (Victor 46), Cases, Xavi Torres, Alvarez (Vesga 76), Burgui (Isma 59); Castro
Referee: Sanchez Martinez
