Barcelona eased past 10-man Elche to win 6-0 this evening and stay within one point of La Liga leaders Real Madrid.
Barcelona's usual neat passing was disrupted by a dogged Elche side in the first 20 minutes, but Lionel Messi fired a free kick inches wide of the top corner as the Catalonians slowly got up to speed.
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Elche threatened on the break, though, and Claudio Bravo kicked away Faycal Fajr's low strike with his feet before denying the midfielder again a few minutes later.
The best chance of the half fell the way of Neymar, but the Brazilian skewed Messi's precise cross wide of the far post.
A few moments later, the visitors went ahead as Gerard Pique collected Xavi's quickly-taken free kick and fired his side in front.
Mario Pasalic almost gave Elche the perfect response, but his shot was easily saved by Bravo five minutes before the break.
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Neymar squandered another chance shortly after the break, but he then won a penalty which Messi slotted home with ease.
Elche's task was made nigh impossible after 57 minutes when Fajr was shown a second yellow card for a late foul on Neymar.
The rough treatment did not affect the Brazilian though, who finished coolly from Messi's through ball in the 69th minute and then crashed a volley beyond Przemyslaw Tyton to double Barca's lead in the space of three minutes.
Messi and Pedro both swept home late goals to give Barcelona an emphatic victory as they remain hot on the heels of Real.
Kristian Johnson
