Lionel Messi scored four goals as Barcelona recorded a thumping 5-1 win over Osasuna at the Camp Nou on Sunday.
They made the perfect start after 13 minutes when Messi scored in his 11th straight league match. However, Raoul Cedric Loe levelled against the run of play after 23 minutes.
The away side were reduced to 10 men before the 30-minute mark, however, with Alejandro Arribas receiving his matching orders for a handball in the penalty area, then Messi scoring from the spot to put Barcelona ahead.
It got worse before the break when Pedro made it 3-1, before Messi grabbed his third and then fourth before the hour mark to wrap up a comprehensive win.
Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action between the two Spanish rivals.
Match statistics:
Barcelona:
Shots: 16
On target: 9
Possession: 76%
Corners: 8
Fouls: 11
Osasuna:
Shots: 1
On target: 1
Possession: 24%
Corners: 2
Fouls: 9
Was the result fair?
Not only did Barcelona deserve to win this evening, they deserved to win by such a margin. The difference between the two teams was quite incredible. Even when the home side took their foot off the gas, you always felt that they were capable of scoring another three or four goals. It was the perfect way for Barcelona to respond to their league defeat against Real Sociedad last time out.
Barcelona's performance
Sensational, incredible, wonderful. Those are the words that instantly come to mind. On this form, they are just on another planet to any other team in world football. There will be tougher tests ahead, not to mention in the Champions League and Copa del Rey, but they will be deserved winners of La Liga this season.
Osasuna's performance
Osasuna's fight for survival this season will not depend on results against the likes of Barcelona. They were thumped 8-0 at the Camp Nou last season, therefore this evening could be seen as an improvement if they are searching for some positives. They scored with their only attempt on goal, with the remaining 89 minutes spent chasing shadows.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Lionel Messi: What more is there to say? The Argentine has now scored in his last 11 league matches in a row. Rarely is one goal enough for the World Player of the Year, however, as he rattled in four strikes this evening.
Biggest gaffe of the match
Osasuna struggled in defence throughout the match, but they were not helped by the linesman in the first period, who kept his flag down despite Dani Alves moving into an offside position in the build-up to the home side's third goal.
Referee performance
Fernando Teixeira had a fairly productive 90 minutes this evening. He was not called into action on too many occasions, but was quick on the scene when he deemed it necessary. Neither team will have had any complaints about his performance in the Camp Nou.
What next?
Barcelona: The Catalan outfit travel to Real Madrid in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final on Wednesday before travelling to Valencia in the league next Sunday.
Osasuna: Osasuna will attempt to move away from the bottom three when they host Celta Vigo in the league next Saturday.
Matt Law
