Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick and Luis Suarez hit four as Barcelona thumped 10-man Valencia 7-0 in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final at Camp Nou on Wednesday night.
Valencia were three goals down inside 29 minutes and were forced to play the entirety of the second period with 10 players when Shkodran Mustafi was given his marching orders for a challenge on Messi inside the penalty box.
The night ended in humiliation for Gary Neville, however, as his team conceded on four more occasions in the second half to make next week's second leg at the Mestalla a non-event.
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Barcelona started on the front foot and it took just seven minutes for the home side to break the deadlock.
Once again the move involved Neymar, who carried the ball into the Valencia half before sliding a pass into Suarez and the striker placed his low effort past Mathew Ryan to make it 32 goals in his last 33 appearances for the Catalan giants.
That quickly became 33 in 33, however, as Suarez scored his second of the match in the 12th minute - finishing off a move which involved Sergio Busquets and Aleix Vidal.
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Valencia started the game with four full-backs on the field, including on-loan Atletico Madrid defender Guilherme Siqueira, but the visitors just did not put a glove on the home team in the opening 20 minutes of action.
The Catalan giants had their third in the 29th minute when Neymar's flick was collected by Messi and the Argentine was never going to miss when he advanced one-on-one with the isolated Valencia stopper.
Neville's response was to bring on Sofiane Feghouli for Danilo, but the tie already looked beyond his team. Valencia's clearest chance of the first period came in the 41st minute when Dani Parejo met a whipped corner from the right, but Los Che's skipper's effort was over the crossbar.
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Messi then hit the crossbar down the other end after a pass from Suarez, but that was not the final piece of action in what was an incredible opening 45 minutes.
Valencia went down to 10 men in the second minute of first-half stoppage time when Mustafi was given his marching orders for a late challenge on Messi inside the box. It was Neymar that stepped forward for the spot kick, but the Brazilian rattled the post.
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Arda Turan had Barcelona's first shot on target in the second period, but the Turkish international's effort was straight at Ryan, before Gerard Pique just headed over the crossbar from a corner.
Busquets almost got in on the act in the 55th minute after showing excellent strength inside the box, but the Barcelona midfielder's effort was again too high as Valencia survived another dangerous phase.
Valencia did not survive in the 59th minute, however, as a clever flick from Suarez landed at Messi's feet and the Argentine cut inside two defenders before finding the back of the net for his second of the match.
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Jeremy Mathieu was next to come close for the rampant hosts, but the Frenchman's volley from the edge of the box brought a smart save from Ryan.
Valencia had the ball in the back of the net in the 69th minute when Denis Cheryshev set up Rodrigo with a low cross, but the offside flag was raised.
Just five minutes later, Messi completed his hat-trick - his 37th career treble - when he found the back of the net from a tight angle, although Ryan made it far too easy for the Argentine to squeeze the ball home.
Suarez was not to be denied, however, and completed his own treble in the 83rd minute - heading home a cross from Adriano. The Uruguay international was not content with three though and added his fourth two minutes from time after a smart pick-out from Turan.
Matt Law
