Barcelona have extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to 35 matches - a new Spanish record - courtesy of a 5-1 win over nine-man Rayo Vallecano in La Liga on Thursday night.
Lionel Messi hit a hat-trick for the visitors, while Ivan Rakitic and Arda Turan were also on the scoresheet as Luis Enrique's side re-established an eight-point lead over Atletico Madrid at the top of the La Liga table.
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Barcelona boss Enrique was without Dani Alves through suspension, while Jordi Alba was rested, which allowed Sergi Roberto and Jeremy Mathieu to come into the full-back positions.
It was otherwise arguably Barcelona's strongest selection, however, with Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez continuing in the final third of the field with support from Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets and Rakitic.
As for Rayo, who entered the match off the back of a seven-game unbeaten run in the league, on-loan Aston Villa defender Jose Angel Crespo made his debut, while there was a spot in attack for Manucho, who scored twice off the bench against Real Betis last weekend.
It was Rayo that had the game's first shot on target inside four minutes, but Adri Embarba's strike from distance was kept out by the diving Claudio Bravo.
Barcelona had the ball in the back of the net in the ninth minute when Messi converted from close range, but the Argentine was correctly ruled offside, before Embarba tested Bravo once again before the 15-minute mark.
Messi again came close in the 21st minute, but Rayo stopper Juan Carlos was on hand to make a smart save. Carlos quickly went from hero to zero, however, as he dropped a simple cross one minute later, which allowed Rakitic to send Barcelona ahead with a close-range finish.
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Less than one minute later, Barcelona had their second of the night as Messi played a one-two with Neymar before slotting his effort into the bottom corner to make it 18 goals in his last 16 appearances for the Catalan club.
Rayo's task became harder late in the first half when Diego Llorente was handed a straight red for a lunge on Rakitic, although replays showed that the defender was slightly unlucky to be sent from the field. The Spaniard caught Rakitic, but it was his own momentum that saw his foot make contact with the Croatian.
Rayo boss Paco Jemez waited to confront the referee at the interval, but was eventually ushered away as his team stared down the barrel of their first league defeat for eight matches.
The visitors had a wonderful chance to make it 3-0 in the 48th minute when Suarez set up Neymar inside the Rayo box, but the Brazilian fired wide of the post, before Suarez missed a similar chance from the opposite side five minutes later.
Barcelona had their third in the 53rd minute when Messi converted from close range after Suarez had rattled the post with a half-volley, but Rayo responded with a goal of their own four minutes later as Bebe headed down to Manucho, who nodded over the line from close range.
Messi might well have notched his hat-trick just past the hour when Mathieu found the Argentine with a low cross inside the box, but the Ballon d'Or winner fired high and wide of the crossbar.
Rayo were reduced to nine men and conceded a penalty in the 67th minute when Manuel Iturra hauled Busquets to the ground when the midfielder looked certain to turn home from close range after Neymar had hit the crossbar from a free kick. Suarez stepped up to take it, but Carlos made the stop to deny the Uruguay international.
Barcelona did have their fourth just five minutes later, however, when Messi completed his hat-trick with a cool finish from inside the box under little pressure from the Rayo defence.
The home side sat deep in the final minutes in a bid to keep the score down, but there was time for Turan to open his account for Barcelona, with the Turkish international heading a Mathieu cross into the top corner in the 86th minute.
Matt Law
