Amid all the talk of crisis at Barcelona over the last few days, a football match broke out on Thursday night. If the club is in crisis, the cracks were well and truly papered over as Luis Enrique's team hammered Elche, 5-0.
In truth, Elche offered very little resistance to the home team - but at times some of the play was magnificent. and Barcelona will have improved their confidence if nothing else ahead of Sunday's clash with Atletico Madrid.
Barca started on the front foot and could have opened the scoring in the opening minutes when Neymar tried to find Ivan Rakitic in the box but the Elche defence managed to scramble the ball away.
The home side had a penalty shout inside the first ten minutes when Jordi Alba and Neymar linked up inside the box and Neymar's run appeared to be blocked off but the referee wasn't interested.
Barca almost broke through on nineteen minutes when Tyton punched a Messi costless kick away and the ball went straight to Dani Alves but his volley went wide.
Messi was next to have a shot when he received a pass from Neymar on the edge of the box. The little Argentinian tried to curl his shot into the top corner but Tyton was equal to it.
The deadlock should have been broken on twenty-eight minutes when Messi found Neymar with a beautiful chipped pass behind the Elche defence but Neymar's lob over the goalkeeper was off target and another chance went by.
Barca eventually broke the deadlock on thirty-five minutes and it was a fantastic team goal. Messi played the ball to Sergi Roberto who found Luis Suarez whose first time pass left Neymar with an open goal at the back post and the Brazilian wasn't going to be denied this time. The goal was an example of the quick one touch passing that is all too infrequent in Barcelona's play at present.
Suarez had a great chance to double Luis Enrique's sides lead when Dani Alves caught Damian Suarez in possession and the ball broke to the Uruguayan who couldn't lift the ball high enough to lob Tyton in the Elche goal.
However, Suarez wasn't waiting long for another chance and made it 2-0 seconds later. Jordi Alba played a pass towards Suarez and he dummied the defender to get costless on the left before beating another man and drilling a low shot in at the near post.
It should have been three seconds after the restart when Roco slipped, giving Neymar a one on one with the goalkeeper - but his shot was poor and went wide.
The ball was in the back of the net again on forty-three minutes when Messi and Rakitic worked a costless kick to Dani Alves which the Brazilian chipped to Messi who blasted into the goal - but Messi had just gone a fraction too early and the linesman flagged for offside.
Elche were all over the place by this stage and Barcelona got a penalty just before the half finished. Messi played Neymar through and he was brought down by Roco and the referee was in no doubt this time. Roco received a yellow card before Lionel Messi blasted low into the right corner with Tyton diving the wrong way.
The half time whistle blew whilst the players celebrated the goal with the score at 3-0. Barca had struggled in the first half hour but produced a ten minute masterclass to put the tie beyond Elche.
Barca started the second half in similar form and made it four on fifty-six minutes. The Catalans were displaying some excellent two touch football in the Elche third of the pitch when the ball came to Messi who played a world class pass through the defence to Jordi Alba who took a touch before putting the ball through Tyton's legs with his right foot.
Neymar was next on the scoresheet when he received the ball on the left after another passing move from the home side. He took the ball inside on his right foot before letting fly from twenty yards and it deflected off Roco before going in off the underside of the bar.
Barcelona continued to dominate possession without creating much but could have made it six on seventy-nine minutes when Messi's costless kick was saved by Tyton who was at full stretch.
Pedro was next to go close when Messi and Suarez linked up to release him but his lob was off target when he really should have scored.
Barcelona were comfortable and with the tie dead they were able to play the ball around for the remaining ten minutes without further troubling the Elche goal.
The sides will meet again next week but it would take something truly amazing to see anything other than Barcelona going into the quarter-finals where they will meet the winners of the Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid game.
Barcelona - ter Stegen; Alves, Alba (Adriano 60'), Pique (Sergi Samper 75'), Bartra; Mascherano, Rakitic, Sergi Roberto; Messi, Suarez, Neymar (Pedro 66').
Goals - Neymar (2), Suarez, Messi, Alba.
Elche - Tyton; Cisma (Fragapane 72'), Lombon, D.Suarez, Albacar, Pelegrin, Roco, Fajr, Pasalic, Coro (Jonathas 57'), Herrera (Aaron Niguez 63').
Bookings - D.Suarez, Pelegrin, Roco.