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Final scoreline: Real Betis 0 - 5 Barcelona
Goalscorers: Ivan Rakitic 59', Lionel Messi 64' 80', Luis Suarez 69' 89'
La Blaugrana shushed any voices that sprang out after the first defeat of the season against Espanyol with a thumping 5-0 victory over Real Betis.
And it was as signature Barca as they come. Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez scored a brace each after Ivan Rakitic motored into the final third and squeezed the ball past Antonio Adan.
It was a dominant Barcelona display and 11th-placed Real Betis never looked like they packed enough quality to be in it to win it.
Let's take a look at the 5 talking points from the game:
#5 That Copa del Rey defeat was a one-off
When a team performs as dominantly as this Barca side have this season, you always wonder whether or not they could be stopped. And if they could be, who will rise to the occasion and spring a surprise.
It was Espanyol last week, in the Copa del Rey, that showed Barca what defeat feels like for the first time this season. As pundits and cynics gathered around to spot the cracks that show in Valverde's unit, Leo Messi and Luis Suarez pummelled them back into their rabbit holes.
Showing no hint of having been slowed down, Barcelona took the game to their opponents with swift passing movements and some individual brilliance. Leo Messi was at his best in the second half, and towards the end of the game, there was one particular moment where Messi slid past 4 defenders and the home fans could do nothing but applaud.
Such is the man's brilliance.
#4 Real Betis started off brightly
Setien's men knew that if they were to have any chance against the Catalan giants, they needed to take the game to them from the start and that is exactly what they did.
The game was in 4th gear from the get-go as Real Betis threatened to afford absolutely no comfort to Valverde's men. They pressed high up the pitch and gave the Barcelona defence no time for complacency.
In fact, Antonio Adan, Betis' goalkeeper was called into action only in the 24th minute. By that time, Betis had missed two chances. First, when Andres Guardado's long-range strike missed the mark by a whisker and then when Joaquin skied a sitter after he was gifted the ball after a poor clearance.
But once the goals started going in, Real Betis could do nothing but be run over by the over-awing trickery of Lionel Messi and some excellent henchmanship from Luis Suarez.
#3 Wear 'em out before you tear 'em a new one
Ernesto Valverde's men have eased into the habit of letting it rip in the last 45 minutes of the game. It's almost as if they sit back and let the game look evenly poised during the halfway point to suddenly snap out of it and drown their opponents in a pool of goals.
Don't believe me? Ask Real Sociedad or Real Madrid. In these 3 matches, Barcelona have scored a combined 12 goals. 11 of them have come in the second half.
In fact, this seems to be Barcelona's reserved tactic for every away game. If they are not at Camp Nou, run the opponents tired and then just keep scoring until they lose count.
To be fair to the opponents, what other option do you have when Lionel Messi never lets you guess which way he is going?
Barcelona secured all 3 points and issued a statement, all inside a frame of 30 minutes as they robbed Real Betis of all the riches they seemingly possessed after that first half-show.
#2 You can only counter-attack when you can stop the opposition
Betis had a clear game plan. Run Barcelona ragged, squeeze the possession out of them and hit them hard on the counter.
Their forwards are pacy and they transitioned up the gears with absolutely no qualms. Thomas Vermaelen, in fact, pulled up during one of these moves as he struggled to keep up with the Betis attackers.
The Belgian, who had been having a good run of games and form lately succumbed to an injury and Valverde had to bring in Samuel Umtiti who has almost recovered from his own.
In the second half, Betis sat deep and soaked up the pressure. They were in no mood to afford Barcelona an inch because they knew what travesty lies ahead of them if they did. But once they were torn like a tablecloth, there was no stitching them back on. The goals kept going in.
#1 The Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi groove
Lionel Messi scored the 4th goal of the game, in the 79th minute, with a generous offering of individual brilliance as he slalomed past 2 Betis defenders before slotting the ball home. When Lionel Messi is in form, God bless your mortal soul!
Lionel Messi's exploits often border on the criminal. Frankly, what else do you call a constant ankle twister who expresses no empathy towards his adversaries?
And in Luis Suarez, Leo Messi, some say, used to have the best hitman associate up front. Though he has shown signs of fading this season, some of his recent performances suggest the opposite.
His first goal is a joy to watch. A volley, latched on to mid-air and dispatched into the back of the net with the swagger we have come to associate with the beastly Uruguayan.
Ernesto Valverde was lavish with his praise of Leo G.O.A.T Messi. At the post-match interview, Valverde said,
"You have to enjoy him. We have been able to live his era.
"I have suffered because of him and I know what that is like. Now I can enjoy it.
"It is an event to watch him every day. He is the best player there is and there ever will be."
Barcelona are now 11 points ahead of second-placed Atletico Madrid and guess who'll be defending the La Liga trophy next term?
I'll just leave this here:
