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Barcelona rolled back the years to absolutely demolish an Alaves side in its own backyard in the side's last La Liga fixture of the season. The Blaugrana put on a stunning display and put five past a hapless Alaves defence in what was the Catalans' best performance to date under Quique Setien.
Lionel Messi lived up to his supernatural standards today with a mesmerising performance and broke Xavi's record by bagging his 21st assist of the season. The Argentine genius also scored an excellent brace and put in a performance that bodes well for Barcelona in the Champions League.
The performance was also a fitting tribute to La Masia and the likes of Riqui Puig and Ansu Fati were mesmerising on the pitch. Barcelona finally seems to have found some genuine rhythm and will hope to replicate today's magic in the Champions League.
Barcelona's stars seal a comprehensive win with five excellent goals
Barcelona showed intent in the opening stages after La Masia product Riqui Puig hit the post with an excellent shot from outside the box. Lionel Messi and Arturo Vidal were next in line with two powerful shots that also cannoned off the woodwork.
Barcelona's persistent efforts finally paid off after Ansu Fati latched on to a lobbed pass from Lionel Messi and hammered it into the near post to give the Catalans the lead. Riqui Puig scythed through the Alaves defence only minutes later with an exquisite pass but Luis Suarez failed to make the most of the simplest of chances.
Lionel Messi got his goal immediately after the cooling break after Sergi Roberto and Riqui Pug combined to set the Argentine up for an excellent finish. The Argentine genius then played an exceptional ball to Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez made no mistake with his header.
Barcelona was in no mood to take the foot of the gas in the second half and Riqui Puig and Lionel Messi showed another glimpse of their flourishing relationship and set Nelson Semedo up for his first goal of the La Liga season.
Lionel Messi seized the initiative yet again and cemented his hold on the game with a precise finish after latching on to a cross from Jordi Alba to cap off an amazing Blaugrana performance. The Catalans were in the form of their lives today and will certainly feel better about themselves after a difficult season.
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Neto - 7/10
Barcelona's second-choice goalkeeper was handed a rare start today and was rarely troubled as the likes of Joselu and Edgar struggled to find their shooting boots. Neto was good with his feet and proved his credentials as Barcelona kept an easy clean sheet.
Clement Lenglet - 7.5/10
Clement Lenglet was the leader of Barcelona's back-line today and marshalled his teammates well in the absence of Gerard Pique. The defender dealt with the pacy Joselu well and had to be taken off in the second half after experiencing some discomfort.
Ronald Araujo - 7.5/10
Ronald Araujo seems to be growing into his role at Barcelona and will have pushed Samuel Umtiti further down the pecking order with his performance today. The youngster was occasionally troubled by Oliver Burke but held his own to ensure that Alaves had no joy in the final third.
Jordi Alba - 8.5/10
Jordi Alba finally seemed to be back to his best today and will be thrilled with his two assists. The Barcelona left-back has not been his usual self since the La Liga restart but put in two brilliant crosses to hand Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez their goals today.
Sergi Roberto - 8/10
Barcelona's all-weather man is starting to become an important cog in Quique Setien's system and seamlessly transitioned into his preferred midfield role in the second half.
Sergio Busquets - 7/10
Sergio Busquets put in a composed performance and won possession back for Barcelona with ease on numerous occasions. The veteran midfielder was rarely troubled and provided the platform on which Barcelona built its assaults in the first half.
Riqui Puig - 9/10
Riqui Puig sent a massive message to the Barcelona board today and will be an absolute must against Napoli. The young midfielder was all over Alaves in the first half and was unlucky not to score after an excellent long-range effort in the opening minutes.
Puig went on to bag an assist for Lionel Messi and should have picked up another after picking out Luis Suarez with a stunning through-ball. The Catalan midfielder picked up his second assist of the game with a weighted pass to Nelson Semedo and had one of his best games in a Barcelona shirt.
Arturo Vidal - 8/10
Arturo Vidal was unfortunate not to get on to the scoresheet after making some excellent runs into the penalty area. The Chilean midfielder was one half of a makeshift centre-back pairing in the second half and put in an excellent performance for Barcelona.
Ansu Fati - 8.5/10
Ansu Fati was a livewire on the pitch and justified his selection with a stunning finish to break the deadlock and score his 7th La Liga goal of the season. The 17-year-old oozed confidence in the final third and will play a crucial part in Barcelona's Champions League campaign.
Lionel Messi - 9.5/10
Fans and pundits like may have exhausted their vocabularies singing praises of Barcelona's talisman but it seems as though Lionel Messi just cannot help himself. The Barcelona captain was angry after the Osasuna debacle and showed the world that he cannot be kept down for long with a vintage performance today.
An early strike that grazed the post was an ominous warning for an Alaves defence that was unable to handle the Argentine genius. With two goals and an assist to boot, Lionel Messi thoroughly deserved his man-of-the-match award today.
Luis Suarez - 7.5/10
Barcelona's Uruguayan hitman put in a good performance today and could have scored a hat-trick against Alaves. Luis Suarez scored his header with aplomb after finding Jordi Alba's cross but will have to improve his conversion ratio to take Barcelona across the finish line in the Champions League.
Also check out: All-time Messi vs Ronaldo stats
Substitutes
Nelson Semedo - 8/10
Nelson Semedo was brought on in the second half in place of Clement Lenglet and took the opportunity to grab his first La Liga goal of the season. The Portuguese full-back made the right flank his own and scored Barcelona's fourth goal with a thundering finish.
Frenkie de Jong - 8/10
Frenkie de Jong played in his preferred position as a defensive midfielder today and showed exactly why Barcelona has invested in him with an astute performance. The Dutch midfielder linked up well with Riqui Puig and nearly bagged a wonderful assist with a long-range pass to Martin Braithwaite.
Martin Braithwaite - 7/10
Martin Braithwaite came on as a second-half substitute for Ansu Fati and had two excellent opportunities to get himself a late goal. The Danish forward showed plenty of energy and drive but will have to work on his final product to find a place in Barcelona's squad next season.
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