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Barcelona travelled to the Son Moix Stadium to take on Mallorca, as they aimed to extend their lead in the La Liga summit. In what was a captivating encounter, the Catalan giants recorded a comfortable 4-0 victory away from home, as they opened up a five-point lead over arch-rivals Real Madrid at the top of the table.
With Clement Lenglet suspended and Samuel Umtiti struggling with fitness concerns, Quique Setien handed a rare outing to central defender Ronald Araujo, who capped off his full Barcelona debut with an assured performance.
Mallorca were on the back foot almost immediately, as Barcelona made the home side pay in next to no time. The deadlock was broken as early as the second minute, as Jordi Alba's inch-perfect ball was met by a thumping Arturo Vidal header for the opening goal of the game.
All eyes were on Lionel Messi, as fans across the world waited to see if the legendary Argentine would get his name on the score sheet. The 32-year-old was in the thick of the action, as he produced a man of the match performance in a well-deserved victory for the away side.
Barcelona dominated possession but Mallorca threatened to peg back, as Real Madrid loanee Takefusa Kubo showed glimpses of his outrageous potential. However, shortly before the interval, Barcelona doubled their advantage.
January signing Martin Braithwaite scored his first goal for Barcelona, as he lashed the ball into the back of the net after it fell kindly for him inside the penalty area. Barcelona registered a commanding lead before the interval and looked as sharp as ever, as they put on a fine first-half showing.
The game fizzled out in the second half, but Barcelona added gloss to the result in the closing stages. Lionel Messi was once again in the thick of the action, as he scored one and set up two more to spearhead the Catalan giants to a routine victory.
As Barcelona moved five points clear of Real Madrid in the La Liga summit, here are five hits and flops from an entertaining La Liga encounter.
#1 Hit - Lionel Messi, Barcelona
Lionel Messi was unsurprisingly one of the best players on the pitch, as he carried on from where he left off before the restart. The diminutive Argentine was in the thick of the action in the first half, as he continued to grow in stature as the game progressed.
Messi was involved in Barcelona's second goal, as his deft header was latched onto by Braithwaite to give the Blaugrana some much-needed breathing space. As the Blaugrana returned to action after a break of nearly three months, Messi showed no signs of lacking match fitness, as he ran the show for the away side.
While he began the second half rather quietly, Messi burst onto life in the closing stages of the game. The Argentine teed up Jordi Alba and got his name on the scoresheet in stoppage time, as he ended the game with a goal and two assists to his name.
With 20 goals and 14 assists to his name so far this season, Messi leads La Liga for both those stats and capped off his return in stunning style.
#2 Flop - Antoine Griezmann, Barcelona
Barcelona's big-money summer signing Antoine Griezmann has failed to make an impact at the club since joining the club from Atletico Madrid last year. The Frenchman was once again lacklustre on the night, as he endured a frustrating outing and missed a golden chance to get himself a goal in the first half.
Starting alongside Messi and Braithwaite, Griezmann wasn't sharp enough and was withdrawn early in the second half for Luis Suarez, who made his long-awaited return from injury.
With the Uruguayan returning and Braithwaite getting his first goal for the club, the World Cup winner could lose his place in the starting XI if his form doesn't improve in the coming weeks.
#3 Hit - Takefusa Kubo, Mallorca
Real Madrid loanee Takefusa Kubo was the standout player for Mallorca, as he continued to enhance his growing reputation. The Japanese youngster is regarded as one of the most exciting players in world football and proved that he fits the billing, as he caused Barcelona problems, particularly in the first half.
Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen had to be alert to deny the youngster in the first half, as the 19-year-old's left-footed shot was brilliantly saved by the German. Moments later, Kubo stuck a venomous freekick that also forced a save from Ter Stegen, as he showed glimpses of his outrageous potential.
Kubo held his own against one of the best teams in world football and looks set to have a bright future in the game.
#4 Flop - Joan Sastre, Mallorca
Mallorca left-back Joan Sastre had an evening to forget, as he was tormented by Lionel Messi and Sergi Roberto. The 23-year-old struggled to hold his own against a star-studded Barcelona attack and was caught out of position a handful of times, as Mallorca were beaten quite comfortably in the end.
Sastre was withdrawn at half-time due to his below-par showing in the first half. However, the home side's misery was compounded in the second half, as Barcelona added two more goals to secure a resounding 4-0 victory.
#5 Hit - Jordi Alba, Barcelona
Jordi Alba produced a terrific all-round showing for Barcelona, as he played a major role in his side's 4-0 success. While he held his own defensively, he set up Vidal's opener and added a late goal to cap off a fine display away from home.
Alba's pin-point deliveries have earned him plaudits over the years, and the Spaniard's cross for the opening goal of the game was inch-perfect, to say the least. In the second half, with Barcelona comfortably 3-0 up, Alba sprinted up the field to put the finishing touches to a brilliant ball from Messi.
Overall, the former Valencia man looked as fit as ever, as he combined the best of both worlds to buoy Barcelona on to a commanding victory.
Also check out: Messi vs Ronaldo complete stats
