Barcelona bounced back from their first league defeat of the season with a 4-0 success over Rayo Vallecano.
Primera champions back to winnings ways against Rayo
Barcelona bounced back from their first league defeat of the season with a 4-0 success over Rayo Vallecano.
Pep Guardiola's side lost 1-0 to Getafe on Saturday, allowing rivals Real Madrid to open up a six-point lead at the top of the table.
The home side were in complete control of the game at Camp Nou before half time thanks to Alexis Sanchez's double and David Villa's goal.
Lionel Messi added a fourth in the 50th minute in a game which was brought forward due to next month's Club World Cup in Japan.
Andres Iniesta tried his luck from the centre circle in the second minute - and he was not far away, as his shot was turned behind by David Cobeno.
At the other end Lass Bangoura volleyed wide at the far post as Barca showed signs of the frailties which have dogged them of late.
As the half went on though the hosts started to exert more control, and Dani Alves brought a save out of Cobeno from inside the area.
Speculative
Alejandro Arribas saw his speculative effort turned over by Victor Valdes in the 23rd minute, before Iniesta shot again - from a more conservative 20 yards this time - just failing to find the target.
Moments later Barca were ahead though, with Iniesta the provider, playing the ball into the area for Sanchez who controlled before curling past Cobeno.
And after 41 minutes, Sanchez had a second. Messi and Xavi were involved in the build-up, before the Chilean applied the finish from close range.
Two minutes later Barca killed the game off as a square pass from Alves found Villa to pass the ball into the net from 12 yards.
Messi got his name on the scoresheet five minutes into the second half when he advanced into the area from the right, passed a defender and finished.
The quality dipped thereafter, with chances few and far between.
After 70 minutes Villa lobbed the ball over the bar from 20 yards and, five minutes later, Messi fired wide when the ball broke kindly for the Argentinian.
