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Copa del Rey | Round Five
Jan 8, 2015 at 9pm UK
 
Elche

5-0

Neymar (35', 60'), Suarez (40'), Messi (45' pen.), Alba (56')
FT(HT: 3-0)

Live Commentary: Barcelona 5-0 Elche - as it happened

Sports Mole brings you live text commentary of the Copa del Rey last 16 tie between Barcelona and Elche at the Camp Nou.
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Barcelona have cruised to a 5-0 victory over Elche in the first leg of their Copa del Rey last 16 tie this evening.

Neymar opened the scoring with a finish from close range, before Luis Suarez drilled in a second five minutes later.

Lionel Messi added a third just before the break and further goals from Jordi Alba and Neymar in the second half put the seal on a comfortable win.

Find out how the action unfolded below.


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Hello everyone and welcome to the second part of our Copa del Rey double bill this evening as Barcelona welcome Elche to the Camp Nou. We're not too far away from kick off so let's take a look at the lineups for each side.

BARCELONA XI: Ter Stegen, Pique, Bartra, Alba, Roberto, Alves, Rakitic, Mascherano, Messi, Neymar, Suarez

ELCHE XI: Tyton, Damian, Roco, Lomban, Cisma, Pelegrín, Albacar, Pasalic, Fajr, Corominas, Herrera

So, those are the starting lineups for this evening. The headline news is that Lionel Messi is fit enough to start for the hosts. He is joined in the attack by Luis Suarez and Neymar as Luis Enrique sends out a very strong side.

KICKOFF! Elche take the kick off and get the action underway at Camp Nou!

We haven't seen any chances on goal so far, but as you would expect, Barcelona are seeing plenty of the ball. Neymar and Suarez have already caused a moment of panic, with some fine link up on the edge of the box, that led to the Brazilian's cross being turned behind for a corner.

Elche are being pegged back right on the edge of their own box as Barcelona continue to probe for the opening goal. Messi has had a few touches on the ball for the hosts, but the Argentine is yet to really get involved so far.

PENALTY APPEAL! The fans around the Camp Nou are in full voice as Neymar exchanges passes with Alaba before going down inside the box from Suarez's block. Any contact seemed minimal and the referee was quick to wave away their appeals.

SHOT! Messi may have been quiet in the opening minutes, but he bursts into life here. He picks the ball up around 30 yards out from goal and squeezes past four defenders before poking in a shot from just outside the box. His effort is straight at Tyton, but it is surely a sign of things to come.

Barcelona are yet to really find any rhythm in their passing, with Elche doing well at this stage to close them down quickly. It remains to be seen just how long La Liga's bottom club can keep this up, without any real way of relieving the pressure up front.

The build up from the hosts has been slightly pedestrian at the moment, but Rakitic injects some much needed pace with a burst through the midfield. He is then brought down around 25 yards out from goal towards the right-hand side, which has given Messi the chance to whip in a free kick.

SHOT! Messi whips in the free kick, but the keeper comes off his line to punch the ball clear. It ends up falling to Alves and the Brazilian lashes in a first-time volley that heads just wide of the post.

SHOT! Barca are coming closer to finding a way through a very packed Elche defence. Neymar is the architect, as he waves his way towards the edge of the box, before finding Messi. The Argentine then looks to bend a strike past Tyton, but he places the ball straight into the gloves of the keeper.

Despite the quality players that Barca have at their disposal, it is tough for them playing against a team who are getting eight men behind the ball. You can't blame Elche for setting their team up this way, as they would be torn apart by adapting a more attacking approach.

For the first time in the game, the visitors have a foray into Barcelona's half of the pitch. They end up working the ball wide and getting a couple of balls into the box, but the hosts easily clear.

CHANCE! The hosts really should have made the breakthrough here. Messi spots Neymar making a run into the box and plays a wonderful ball into his path. The Brazilian then has just the keeper to beat, but ends up lifting his effort wide.

Messi and Neymar link up again when the Brazilian heads a long ball down into the path of the Argentine. Messi then looks to fire in a strike, but Pelegrin is there to make a fantastic block that sends the ball behind for a corner.

GOAL! Barcelona 1-0 Elche (Neymar)

It's taken them a while to make the breakthrough, but finally Barcelona have scored. Messi and Roberto combine to find Suarez inside the box and the Uruguayan then slides a ball to the back post for Neymar to fire a strike into the net.

GOAL! Barcelona 2-0 Elche (Luis Suarez)

Just moments ago Suarez missed a good chance to double Barcelona's lead, but he makes no mistake here. After seeing a close range shot blocked by the keeper, he makes amends a minute later by charging through the Elche defence and calmly slotting past Tyton. You feel that the floodgates are well and truly open now.

CHANCE! The hosts have certainly found their form and they should be 3-0 up here. Elche lose the ball cheaply and Neymar finds himself through down the left. He comes inside and has just the keeper to beat, but ends up placing the ball wide of the far post.

GOAL DISALLOWED! Messi almost gets in on the action when he is picked out at the back post by Alves, before lashing in a strike that goes in off the underside of the bar. The flag was up on the far side and the replays show that Messi was standing just a yard offside.

GOAL! Barcelona 3-0 Elche (Lionel Messi)

Barcelona have ended this first half on fire and they will now head into the break with a three-goal lead. Messi does get his goal, as he calmly slots in a penalty after Neymar had been brought down by Roco. That should just about seal the win this evening, but there are plenty more goals left in this for the hosts.

HALF-TIME: Barcelona 3-0 Elche

There goes the half-time whistle and Barcelona are cruising here. It took them 35 minutes to make the breakthrough, but they now have a healthy 3-0 lead. It's anyone's guess as to what the final score will be now as this cup tie looks done and dusted before next week's second leg.

It's no surprise that Barcelona have dominated the possession stats in that first half, as they have seen 69% of the ball. They have also managed 10 attempts on goal, but Elche are yet to have a single shot.

With such a healthy lead, Lus Enrique will surely look to rest some of his key players ahead of this weekend's crucial La Liga clash against Atletico Madrid. The likes of Andres Iniesta, Pedro and Adriano are all available and could make an appearance at some point.

Barcelona take the kick off and get the second half started!

There's been no change in the pattern of the match since the break, with Barca still well on top and threatening to extend their lead. Neymar and Suarez have both caused some panic in the Elche box and both strikers will be hopeful of adding to their own tallies.

Messi and Neymar have combined brilliantly at times this evening and the Argentine finds his teammate with a fine pass that slices through the defence. It is at a slightly wide angle for Neymar who tries to get a shot in, but Tyton is quickly off his line and does well to push the ball behind.

GOAL! Barcelona 4-0 Elche (Jordi Alba)

Alba gets on the scoresheet with Barca's fourth of the evening, but a lot of the credit must go to Messi. Following some patient play, Messi slides a wonderful ball through to the full back, who takes a touch, before drilling a low shot past Tyton.

GOAL! Barcelona 5-0 Elche (Neymar)

The goals continue to pour in at the Camp Nou as Barcelona make it 5-0. Neymar grabs his second goal of the match when he comes in from the left and gets to the edge of the box, before firing in a strike that takes a wicked deflection and crashes into the net off the underside of the bar.

SUBSTITUTION: Barca make their first change of the evening, with Adriano coming on for Alba.

There's certainly no sign of Barcelona easing up and settling for what they have got. They look hungry for more goals and a repeat of the 8-1 scoreline from their last cup game against Huesca is looking very likely at this stage.

SUBSTITUTION: There will be no hattrick for Neymar this evening, as the Brazlian comes off for Pedro. He doesn't look too happy to be replaced, but with Atletico to play at the weekend it is understandable.

Over the past three or four minutes Bara just seem to have taken their foot of the gas with the tie all but over. It must be hard for those Elche players in this situation, with next week's return leg simply a formality.

SUBSTITUTION: Elche make a change, with Fragapane replacing Cisma.

SUBSTITUTION: It's another switch for the hosts, with Sergi Samper coming on and Pique heading off for a rest.

YELLOW CARD! Pellegrin is booked for bringing down Messi just outside the box.

SAVE! From the resulting free kick, Messi curls in a strike looking for the bottom corner, but Tyton gets across his line well to beat the ball away.

MISS! This would have been a fantastic goal from Barca. Suarez slides a wonderful ball through to Pedro, who beats the offside trap and finds himself in on goal. He looks to clip an effort over the keeper, but the ball drops just wide of the far post.

Pedro does have the ball in the net, but he was well offside and the whistle had been blown as he chipped an effort over the keeper. With just a few minutes left it looks like the score will finish this way and I'm sure Elche can't wait to get off the pitch.

There is going to be just one minute of stoppage time.

FULL-TIME: Barcelona 5-0 Elche

It's all over at the Camp Nou, where Barcelona have cruised to a 5-0 victory over Elche. It took them a while to get going, but once Neymar broke the deadlock the result was never in doubt. That's all we've got time for here, but make you sure you stick with us for the latest news throughout the evening. Until next time, goodbye!

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Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona with the match ball after scoring three goals during the La Liga match between FC Barcelona and RCD Espanyol at Camp Nou on December 7, 2014
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