Barcelona extended their lead at the top of the La Liga table to four points with a 3-0 win over Eibar this evening.
All three goals came in the second period, with Xavi, Neymar and Lionel Messi on the scoresheet for the home side.
The clean sheet also means that it is now eight league games without conceding for Barca.
Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action between the two Spanish rivals.
Match statistics
Barcelona
Shots: 26
On target: 11
Possession: 75%
Corners: 11
Fouls: 9
Eibar
Shots: 3
On target: 2
Possession: 25%
Corners: 3
Fouls: 13
Was the result fair?
On the face of it, this looks like a straightforward 3-0 win for Barcelona. However, that was not really the case. For an hour, Eibar were right in this match and, but for some poor finishing in the latter stages of the first period, would have entered the break with a lead. In the first half, Barcelona struggled to find their passing range in the final third, but that changed in the final 30 minutes when the tempo increased. The first goal was always going to be vital and when it came Barcelona's way, they were always likely to go on to win the match. A three-goal defeat is slightly harsh on the visitors, who gave a good account of themselves, but it is difficult to argue that Barca did not deserve to claim all the points.
Barcelona's performance
There were plenty of positives for Barca this evening. A goal and brilliant performance from their skipper Xavi, Neymar's eighth league goal of the season, Messi moving a step closer to the all-time La Liga scoring record, and another clean sheet to name a few. But head coach Luis Enrique will not be entirely satisfied with his side's performance this evening, especially not in the first period. As expected, the Catalan outfit dominated possession from kickoff, but they struggled to create clear openings in the first 45 minutes and indeed were a shade fortunate not to concede. Words were obviously exchanged at the interval and the home side emerged for the second period as a different beast. It looked only a matter of time before they opened the scoring, and their second and third quickly followed to add gloss to the score. It is all going very well for Barca, who have a certain Luis Suarez available as of next weekend.
Eibar's performance
The fact that Eibar have reached this level of football is an achievement in itself, and they showed that they belong on this stage with a positive performance this evening. The statistics and final score suggest that they were utterly dominated by Barca, but they caused the home side problems of their own this evening. The newly-promoted side lined up with a back five, and their shape proved a major problem for the Catalan outfit in the first half. Eibar also had two golden chances in the first period, but Ander Capa fired wide from close range, before Saul Berjon struck his effort straight into the arms of Claudio Bravo. They put so much into the first half that the second was always going to be difficult and it did not come as much of a shock when they eventually conceded. That said, how Eibar fare this season is not going to depend on their results at places such as the Camp Nou, and they can take positives from their overall performance.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Lionel Messi: The Argentine scored his 250th Spanish top-flight goal this evening when he finished via the post following a brilliant run from Neymar. However, it was also the attacker that initially opened up the Eibar defence. On the hour mark, Messi collected possession outside the box before sliding a beautiful pass into Xavi, who clipped his effort into the far corner. He could have had three or four this evening, but the chance to break the La Liga scoring record will have to wait.
Biggest gaffe
Capa had a wonderful chance to send Eibar ahead in the latter stages of the first period after breaking beyond Gerard Pique and rounding goalkeeper Bravo, but the Spaniard could only plant his effort wide of the post. It would have given the visitors something to protect in the second period, but instead it was an uphill struggle.
Referee performance
Referee Jose Teixeira had a fairly routine night at the Camp Nou, but he did issue four yellow cards in what was a feisty affair. There were moments during the match, especially in the second period, when tensions threatened to boil over, but the official was always on hand to calm proceedings.
What next?
Barcelona: The Catalan outfit welcome Ajax in the Champions League on Tuesday, before travelling to Real Madrid in La Liga for El Clasiso, and potentially Suarez's debut next Saturday.
Eibar: The newly-promoted side will attempt to return to winning ways when they welcome Granada next Saturday.
Matt Law
