Barcelona are on course to rack up a crushing win against Getafe after racing into an emphatic 5-0 lead at the break in their La Liga clash at Camp Nou.
The hosts were quickest off the starting blocks as Dani Alves was responsible for two efforts in the first six minutes of the match.
Barca were then awarded a penalty in the eighth minute when Luis Suarez was sent tumbling by Alvaro Arroyo on the edge of the Getafe box.
Lionel Messi stepped up to the spot, feigned the shot to the left and cheekily chipped the ball straight down the middle and into the net to give the Blaugrana an early lead.
Despite being under siege, Getafe came within a whisker of netting the equaliser just after the quarter-hour mark when Fredy Hinestroza made the most of a bouncing ball to attempt a lob over Claudio Bravo, who was off his line.
Luckily for Barca, the Chilean keeper was able to backtrack and scramble the audacious effort over his crossbar.
The visitors would come to rue that missed opportunity because Luis Enrique's charges soon stepped it up a gear and doubled their lead in the 25th minute, Suarez meeting Messi's ball over the Getafe defence with a volley into the top corner.
Barca then notched up a third goal just three minutes later when Neymar cut inside after collecting Suarez's pass before beating the defender and drilling a neat finish into the corner.
The rampant hosts weren't done yet, as just a further two minutes elapsed before Xavi nonchalantly curled a shot into the top corner from 20 yards out to leave Getafe shellshocked.
Barca could have been forgiven for taking their foot off the pedal at this stage, but they continued to press forward in a bid to rack up more goals, and duly added a fifth five minutes before the break.
Messi charged through the Getafe defence before passing into Xavi, who then flicked the ball behind him to Suarez, and the Uruguayan curled into the far corner to leave the home crowd delirious.
Should Barcelona, as expected, see this game out and secure all three points, they will be five points clear of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga.
Giuseppe Labellarte
