Barca's superstar front three was in remarkable form in this regulation win, writes Kieran Canning in Leganés
Lionel Messi scored twice and Luis Suarez and Neymar were also on the scoresheet as FC Barcelona thrashed newly-promoted Leganes 5-1 to bounce back in style from last weekend's shock La Liga defeat to Alaves.
The Madrid minnows started brightly in their first ever league meeting against Barca, but their daring approach to press high up the field was undone when Suarez set up Messi for the opener before the Argentine returned the favour for Suarez to make it 2-0.
Suarez bagged another assist for Neymar to tap home just before half-time as the 'MSN' all found the net for the second straight game after Celtic's 7-0 Camp Nou humiliation in midweek.
Messi added a fourth from the penalty spot before Rafinha upstaged the front three with a thunderous effort on his weaker left foot for the fifth.
Gabriel's stunning free-kick 10 minutes from time at least left Leganes with something to smile about.
Kieran Canning was there, but what did he learn?
1. Selfless Suarez is so much more than goals
After a tricky opening 15 minutes when Barca struggled to escape their own half under Leganes' intense pressing, Suarez took the bull by the horns, demanded the ball and made sure the game was over by half-time.
The Uruguayan scored a ludicrous 59 goals last season, but again showed he has strength and vision to add to his eye for goal in the run that set up Messi's opener and then unselfishly squared for Neymar to add the third just before half-time with just the 'keeper to beat.
2. Barca learn lessons from last season
The Catalans looked set for a second consecutive treble last season before fatigue took hold in a disastrous April that saw them dumped out the Champions League by Atletico Madrid and nearly throw away La Liga with three consecutive defeats.
Luis Enrique rightly came under fire for not having rested Messi, Suarez and Neymar during a 39-game winning streak in the months previous to their dip often in similar circumstances to the visit to Leganes with the game well won by half-time.
Enrique resisted the temptation to replace any of the three during the 7-0 thrashing of Celtic in midweek, but did so here with Paco Alcacer replacing Suarez for the final half hour.
3. Right-back a growing problem for Barca
Following the departure of Dani Alves to Juventus, it is fair to claim that Barca have no natural right-back. The two most obvious options Sergi Roberto and Aleix Vidal have played most of their careers in midfield and having left Roberto on the bench and Vidal back in the Catalan capital, Enrique unusually switched away from Barca's 4-3-3 to a 3-4-3.
Despite the result, the experiment didn't work as Javier Mascherano -- playing on the right of the back three -- was taken apart by speedy Venezuelan winger Darwin Machis and only a brilliant goal line clearance from Samuel Umtiti prevented Marchis from bringing Leganes back into the game at 2-0.
4. Busquets undroppable
Outside of the front three, Sergio Busquets is the most important cog to the Barca machine with his unique skill set of joining up defence and attack, particularly when they are pressed as high as Leganes did early on.
Suarez cut a frustrated figure, yelling a Marc-Andre ter Stegen to play the ball long as Barca couldn't get out for the first 15 minutes without Busquets there to take the ball off the back three and spring the ball into Messi, Suarez and Neymar.
Ivan Rakitic was the man charged with playing the holding role and the Croatian also struggled off the ball, often resorting to tactical fouls which saw him pick up the game's first yellow card before being replaced on the hour mark.
5. Leganes bring a smile to La Liga
La Liga's newest side may already boast the league's best marketing team -- although it wouldn't be hard. A series of posters promoting the game as one Leganes couldn't take lightly and that would be decided "as God wanted" with a cloud formation of Messi's traditional post-goal point to the sky showed a light-hearted side so often missing in Spanish football.
However, they went one better one match day when for Barca's first ever visit to the Butarque, the Spanish champions were presented with a basket of cucumbers in the dressing room.
Leganes are known as the "cucumber growers" due to the Madrid district's agricultural heritage.
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