The Leganes record books will record that Lionel Messi was the first player to ever score at their tiny Butarque Stadium when they finally reached the top flight after 88 years. It will also say that Luis Suarez was the second and Neymar the third. The club on the southern outskirts of Madrid have waited a long time for a shot at the big time and they don't come any bigger than that front three who were the difference in a 5-1 win for Barca. But history should also record that Leganes did not deserve to be three-down at half time, never let their heads drop, and that Gabriel Pires' spectacular late free-kick would have raised the roof at Butarque, had their been one on the club's modest open-air stadium. That goal was cheered as if it were the winner, not a late consolation. There were 10 minutes left when Neymar conceded the foul and the Brazilian Gabriel, on loan from Juventus, made it 5-1. Long before Messi, Neymar and especially Suarez had made their mark.Much had been made in the build-up of Barcelona having to adopt a different pre-match routine with such an early – by La Liga standards – away fixture. They had to travel on Friday night after a late dinner and they would need a big breakfast, read one concerned big match preview in a Barcelona paper.
Luis Enrique's side were coming into the game having been beaten last week by one newly-promoted team.
This was another side who had come up from the second division last season and the game was to be played in the midday sunshine in front of 10,000 noisy home fans. Some feared Barcelona might not fancy it. Suarez certainly fancied it. That much was evident from his first charge forward. And when the visitors took the lead it was the Uruguayan who bulldozed his way around the outside of Leganes left back Unai Bustinza and rolled the ball to Messi who had the easy job of tapping in the opener.It should have been two, five minutes later when Rafinha pulled the ball back for Suarez whose chipped pass to Neymar sat up perfectly for him. He failed to make decent contact and his volley bounced wide. Suarez continued to threaten more than any other Barca player and breaking down the left he almost provoked the second. His cross to Neymar was deflected off of Pablo Insua and former bricklayer and non-league keeper Jon Serantes reacted well to make the save. On the half-hour the second goal finally came and this time it was the full artillery charging towards the home team's goal. Neymar released Messi and he repaid Suarez for his earlier assist by presenting him with an even easier tap-in.
The Leganes heads did not go down, however. And they were getting plenty of joy down the left where Darwin Machis was attacking the space where Barcelona were playing without a right-back in a 3-4-3 formation. The Venezuelan went past Mascherano, who looked uncomfortable on the right of Barca's back three, and it took fine blocks from Ter Stegen and then Samuel Umititi to prevent a Leganes goal. There was more to come from the three amigos before the break. Again Suarez was the selfless provider after receiving a fine pass from Messi and this time releasing Neymar who applied the finishing touch.
All three had now scored. As Andres Iniesta said in a Sportsmail interview last month: 'It's not that the three up front completely dictate the way we play now, but it is certainly true that there are games when they create and score the goals almost from nothing.' Chants of 'Lega! Lega!' could be heard as the players went off at half time. The home team had played well, and they kept believing in the second half with Mamadou Kone racing away only to be denied by Marc Andre ter Stegen. But Barcelona soon had goal No 4. Suarez spun a sublime pass into Neymar's path, and when Bustinza pulled him back the penalty was given. Messi took the spot-kick and smashed high into the roof of Serantes' net. The pass from Suarez to Neymar was his last contribution as Paco Alcacer came on at 55 minutes. Suarez had done his job – rousing Barca from the midday slumber, lighting the fuse with his contagious energy
Leganes were glad to see the back of him but their suffering was not over as Rafinha curled in the fourth from the edge of the area. He had Messi alongside him wanting the simple pass. If you shoot, instead of passing to the king, you better not miss, and he hadn't. With 10 minutes left Leganes fans got what they had come for – a home goal. And it was as good as any of the strikes that had preceded it with Gabriel beating a furious Ter Stegen. Barca took the points but Leganes finished up with their pride very much in tact.
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