Gerardo Martino’s first league game in charge of Barcelona could not have gone better. The La Liga champions storming to a 7-0 rout of Levante in their season opener at the Nou Camp.

With the summer’s big signing, Neymar, watching from the bench, it was, as so often the Messi show at the Nou Camp.

We join it at 1-0 after Sanchez had opened the scoring. Messi given the ball on the edge of the box, a nice 1-2 with Pedro and he gets his first.

Dani Alves would then score, before Messi plays this wonderful ball through to Pedro who slots past the keeper to make it 4. Alarm bells surely ringing now for the visitors.

A few minutes later Pedro Lopez gives away a penalty for this foul and there’s only one man taking it when Lionel’s on the pitch.

Up he steps to make it 5. And it’s damage limitation surely for Levante, already 5-0 down.

But the goals continued to flow. Xavi put through by this chip, and gets just enough on it to beat the keeper. 6-0 the score at halftime. You wouldn’t want to be the manager taking that team talk.

And this is probably the last person they’d want to see coming on after the break. The 57 million euro man, and star of the Confederations Cup for Brazil, Neymar.

And he was on in time to see Pedro strike again. It’s 2 on 1 in the box the keeper off his line. They’re queuing up to score. And that polished off a 7-0 victory.