Deportivo La Coruña had overcome a 2-0 scoreboard in the last two matches against Barcelona but this time around they would lack competitive tension and especially weapons in a collective and individual level to battle against Luis Suárez and Andrés Iniesta, whose matches with and without the ball were near perfect.

Barça’s game in the attack was convincing. Good ball rhythm, mobility in front of it, players arriving from the second line of attack...Luis Enrique’s men were creating chances but they also allowed Deportivo to play from the back. It was from a corner kick, smashed home in the goal area, that Luis Suárez began his peculiar finishing exhibitions--he was outstanding in everything else since kickoff. Moving to the flank, acting like a pivot, approaching his teammates to create pass triangles, getting rid of his markers...Luis Suárez’ hierarchy in the game was decisive. Him and Andrés Iniesta’s rhythm put Barcelona ahead in the scoresheet.

But Deportivo also had their chances. First, Celso Borges put Alves out of position but only managed a forced shot. Just after that, Borges himself and Oriol Riera encountered two essential blocks by Bravo and Bartra. Meanwhile, Luis Suárez kept playing on the offside borderline yet he almost never fell in the trap. He scored his brace after a first-touch pass by Messi who foresaw his movement before the ball reached him. Barça were moving the ball without rest until they found the open space. And Deportivo tuned out of the match.

That’s why Barcelona settled the match for good just after a minute-and-a-half into the second half. The trident dragged the entire Deportivo backline to the short post in an offensive transition. Luis Suárez waited for the right time to assist an unmarked Rakitic in the far post. Suárez’ display was colossal. From another Messi assist, the Uruguayan broke the backline diagonally and beat Manu once again. He scored another after a trident counterattack, this time assisted by Neymar.

Everything was working out well for Barcelona. Alba, Iniesta, and Busquets were subbed off, Messi slotted one home after a Suárez self-pass and assist, in the match he surpassed Ibagaza as the Argentinian with the most games played in the Spanish First Division. Bartra was remarkable, solid as usual when the coach places his trust on him and outstanding in an individual play in which he recovered the ball near the halfway line, conducted it with authority and finished it off perfectly.

The rest of the match was a remake named “Saving Private Neymar”. Suárez managed to do so and Barcelona left their tally with eight goals. All the accuracy they were missing in the last matches, they found it yesterday.

Did Barcelona do anything different at Riazor compared to the clash against Valencia at the Camp Nou? Yes, shooting six times less and scoring seven more goals. Did they do a mini preseason on a physical level from Monday to Wednesday? No, they just had the precision they were lacking on Sunday.

And of course, Luis Suárez. A poker of goals and a hat trick of assists. Alongside Iniesta, he was the leading man in the match Barcelona used to heal their wounds.