Match ends, Sporting de Gijón 0, Barcelona 5.
Barcelona overcame the absence of Lionel Messi to secure an emphatic La Liga win at 10-man Sporting Gijon with three goals in the final nine minutes.
Messi is out for three weeks but was barely missed as Barca scored five away from home for the second week in a row.
Luis Suarez rounded the keeper for the first before Rafinha's diving header put Barca 2-0 up at half-time.
Sporting captain Alberto Lora was sent off on 74 minutes, before Neymar scored either side of an Arda Turan goal.
Lora was already on a booking when he was shown a second yellow card for a lunging challenge on Sergi Roberto, who responded by creating the champions' third and fourth goals - having already claiming a first-half assist for Rafinha's effort.
Paco Alcacer, still chasing his first Barca goal following his move from Valencia, had his first-time shot from a Sergi cross touched against the bar by goalkeeper Ivan Cuellar, with Neymar keeping his feet to control the loose ball and steer it in.
Turan then headed in a terrific cross from his right-back, before Neymar converted a pass from substitute Denis Suarez for Barca, who won 5-1 at Leganes last Saturday.
No Messi, no messing
A much-changed Barcelona side got the job done as they went top of La Liga - at least for a few hours, before Sevilla and Real Madrid both played later on Saturday.
For long spells, this was far from a vintage performance from Luis Enrique's side, yet they were utterly ruthless once the home side were reduced to 10 men.
The result justified the manager's decision to mix and match his team in advance of a midweek Champions League trip to Borussia Monchengladbach.
Enrique has made squad rotation a key plank of his strategy this season - with mixed results.
It was an approach that failed miserably against promoted Alaves two weeks ago, when a team showing seven changes - and without Messi or Suarez in the starting line-up - lost 2-1 at home.
Enrique has been noticeably more careful with his rotation since then, although he did make five alterations for the trip to his home city of Gijon, with Andres Iniesta and Ivan Rakitic among those dropping out.
Tellingly, the manager - without the injured Messi to call on - fielded his strongest possible forward line, with Suarez and Neymar lining up in attack, joined by Rafinha.
The champions had to withstand a nervy opening 20 minutes, during which goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen handled outside his penalty area as he tried to deal with a dangerous long ball.
Two quick first-half goals deflated Sporting, and it looked as if that would be that, until a late flurry heaped punishment on the home side.
Line-ups
Sporting Gijón
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Cuéllar
- 16Castellano Castro
- 4Meré Pérez
- 5AmorebietaBooked at 86mins
- 11LoraBooked at 74mins
- 6Álvarez Díaz
- 10Cases Mora
- 23Gómez BardonadoSubstituted forArnaud Ndiat 68'minutes
- 7Rodríguez RomeroSubstituted forPereira dos Santosat 77'minutes
- 14Franco Alviz
- 24CopSubstituted forCastro Garcíaat 68'minutes
Substitutes
- 2Pereira dos Santos
- 3Babin
- 8Ait Atmane
- 9Castro García
- 13Mariño
- 20Arnaud Ndi
- 25Viguera
Barcelona
Formation 4-3-3
- 1ter Stegen
- 20Roberto Carnicer
- 3Piqué
- 24Mathieu
- 19Digne
- 21André Gomes
- 5BusquetsSubstituted forD Suárezat 69'minutes
- 7Turan
- 12Rafinha
- 9SuárezSubstituted forAlcácerat 72'minutes
- 11Neymar
Substitutes
- 4Rakitic
- 6D Suárez
- 8Iniesta
- 13Cillessen
- 14Mascherano
- 17Alcácer
- 18Alba
- Referee:
- Carlos del Cerro Grande
- Attendance:
- 25,899
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home39%
- Away61%
- Shots
- Home10
- Away13
- Shots on Target
- Home3
- Away7
- Corners
- Home4
- Away3
- Fouls
- Home15
- Away10
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Sporting de Gijón 0, Barcelona 5.
Post update
Attempt saved. Denis Suárez (Barcelona) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Arda Turan.
Post update
Neymar (Barcelona) hits the right post with a right footed shot from the left side of the box. Assisted by André Gomes.
Goal!
Goal! Sporting de Gijón 0, Barcelona 5. Neymar (Barcelona) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Denis Suárez with a through ball.
Post update
Rafinha (Barcelona) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Post update
Foul by Nacho Cases (Sporting de Gijón).
Post update
Attempt missed. Neymar (Barcelona) left footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Denis Suárez.
Booking
Fernando Amorebieta (Sporting de Gijón) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Rafinha (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Fernando Amorebieta (Sporting de Gijón).
Goal!
Goal! Sporting de Gijón 0, Barcelona 4. Arda Turan (Barcelona) header from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Sergi Roberto with a cross.
Post update
Attempt missed. Dani Ndi (Sporting de Gijón) left footed shot from very close range misses to the right. Assisted by Douglas with a cross following a set piece situation.
Post update
Foul by Lucas Digne (Barcelona).
Post update
Douglas (Sporting de Gijón) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Goal!
Goal! Sporting de Gijón 0, Barcelona 3. Neymar (Barcelona) right footed shot from very close range to the centre of the goal.
Post update
Attempt saved. Paco Alcácer (Barcelona) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Sergi Roberto with a cross.
Post update
André Gomes (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Nacho Cases (Sporting de Gijón).
Substitution
Substitution, Sporting de Gijón. Douglas replaces Víctor Rodríguez.