Przemyslaw Tyton has to scamper from his line to thwart Neymar after he was picked out. In fact, had the Brazilian not taken a heavy touch the outcome could have been very different.

Given that they host Atletico Madrid on Sunday, it might be prudent for Luis Enrique to send one or two of his Barcelona players home early for a rest.

The likes of Pedro and Munir El Haddadi might fancy a wee run out from the bench given how vulnerable Elche look.

That's us back underway. Elche are sitting in again... This could be a long 45 minutes for them.

That first half has summed up Barca's season pretty well actually - impressive on the surface but plenty to quibble with about the performance.

European football writer Lee Roden examines what's gone wrong here.

Image source, Getty Images

Luis Enrique has come under increasing scrutiny of late but the Barcelona coach can relax a little tonight given the manner in which his side ripped through Elche in the closing stages of the first half.

Thanks Mike.

Well, what have Elche got to lose? Apart from several more goals.

Keeping the tie alive might even be beyond them at this stage but we'll see...

Half-time change in the text commentary box. Here is Richard Winton to take you through a jaw-dropping second-half comeback by Elche.

Maybe.

It ain't pretty for Elche. The visitors have clocked up absolutely nothing in attack tonight, and shipped three goals at the other end.

A little under 32% possession and a couple of offside decisions is about all they can take back to the dressing room.

Image source, Barcelona

Lionel Messi's spot-kick is the final kick of the half and it is an emphatic one. The Argentine uberstar hammers the ball past Przemyslaw Tyton who guesses right, but wrong.

Neymar brought down by Enzo Roco. Stonewall. And up steps Lionel Messi...

Lionel Messi thumps a finish in off the underside of the crossbar, which is always satisfying, but his strike is ruled out for offside.

Just about right. A yard or so the wrong side as Dani Alves clips the ball in.

Almost three! The cheers of the Nou Camp fans stick in their collective throat as Neymar fires a low shot a whisker wide of the far post.

He was denied by Przemyslaw Tyton a minute earlier, but he makes no mistake this time.

Luis Suarez jags in off the left wing, leaves Sergio Pelegrín's head spinning with his change of direction and drills a low shot inside the near post past the wrong-footed Elche goalkeeper.

Luis Suarez may not have had many touches, but he has made that one count.

He turns a promising position for Barcelona just inside the Elche box into a certain goal with a brilliant sliderule pass to the far post where Neymar is waiting and has the whole goal to blast into.

Great vision and Suarez roars his delight to the skies.

Image source, Getty Images

Earlier on Thursday, Sevilla won the first leg of their last-16 tie 2-1 in Granada.

Barcelona loanee Gerard Deulofeu - who spent last term at Everton - and Kevin Gameiro scored for the visitors, with Lassana Bangoura scoring a late consolation.

A good stat for you courtesy of Sky Sports.

Luis Suarez has touched the ball just 10 times in the opening half hour - the least of any of the outfield Barcelona players.

He is looking a little frustrated as the game passes him by.

Normal service resumes. Neymar drifts off his marker with a little diagonal run towards the corner flag and Lionel Messi's floated pass lands plum in the pocket of space his team-mate has ghosted into.

Goalkeeper Przemyslaw Tyton is off his line quickly to try and snuff out the danger and perhaps does just enough. Neymar's dinked shot loops just wide.

Elche get into nosebleed territory, up around the Barcelona box. They are there in too few numbers though and can't connect the vast distances separating their attackers with passes.

Lionel Messi pulls the trigger from 20 yards, but it is too close to Przemyslaw Tyton, who leaps left and grips tight.

It is a bit of a one-on-one duel so far.