Neymar, Messi help Barcelona rout Elche 5-0 in Copa del Rey

MADRID - Barcelona set aside its off-field troubles and put on a show in which Neymar, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez scored in a 5-0 route of Elche in a Copa del Rey last-16, first-leg match on Thursday.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi celebrates scoring a goal against Elche, with teammate Neymar, during their Spanish King's Cup trophy match at Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, January 8, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

Neymar opened the scoring from a Suarez cross in the 35th minute. Suarez scored his fourth goal this season when he deftly dribbled past defender Sergio Pelegrin before fooling goalkeeper Przemyslaw Tyton into diving the wrong way in the 40th.

Neymar was brought down in the penalty area in the 45th - earning defender Enzo Roco a yellow card _ and Messi coolly converted it, earning a halftime ovation from fans at the Camp Nou.

Jordi Alba controlled a superbly weighted pass from Messi to beat Tyton with a low shot in the 56th, and moments later Neymar fired a powerful shot that bounced into goal off Pelegrin's back.

The win eased the tension at Barcelona in a week in which sports director Andoni Zubizarreta was fired, the appeal against a one-year transfer ban was lost, and it fell at Real Sociedad in the Spanish league.

Elsewhere, Kevin Gameiro scored a goal and created another for Sevilla to beat Granada 2-1.