What Was Learned in Barcelona's 4-0 Win over Levante

Let us get the obvious out of the way first. Barcelona dominated in their win over Levante. With Real Madrid having lost, the Catalan giants were ready to pounce on the chance to take an 11-point lead over their rivals.

Levante pushed Barcelona at the start of the game, but the overall strength of Barcelona took over the game and showed the class the club possesses.

Tito Vilanova has his side playing the best football they have all year, and it only looks to get better.

Barcelona continue to extend their historic season by remaining undefeated. The game against Levante showed the true form of Barcelona and what they are capable of. Now the statement must be said: Barcelona are currently the best club in the world.

With that being said, let us take a look at what we learned from the dominating win by Barcelona.

Note all stats courtesy of Whoscored.com.

Levante Deserve Praise

It was quite clear from the beginning of the game to the end that Levante would fight at home. The club from Valencia refused to be pushed back into their box and defend.

Levante looked dangerous on the counter with Obafemi Martins and Barkero having a few chances. 

Every chance that Levante received was due to pressuring Barcelona. Levante forced a few turnovers from Barcelona in the midfield due to this pressure and should have scored a goal. However, poor finishing caused the goal to elude the club.

My hat must come off to Levante for their fearlessness.

While most teams park the bus, Levante refused to be embarrassed. Even though Barcelona retained 82 percent of the possession, it was not easy possession. Levante pounced every time a pass was made by Barcelona and gave the Catalans problems early on.

Though the score stands at 4-0, we must all respect Levante for showing heart and losing with honor.

Cesc Fàbregas Has Found His Role

To be honest, the form of Cesc Fàbregas for Barcelona last season was dismal. Pep Guardiola played the midfielder in so many positions, the Spanish international was a shell of his former self.

The Mirror even reported earlier this season that Cesc could be loaned out in January to find his old form.

However, current manager Tito Vilanova has found the perfect position for Cesc. He has put him beside Xavi with the ability of playing just behind center forward Lionel Messi. This has allowed for Cesc to create more chances and attack more from the center.

Cesc currently leads La Liga with eight assists and is on track to certainly double that by the end of the season (via ESPN). With Cesc currently on tremendous form, Barcelona can become an even more clinical team in front of goal.

But Cesc Fàbregas is not only dishing out assists. The Catalan also scored in this game and is becoming more of a goal scoring threat for Barcelona. When Cesc looked likely to leave Barcelona, Tito Vilanova found the best use for him.

With Cesc finally fitting into the Barcelona system, the Catalan giants will only get better.

Lionel Messi the Star

As I predicted in my preview article, Lionel Messi was the star of this game. The Argentine was able to score his fourth brace in a row and completely shattered the Levante defense.

The first half ended 0-0, yet Messi had already given the hosts problems. It was the second half that saw the Barcelona star take over the game.

With a quick double to open the second half, Messi set the wheels in motion for Barcelona.

The two goals forced the Levante side to open up more to try to get back into the game, but it also allowed for Barcelona to score more goals.

The current form of Lionel Messi is staggering. With four braces in a row, Messi looks set to shatter the record for most goals in a calendar year set by Gerd Muller (via ESPN).

With such a record being shattered, it is hard for anyone to make a case against Messi deserving the World Player of the Year award. 

Last year, Barcelona relied heavily on Messi. This year however, the pressure has been relieved and Messi appears even more dangerous without the pressure. 

It has to be said that in spite of recent games, Messi is no doubt the best player to ever step on a pitch.

Iniesta Was the Deciding Factor

Andres Iniesta started the game at left wing in a repeat of Barcelona's last game. Though Iniesta is a midfielder by trade, he fulfilled the role in a great fashion.

Iniesta constantly probed the Levante defense and looked to create a goal every time he touched the ball. 

The midfield maestro delivered three assists on the night and was the deciding factor despite Messi scoring two goals. Every touch from Iniesta was pure class, and the Levante defense had no answer for the dribbling artistry.

Barcelona has been given a treat by successfully playing Iniesta, Cesc and Xavi at the same time. Though Iniesta does not consistently test the keeper, the chances he creates on the wing are phenomenal.

Iniesta was able to score on the night to cap off a terrific performance for the Catalan giants.

With Barcelona finding their form and the biggest stars contributing in the biggest ways, Barcelona are ready to take a commanding lead in Spain. Look for more play by Iniesta on the wing, as Tito may have found a new lineup that works even better.

For how well Messi played, Iniesta played even better. When statements like this can be made, you know Barcelona are hitting their stride.

The Defense Is Looking Better

The Barcelona defense got out to a terrible start to the season. However, those days may finally be behind the Catalan club.

Barcelona has only conceded one goal in their last three games. This fact will make most Barcelona fans breathe a sigh of relief, as the days of a solid Barcelona defense looked long gone.

Captain Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique have continued to be the dynamic defensive duo as they protect the Barcelona net. Barcelona did give up a few chances, but overall, the defense held its own.

It is very important that the defense continues this great run, as the league and Champions League will only get harder. The play we have seen from the defense lately could be the difference from a Champions League win to an early exit altogether.

Much must be said to Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets. He also played a wonderful game and kept the Levante attack from building up in the middle of the pitch. 

The constant ball-winning ability of Busquets is often overlooked. However, without the lanky defensive midfielder, the defense would have much more work to do.

Only time will tell if the defense has truly been fixed, but for now, Barcelona fans will certainly be happy.

Barcelona Continues a Historic Season

Barcelona now sit three points ahead of Atletico Madrid at the top of the table. Perhaps more importantly, the Catalans are now 11 points clear of their bitter rival, Real Madrid.

La Blaugrana have yet to lose a game in the La Liga season. Extending their record of the best start to a league season, Barcelona are only getting better.

With a few easy games coming up on the season, the major players might be able to receive some much needed rest. 

With rest and impeccable form, the Catalans now have the opportunity to go undefeated in league play this calendar year. If that indeed does happen, there is no telling what their league lead may be at the turn of the new year.

For now, Barcelona are firing on all cylinders. The players are dominating opponents and winning with ease. While there is a lot of games left to play, this particular game may have set up Barcelona to win the league already.

Now to you, the readers. How would you rate the performance of Barcelona? Is the league now theirs to lose?

Tre', the Catalan Blood of Bleacher Report. Follow @TreAtkinson