Elche vs. Barcelona: Winners and Losers from Copa Del Rey Game

Barcelona are through to the next round of the Copa del Rey after shellacking Elche 4-0 on Thursday.

Jeremy Mathieu opened the scoring in the 21st minute with a spectacular goal-kick, and both Sergi Roberto and Pedro also found the back of the net before the half-time whistle.

The Catalan giants appeared content to cruise to their victory after the restart, but Adriano's goal in second-half stoppage time put the finishing touches on a lopsided win and 9-0 triumph on aggregate.

Overall, there were a handful of standout displays at Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero, as well as one or two that were rather less impressive.

The following are the individual winners and losers from the encounter.

Winner: Sergi Roberto, Who Looked a Class Above in Midfield

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Sergi Roberto had a rare start on Thursday and ended up playing the full 90 minutes for Barcelona.

Both he and midfield partner Rafinha generally looked a class above against Elche, and in the 40th minute the 22-year-old scored the guests' second goal of the night when his well-placed shot beat Elche goalkeeper Manu Herrera to the far corner.

Shortly after the restart he would have had an assist as well, but Adama Traore's finishing left much to be desired.

Loser: Edu Albacar, Who Caused a Penalty

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The rout was on in the 43rd minute after the home team brought down Munir inside Elche's 18-yard box.

His assailant was Edu Albacar, who had clipped him as he made his run.

Pedro made no mistake from the resulting penalty, and Barcelona went back down the tunnel with a 3-0 lead on the night.

Edu, it should be said, was lucky to have still been on the pitch when he caused the penalty, as his cynical foul on Adama Traore in the 20th minute was worthy of a red card.

"Lucky boy!" exclaimed Football Espana via Twitter. "Albacar cynically trips Adama en route to goal and escapes with just a yellow."

Winner: Rafinha, Who Ran the Show in the Centre of the Park

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Rafinha was the man pulling the strings as Barcelona beat Elche 4-0 on Thursday.

The Brazilian wove everything together in the centre of the park for the guests and formed one-half of a superb tandem alongside Sergi Roberto.

He also tracked back to lend a hand on the defensive side of the ball with impressive regularity and did well to involve the full-backs in the buildup play with accurate, diagonal passes.

"The Football Express News Man of the Match for Barcelona against Elche is Rafinha," tweeted Football Express at the final whistle.

Loser: Pedro, Who Is Quickly Becoming a Forgotten Figure at Barcelona

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He might have converted the penalty won by Munir, but several of his Barcelona teammates outplayed Pedro on Thursday. He is quickly being buried in the pecking order at the club.

Adama Traore, for example, was a far more threatening attacker down the opposite flank. Pass-masters Rafinha and Sergi Roberto increasingly preferred him as the match progressed.

In the 72nd minute, Rafinha picked out Pedro with a fine ball to the left-hand side, but after Elche's Jose Antonio Pera blocked the latter's route, he proceeded to foul the right-back in a fit of frustration.

It was a moment that rather summed up his night.

Winner: Jeremy Mathieu, Who Scored with a Mesmerising Free-Kick

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Take a bow, Jeremy Mathieu. And watch your back, Lionel Messi.

Mathieu's stunning free-kick that swung to the near corner and evaded Elche goalkeeper Manu Herrera was the first of Barcelona's four goals on Thursday and easily the finest.

"No Messi tonight, so Mathieu steps up and curls in a brilliant free-kick," tweeted the club.

But it wasn't the defender's only contribution to the cause in this Copa del Rey round of 16 second leg.

The Frenchman made several important blocks on the defensive side of the ball and prevented Cristian Herrera from taking a shot from in close in the 78th minute.

Loser: Cristian Herrera, Who Has Yet to Score This Season

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Cristian Herrera started both legs of Elche's Copa del Rey tie with Barcelona, and his finishing let him down in both.

In the 48th minute, he failed to control Alvaro's squared pass after the midfielder had done ever so well to carry the ball downfield, and with 12 minutes remaining, his heavy touch allowed Barcelona defender Jeremy Mathieu the necessary time to make an important intervention.

Herrera has yet to find the back of the net this season, and Thursday's match was a microcosm of his failings.