Lionel Messi, Neymar Revel for Barcelona but Luis Suarez Misses the Party
Everything seemed to be set for Luis Suarez's big day. He turned 28 years old and was going to have a birthday party against Elche, where Neymar and Lionel Messi arrived, bearing assists.
However, he was frozen out of the goal glut by Luis Enrique, with Neymar and Messi having their own joint bash up front for Barcelona.
Suarez, sitting on the bench, watched as the two South Americans scored two and created two each, while his replacement, Pedro Rodriguez, tapped home at the end to score the final goal in a 6-0 rout.
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That took the total score against Elche in all four games Barcelona have played against them this season to 18-0.
Suarez has just scored one of those goals, in the first leg of the Copa del Rey last-16 clash earlier this month.
He was suspended for the first game of the season, in which Barcelona beat Elche 3-0, and missed out the second leg of the Copa tie and then this game here.
It's a far from ideal scenario for the striker, who has been under fire in recent weeks for his poor form in front of goal.
Enrique is expected to bring Suarez back into the starting line-up, fresh and ready, for the game against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night.
Except the pressure for him to score there will be greater because he'll be under the spotlight. It's a key game, and if Barcelona win, they will be clear favourites to win the Copa del Rey this season.
That's a clear objective for Enrique, which will instantly raise this season above last year's, where Barcelona won nothing at all.
The way to glory for Barcelona this season is clear. The Neymar-Messi axis. Whereas the relationship between the two was cordial at best in Neymar's first season at the club, now it's bubbling.
Neymar was felled in the box and Messi took the resultant penalty, before turning provider for the Brazilian.
Both of Neymar's goals were created by the Barcelona No. 10. The first, a little shuffled pass into the striker's feet, which was coolly dispatched Thierry Henry-style by Neymar.
The second was truly a thing of beauty. Neymar played it in to Messi, who dinked a perfect pass over the defence for the Brazilian to run on to and lash beyond the despairing arm of Przemyslaw Tyton and into the top corner.
We'll see that goal replayed dozens of times in the weeks and months to come and probably be as sick of it as Suarez must have been, sitting on the bench.
That's not to say he begrudges his team-mates the glory, just the natural reaction of a goalscorer forced to sit out a game in which he could have filled his boots.
Suarez clearly gets along well with the other players in the side, and he has spoken well of his strike partners in the past.
The important information for Suarez to take in from this game is that to develop a special relationship, like Messi and Neymar have, takes time.
With every passing game, those two become better and better together, and Suarez knows he will have to suffer the teething pains to eventually grow into an undroppable player for Barcelona.
The problem is, Neymar is 22, and now Suarez is 28. He is at his physical peak. He needs to be patient, but time is not exactly on his side.
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