Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick as Barcelona beat Deportivo La Coruna 4-0 at the Riazor on Sunday evening.

The Argentine twice netted in the first half, before completing his treble just past the hour.

Barca had their fourth late on when Brazilian defender Sidnei turned into his own net from close range.

Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at how each individual player performed during the Spanish affair.

DEPORTIVO

Goal

Fabricio: Made a number of smart saves, but was still forced to pick the ball out of his net on four occasions. Excellent shot-stopper, but distribution needs some work. (6/10)

Defence

Juanfran: Given a defensive role, but the Spaniard really struggled, especially when Neymar turned on the after-burners. Always looks more comfortable further forward. (5/10)

Sidnei: All-action performance from the popular Brazilian, who came close with a couple of late attempts but unfortunately scored at the wrong end after 83 minutes. (6/10)

Alberto Lopo: Had to cover for the lively Sidnei on a number of occasions, but made some smart blocks, especially in the first 45 minutes of action. (6/10)

Luisinho: Was not given enough protection by Cuenca and eventually got over-run in wide areas. Worked hard, but found it tough against an inter-changing attack. (5/10)

Midfield

Alex Bergantinos: Tasked with closing the space in the middle of the park, but Ivan Rakitic had too much in the locker. Struggled against the away side's midfield three. (5/10)

Juan Dominguez: Helped set up a couple of half-chances with good delivery from wide areas, but the midfielder did not have as much of an impact as he might have done. (6/10)

Haris Medunjanin: Had a good chance in the second period, but was more interested in winning a penalty. Had some bright moments in the final third of the field. (6/10)

Attack

Isaac Cuenca: Was arguably his side's best player against his former club. Looked a real live-wire in wide areas and had Dani Alves worried for periods of the second half. (6/10)

Oriol Riera: On-loan Wigan Athletic striker has been brought in to score some goals, but the Spaniard never had a sniff against the Catalan outfit. (5/10)

Ivan Cavaleiro: Was one of Depor's livelier performers in the first period, but he was surprisingly replaced by Jose Rodriguez at the interval. (6/10)

Substitutes

Jose Rodriguez: Did well to pick up the pace of the match after entering at the interval. Showed some nice touches in possession, but struggled to make a serious impact. (6/10)

Toche: Has scored three times for Depor this season, but could not add to his tally here. Saw little of the ball. (5/10)

Lucas Perez: Only given the final 10 minutes and therefore had little time to make an impression. (5/10)

BARCELONA

Goal

Claudio Bravo: Made a couple of decent saves, but had his feet up for long spells. Continues to keep fellow summer signing Marc-Andre ter Stegen out of the side. (6/10)

Defence

Dani Alves: Has been criticised for some indifferent performances this season, but the Brazilian was impressive here. Caused so many problems down the right. (7/10)

Javier Mascherano: No-frills performance from the Argentine, who had a really comfortable evening. Played the majority of the match in second gear. (6/10)

Gerard Pique: Took some stick for his performances in the early part of the season, but is in excellent form at the moment. A tower of strength at the heart of the defence. (7/10)

Jordi Alba: Always available in the final third, but the left-back's delivery was a little inconsistent. Slightly overshadowed by Alves on the opposite side this time around. (6/10)

Midfield

Andres Iniesta: Always comfortable in possession of the ball, but the Spaniard drifted in and out of the match. Still has not scored in the league this season. (6/10)

Sergio Busquets: Another that has drawn criticism this season, but the midfielder was impressive here. Formed a solid layer of protection in front of his back four. (7/10)

Ivan Rakitic: Super performance from the Croatian, who twice set up hat-trick hero Messi, including an excellent cross for the Argentine's opener. Classy all-round display. (8/10)

Attack

Neymar: Put two chances on a plate for Suarez in the first period, but the Uruguayan could not score. Gave Juanfran a truly torrid time in wide areas. (7/10)

Lionel Messi: Man-of-the-match performance from the Argentine, who scored a stunning treble at the Riazor. Depor simply could not deal with the attacker. (9/10)

Luis Suarez: Could not find the back of the net despite his best efforts, but the forward still contributed to the win as he set up Messi for goal number two. (7/10)

Substitutes

Rafinha: Has been in-and-out of the team this season, but rarely disappoints when selected. Played his part in a number of dangerous attacks late on. (6/10)

Marc Bartra: Had a busy 25 minutes. Made two outstanding challenges during his second-half cameo. Has been in good form when selected this season. (7/10)

Pedro: Showed some nice touches during his 20 minutes on the field, but the Spaniard could not help add to the scoring. (6/10)