Lionel Messi scored his 43rd hat-trick for Barcelona as they gained a measure of revenge for their record-wrecking defeat by Levante last season with a comprehensive 5-0 victory.
Barça were aiming to become the first team to go unbeaten in a La Ligaseason when they played their penultimate game last May.
But their 36-match unbeaten run came to a stunning halt as, without the rested Messi, they found themselves 5-1 down before eventually losing 5-4.
There was no chance of a repeat story on Sunday in Valencia, though, as first-half goals from Luis Suárez and Messi set them on their way.
Messi then struck twice more after the break to secure the match ball and, after Erick Cabaco had been sent off for Levante, Gerard Piqué completed the scoring late on.
Sevilla are three points behind Barça in second after beating Girona 2-0 for their first win in three league games. Éver Banega’s 55th-minute penalty opened the scoring and Pablo Sarabia finished off a brilliant team move nine minutes later to wrap up the points.
In France Monaco lost 3-0 at Lyon and Thierry Henry’s side are now in the relegation zone. They had recorded two wins from their last three league outings but were behind after six minutes in Lyon as Houssem Aouar tucked away a rebound from a Bertrand Traoré shot.
In the 34th minute Nabil Fekir doubled the hosts’ lead after collecting Kenny Tete’s centre. Aleksandr Golovin was sent off for Monaco early in the second half and their punishment was complete shortly before the hour mark as Ferland Mendy headed home from another Tete assist.
In the Netherlands Ajax crushed De Graafschap 8-0, with two players getting hat-tricks, including the former Manchester United defender Daley Blind, who scored his goals in 25 minutes.
Ajax were three up well before half-time but then scored three times in seven second-half minutes to continue their thrashing of De Graafschap, who are bottom of the Eredivisie.
Hakim Ziyech also scored a hat-trick. Ajax remain second, two points behind PSV Eindhoven.
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