Picture special: Hleb makes debut and Messi stars as Barca hump Hibs

Barcelona didn't just beat Hibs at Murrayfield last night - they humiliated them. Indeed, there were times when the Catalans looked capable of running up the kind of scoreline that the Scotland rugby team can only dream about.

Even if Hibs coach Mixu Paatelainen had managed to sneak on a few extra players plus 15-a-side legend Gavin Hastings - and awarded him goals for kicking the ball over the bar - they would still have been thrashed. 

High jump: Barcelona's Eidur Gudjohnsen raises the highest against Hibs

Overhead kick: Barcelona's Thierry Henry

The gulf in class was that big. Barcelona were always expected to run the show and give Hibs a hard time but a drubbing of this magnitude was not in the script.

After all, Hibs had played two Intertoto Cup ties and were supposed to be reasonably fit and competitive, while Barcelona only had a couple of training sessions at St Andrews behind them.

But after 26 minutes, Barcelona were already four goals ahead. Thereafter, the game looked more and more like an exhibition. This was a Harlem Globetrotters-type performance, with Lionel Messi inflicting the bulk of the damage early on with his class and skill.

He nutmegged Hibs players, waltzed past them and showed exactly why he is rated as one of the best in the world as he put on a magical display for the 23,390 fans in the first half.

The Argentinian was involved in absolutely everything during that period and looked to have enjoyed every minute in the wide open spaces of Murrayfield. 

Making his bow: Alexander Hleb (right) makes a run for team-mate Bojan Krkic

Romp: Barcelona's Yaya Toure (left) and Bojan Krkic celebrate

Messi helped set up Eidur Gudjohnsen for the opener inside four minutes and, after that, the goals simply rained down on luckless Hibs keeper Andy McNeil.

Messi scored a sublime second and Gudjohnsen added to his tally two minutes later before Pedro hit the fourth.

It was an indication of the depth of talent that Barcelona have at their disposal when you consider that Pedro, who ran Hibs ragged at times, is a regular in the Nou Camp reserves. After romping into a four-goal lead it was no surprise that Barca kept Messi in the dressing room at half-time.

That was a shame for the appreciative fans but a blessing for the mesmerised members of Hibs' rearguard. 

Messi Masterclass: Argentine star Messi torments the Hibs defence (above and below)

Thierry Henry was also hooked at the interval, which was an added blow for the supporters, given the Frenchman's reputation for excellence on these shores.

Almost inevitably, Barcelona hardly broke sweat in the second half and, with six half-time changes, Hibs might have been expected to force their way back into the game. Wrong. 

Barca substitute Bojan Krkic scored two minutes after the break and it was at that point the fans started to become angry.

Up until then, they had politely applauded the skills of Barcelona but the fifth goal seemed to change their mood and the stands echoed to a chorus of boos.

The Easter Road faithful demanded some sort of fighting spirit from their team as it had been missing up until that point.

They simply didn't get it and Barcelona continued to press forward as they tried to add to their scoreline.

But the Catalans almost became too big for their boots and were much too intricate as they tried to score the perfect goal. Hibs were dreadful and boss Paatelainen will be worried about how the club's pre- season is progressing.

Spanish Harlem: Barcelona celebrate Messi's second

Any side would have been beaten by the skill of Barcelona but there appears to be something missing at Hibs.

They have no real leaders on the park and the fact that Ian Murray, one of their most experienced players, was substituted at halftime, shows that he is struggling to regain any sort of form since his return to Easter Road.

Paatelainen's defence continues to leak goals, with the centre-back partnership of Rob Jones and Chris Hogg totally embarrassed by the incisive movement of the Barcelona attack.

To add to Hibernian's woes, Steven Fletcher, the club's only real goalscoring threat, hobbled off injured as things went from bad to worse.

Just after the hour mark Alexander Hleb was given his Barcelona debut, while Samuel Eto'o was also handed a run-out, which gave the neutrals something to get excited about.

Their presence kept the Barca momentum going and fellow sub Yaya Toure made it 6-0 after 68 minutes. Soon after, Paatelainen put young goalkeeper McNeil out of his misery, with substitute David Grof coming on.

With 10 minutes to go, those Hibs fans who weren't content to simply marvel at the skills of Barcelona walked out into the Edinburgh night embarrassed, just like their team. It had been a long evening for all concerned.

HIBERNIAN (4-4-2): McNeil; van Zanten, Hogg, Jones, Hanlon; Murray, Stevenson, Shiels, O'Brien; Nish, Fletcher. Subs: Grof, Canning, Chisholm, Rankin, Cropley, Morais

BARCELONA (4-4-2): Valdes; Dani Alves, Marquez, Pique, Corcoles; Sergio, Vazquez, Gudjohnsen, Pedro; Henry, Messi. Subs: Abraham, Bojan, Caceres, Crosas, Eto'o, Hleb, Jeffren, Keita, Pinto, Yaya Toure. Referee: Craig Thomson.