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Barcelona were a class apart as they hammered Basel 5-0 in Switzerland to go clear at the top of Champions League Group C.

First-half goals from Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets and Bojan Krkic gave the visitors a three-goal cushion at the break, but it could have been many more.

And Barcelona hit two goals in the first three minutes of the second half through Bojan again and Xavi to complete the rout.

The win gives Barca a maximum nine points from three games, which puts them three clear of Portuguese club Sporting, winners in Ukraine against Shakhtar.

The prodigious Messi (pictured with Bojan) silenced the St Jakob-Park stadium with the opener after only four minutes.

He played the ball across the box to Daniel Alves, who returned it with the outside of his right foot to the back post; the Argentina star finished superbly with a first-time effort across home goalkeeper Franco Costanzo.

Bojan, only 18 years of age, had the ball in the net four minutes later after the superb Alexander Hleb had played him in on the left, but he was a yard offside.

Basel could not get anywhere near the visiting players when they came forward and their own chances were few and far between. Marco Streller was hesitant when he had space in the box after 10 minutes, allowing Barca keeper Victor Valdes to narrow the gap and block.

It was almost entirely one-way traffic after that. Fifteen minutes in Xavi chipped a lovely ball over the top for the run of Busquets, and the son of former Barca keeper Carles brought it down before finishing between the scissoring legs of the diving Costanzo.

Five minutes later Messi shot just wide from outside the penalty area but only two minutes further on the lead was extended nonetheless, with Bojan striking into the bottom corner from a similar distance.

Bojan relaxed with the goal at his mercy on the half-hour mark following excellent build-up play by Hleb and Messi.

Soon after Messi was upended after getting to a Bojan ball through just before Costanzo, but referee Eric Braamhaar failed to award a spot-kick.

Hleb missed another one-on-one before at the other end Eren Derdiyok created a chance late in the half for Ivan Ergic, only for Valdes to deny Basel again.

The Swiss outfit went on the attack immediately following the restart, but left gaps at the back which Barca exploited to score a fourth.

Xavi played a pass to Busquets, who sent Bojan scampering clear of the defenders - and the youngster then slotted inside the post for his second.

There was barely time for the watching Roger Federer - a native of Basel - to draw breath before Barca made it five. Hleb cut in from the left and gave the ball to Messi, who controlled with his back to goal and laid it off to playmaker Xavi.

The Spain star - back in the side after he was rested at the weekend - then hit a low shot into the bottom corner from 20 yards out to make it five.

Bojan exemplified the relaxed nature of a training session-like encounter for the Catalans when, on a hat-trick, he scooped the ball over Costanzo and on to the roof of the net.

Home coach Christian Gross, looking on from a sodden touchline, was spared any further embarrassment at the hands of Pep Guardiola's men - and saw a Streller shot cleared off the line by Sylvinho and last-minute one-on-one for substitute Eduardo saved by Valdes.

Barca have now won eight matches in succession between the Champions League and La Liga.

Shakhtar 0-1 Sporting

Sporting went second in Group C with a narrow 1-0 win away in Ukraine for a smash-and-grab victory.

Shakhtar dominated the game but Liedson scored the only goal in the 76th minute after Derlei had back-heeled inside a packed penalty area following a Fabio Rochemback free-kick.

The Brazilian striker swivelled and struck his shot low into the bottom far corner to become Sporting's leading scorer in European competition with 19 goals.

Shakhtar's own Brazilians, Jadson, Brandao and Fernandinho, sparkled in the first half and kept the pressure up in the second with a series of headers, free-kicks and long shots.

Sporting keeper Rui Patricio made a diving save in the 55th minute from a Jadson shot that took a deflection off a defender.

But the Ukrainian side faltered near the end yet again, as they had against Barcelona earlier this month when they let a 1-0 lead slip three minutes from time and ended up losing 2-1.

Sporting are now second in the group with six points, three clear of Shakhtar.

Jonathan Symcox / Reuters