Messi gave Barca the lead after just four minutes and Villa struck a fine second midway through the first half.

Sevilla finished the half with 10 men after Abdoulay Konko was sent off.

Alves then put the result beyond doubt with the third shortly into the second period, before Messi scored a fine fourth after 64 minutes and Villa completed the rout right at the end.

Barca coach Pep Guardiola welcomed back Xavi to his starting 11 after the Spain midfielder recovered from a troublesome Achilles problem this week.

The Catalans travel to Denmark to face FC Copenhagen in the Champions League on Tuesday, but Guardiola fielded his strongest possible side for this match.

Having seen fierce rivals Madrid come back to beat Hercules 3-1 immediately before this match, Barca knew only a win would keep them in touch with the league leaders.

And it never looked in doubt after Messi slotted home the first early on.

There were only four minutes on the clock when stand-in Sevilla keeper Javi Varas parried Pedro's cross and Messi was there to slot home the rebound for his 13th of the season.

It was an unlucky 13 for Sevilla, who beat Barca here in the Copa del Rey last season but had only won six of 66 matches against the Catalans at the Nou Camp prior to this encounter.

Luis Fabiano drilled wide for the visitors and Diego Capel shot straight at Victor Valdes from close range as Gregorio Manzano's side sought a way back into the game.

But that looked unlikely as Villa ended his recent scoring drought with a fine second halfway through the first period.

Messi advanced down the right and laid the ball off to the Spain striker, who cut into the area and sent an unstoppable angled drive into Varas' top right-hand corner.

Villa received the plaudits from a delighted Nou Camp crowd and came close again minutes before the interval, when his low drive was pushed wide by the busy Varas.

Things became even more difficult for Sevilla just before the break as Konko hacked down Pedro and was shown his second yellow card of the night.

And to make matters worse still, Ndri Romaric gifted the home side a third seven minutes into the second period.

The Ivory Coast player headed back to keeper Varas, but Alves read the pass-back and raised a leg to poke home from well inside the area.

The Brazil full-back - who looked embarrassed to score against his former club - appeared to be in an offside position, but it did not matter because the ball had been played through by a Sevilla player.

Bojan Krkic and Javier Mascherano came on for Pedro and Xavi with half an hour left, but the fourth goal came from a predictable source - Messi.

The Argentinian won the ball back in midfield, waltzed through a crowd of players and slid a low shot past Varas just inside the post from the edge of the box to make it 4-0.

Messi was looking for his second hat-trick against Sevilla this season, having bagged three in the 4-0 Supercopa win here back in August.

He had to be content with two this time, despite Barca controlling the game late on.

Villa saw a shot cleared off the line in the closing stages, but added his second - and Barca's fifth - right at the death as he drilled a low left-footed drive past the hapless Varas.

Barca remain a point behind Madrid at the top of the table, while Sevilla stay in sixth for now, but could be overtaken by Getafe and Atletico Madrid tomorrow.