Almeria have sacked coach Juan Manuel Lillo in the wake of this evening's 8-0 home defeat at the hands of Barcelona.

The loss left Almeria rooted in the bottom three of the Primera Division with just one win and nine points from their opening 12 games.

Lillo did recently guide Almeria into the last 16 of the Copa del Rey, though, his side beating La Liga rivals Real Sociedad home and away to record a 5-3 aggregate victory.

The 45-year-old took over as coach of Almeria last December following the sacking of Hugo Sanchez and helped the Andalusian side finish the campaign in 13th place.

Almeria took the decision following an emergency board meeting immediately after tonight's heavy defeat at the Estadio de los Juegos Mediterraneos.

A statement on Almeria's website said: "The reasons are purely sporting ones owing to the bad results that the team have had in recent weeks in the championship, which has left the club in the relegation zone."

Lionel Messi struck a hat-trick and Bojan Krkic bagged a brace for Barca.

Pep Guardiola's side raced into a 5-0 lead before half-time in a hugely one-sided contest.

Messi opened the scoring after 17 minutes and Andres Iniesta took advantage of poor defending to score the second just two minutes later.

A Santiago Acasiete own goal made it 3-0 before the half hour, Pedro made it four 10 minutes prior to the interval and Messi added his second in Barca's very next attack.

Substitute Bojan added two in the second half and Messi completed his hat-trick as Guardiola's side ran riot in Andalusia.

Barcelona came into this match on the back of five straight Primera Division victories while Almeria were struggling at the wrong end of the table, having won just once in the league all season.

David Villa saw an angled shot saved by Diego Alves and drilled the rebound wide as Barca almost took the lead after just two minutes.

Victor Valdes saved from Pablo Piatti at the other end, but normal service was resumed shortly afterwards as Messi came close after seven minutes.

But the Argentina winger, fresh from scoring the winner against Brazil in a midweek friendly, was not to be denied for long.

The 23 year-old played a sublime one-two with Villa on the edge of the box, moved into space and beat Alves with an unstoppable angled drive to make it 1-0.

Two minutes later, Iniesta made it two after some poor defending from the home side.

The Spain midfielder saw his cross blocked, but raced on to the loose ball to beat an exposed Alves.

The third was an even bigger gift from Almeria, as Acasiete stuck out a foot to divert Maxwell's low cross past his own keeper after 27 minutes.

Pedro then latched on to a pass from deep and poked the ball past Alves, who had come racing off his line, to make it 4-0.

Almost every Barca attack was ending up in a goal at this stage and from the next one, Messi made it five.

Pedro advanced into the area and squared for the Argentinian, who saw his initial effort saved by Alves, but gratefully poked home the rebound for his second of the night.

Piatti then hit the bar for Almeria as Barca's intensity dropped.

But Bojan, who minutes earlier had replaced Pedro, made it six with a quality finish shortly after the hour, when he was set up by Messi on the edge of the box and found his way between two defenders before clipping the ball past the hapless Alves.

Messi then sealed his hat-trick six minutes later, when he poked home from close range after Alves had parried Villa's first-time shot.

And five minutes after that, the Argentinian strode forward unchallenged from the centre circle to set up Bojan in the area for a simple finish to make it 8-0.