When Barcelona's strikers score six goals in one game it is easy to overlook what happened in the other lines of the pitch. But beyond the latest affirmation of their firepower up front, the Blaugrana's 8-0 win over Cordoba was another reminder of the estat de gracia -- state of grace, in Catalan -- that the midfield is currently experiencing.

Unlike the strikers, it has taken a while for them to reach optimum performance levels. The men in the middle arrived fashionably late to the party, initial indications suggesting they would be something of a passive force in any theoretical Barca success this year. Yet at the key stage of the season, here they are, producing the goods with impeccable timing.

Give credit to coach Luis Enrique: Physically, the central point of his team looks in impeccably good condition. Mentally, too. On the Nuevo Arcangel turf, Sergio Busquets brought equilibrium, Ivan Rakitic power and Andres Iniesta subtlety. A clinical combination.

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Iniesta's sublime assist for Luis Suarez on Saturday -- his first in 2014-15 in domestic competition -- was a reminder of the supreme, world-class talent that his coach is only now beginning to extract maximum quality from.

It was the player's second moment of stand-out genius in two weeks, the other being a mazy dribble and perfect setup for Neymar's opener against PSG at the Camp Nou. That particular move prompted a journalist to ask the Spaniard about the secret to his improvement. Iniesta's reply suggested a slight hint of annoyance under the surface: "I haven't arrived, nor did I go anywhere."

To a degree the Spain international had a point, but while Iniesta's first half to the season wasn't necessarily bad, what is equally true is that it wasn't marked by creative genius. If anything, the midfielder's tactical discipline and work rate were more noteworthy as he done the dirty work while the three strikers were left to resolve games according to their own inspiration.

In that same time period teammate Busquets quite often stood out for the wrong reasons. An uncharacteristic capacity to make poor decisions under pressure crept in to the pivot's game last autumn, manifesting itself in repeated, unforgivable losses of possession on the edge of the Barcelona area.

With games stretched and one-touch play rarely an option, the Catalan suffered. So much so that there was a genuine case for playing Javier Mascherano in his role, the logic being that the Argentine is better suited to more chaotic, less structured football.

As Barcelona have gradually added more control to their game in the last couple of months, so too has Busquets' own control returned. Luis Enrique's improvement of the team's positional play this spring has helped to extract the best from his No. 5: impeccable in his defensive pressing as of late, particularly against PSG, the Sabadell native has also influenced the attack. His brilliant ball to Messi in the build-up to Barca's opener in what was a key game against Valencia in April demonstrated just how useful the pivot's line-breaking, proactive passing can be when he's confident and in form.

The idea of dropping Busquets for Mascherano now seems unthinkable; to the degree that the Argentine has himself admitted the Barca product is the better option. Consider how egotistical players can be, for another footballer to effectively declare himself unworthy of a spot in the team speaks volumes about the level of the competition.

Rakitic is perhaps the player spoken about least when it comes to Barcelona's middle three, but he too is on an upward trajectory, emphasised by but not limited to his thunderous volley against Cordoba. Life wasn't made easy for the Croatian in his early steps at the Camp Nou. Initially reduced to little more than a workhorse in Luis Enrique's setup, he was given the unglamorous task of covering Dani Alves when the Brazilian rampaged forward. The midfielder's chances of exerting an influence for himself were inevitably limited as a result.

As the collective play of the team has improved that role has adjusted however. The Croatian is now more proactive further forward, forming a thrilling triangle with Alves and Messi that interchanges according to the position of the other two. Sometimes Rakitic will be the wide player, sometimes central, other times the furthest forward. It works, but only because it has been well rehearsed on the training ground, and also because the midfielder is intelligent enough to read the right moments to take up the right position. Not all players are that smart.

Look closely enough at Barcelona's wonderful first-half display in the 2-1 Champions League win at Manchester City in February -- the first clear sign that the standard of their positional play was improving-- and there were plenty of examples of Rakitic's attacking presence. Faultless in his one-touch play in the final third, particularly out wide, he was the perfect foil for Messi. All the while, the former Sevilla man stuck diligently to his defensive duties. With Xavi Hernandez biting at his heels from the bench, he needed to be consistent, and he is.

As the major midfield signing of last summer, the biggest test of how capable Rakitic really is will come when Bayern Munich visit the Camp Nou, just as it will test the true strength of Busquets' and Iniesta's form. The two veterans will never forget the humiliation they suffered the last time these two teams met in a Champions League semifinal, Barcelona treading water as Bayern put four goals past them in the first leg.

With Luis Enrique doing a stellar job on keeping fitness levels up to scratch however (ironically enough, in complete contrast to the Bavarians) it is unlikely that Barcelona's midfield three will be overran this time. With that same three hitting their stride at the key stage of the season, Bayern may well find they are out-thought as well as out-fought.

Lee Roden is a European football writer based in Barcelona. Follow him on Twitter: @LeeRoden89.