Olivier Dacourt attempts to win the ball at the Nou Camp (PhilCole/Allsport)

David O'Leary feared his side would be put to the sword, but even in his worst moments the Leeds boss must have hoped it would not turn into such a footballing slaughter of the Champions League innocents.

Facing a Barcelona side in overwhelming, flowing, effervescent and captivatingly forensic form, Leeds could not be faulted for effort, enthusiasm or competitiveness.

They had those qualities, instilled by O'Leary, in abundance, and never stopped trying to show they could play football too. But without seven first-choice players, including Harry Kewell, Eirik Bakke and Jon Woodgate, they were simply swept away by a relentless tide, orchestrated by the sublime brilliance of Rivaldo.

It was men against boys, in every sense. Every time the Brazilian picked up the ball, the trepidation he engendered in the Leeds ranks were palpable, bringing the Camp Nou to its feet in an orgy of expectation.

For Leeds, whose dreadful night ended with the worrying sight of skipper Lucas Radebe being carried off on a stretcher and away to hospital wearing a neck-brace after a clash of heads with Michael Duberry, it was an unforgettable lesson in the realities of the game's premier club prize.

This was Barcelona's 100th game in the hunt for a European Cup they have won only once. This year, more than ever, they need to win it again. This was a celebration of all that the Catalan club is about.

Irrepressible, remorseless, magnificent. Not so much the Camp Nou as the Corrida, with Leeds - cast in the role of the charging bulls - having no answer except resolve and fight.

That was never going to be enough, especially when the chief matador was the world's finest player. Teasing and tormenting Leeds to distraction and despair, the 28-year-old from Sao Paulo was truly majestic, his panther-like grace a sight to behold.

How Louis Van Gaal could have exiled him on the left defied belief. Leeds could only stop him illegally, with two late early fouls by Alan Smith and Olivier Dacourt shaking the Brazilian up.

If it was the Leeds game-plan, it was flawed. Rivaldo was only stirred to put on a masterclass of his talents with Leeds, running all night simply to stand still, left bewildered and bereft.

It is hard to accept that any player is worth £85,000 per week after tax. If there is one, it is this prince of the footballing arts.

The proof came after just eight minutes, in which Barcelona had already shown why six games against the cream of the Premiership - Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea - had brought them 17 goals in two seasons.

Nigel Martyn, extended time and again and who stood between O'Leary's side and the 'drubbing' the manager knew was possible, had saved superbly from Marc Overmars, but there was nothing he could do when Rivaldo exploded into breath-taking action.

The dummy on halfway, and the elegance of his movement on to Patrick Kluivert's return ball, was stunning in itself, although Dacourt initially appeared to have averted the danger with his desperate tackle.

But as the ball fell to Simao, Rivaldo simply ghosted into space to receive. A shimmy and step-over left Duberry flat on his backside, and before Martyn could react the ball was nestling in his bottom corner as Rivaldo struck with that deadly left foot.

It was a goal to remember, surely as good as anything that Champions League will see this season. It emphasised the gulf in class and from then on the only question was how many Barcelona would score.

Leeds, to their credit, did not give up, with Smith's insouciance evident even though he blatantly overstepped the mark with a shocking twofooted foul that forced Phillip Cocu out of the game in the second half.

Barcelona's second goal, on 20 minutes, came after Dacourt had again fouled Rivaldo. Leeds expected the Brazilian to take aim with the free kick from 28 yards but instead it was Frank De Boer, whose scintillating strike could not have been improved upon. Martyn could only feel the whoosh of the ball past his flailing left hand as it clipped the underside of the bar.

Perhaps if Ian Harte, pushed into a four-man midfield, had converted from Michael Bridges' pinpoint centre within a minute of the interval Barcelona might have exhibited some doubts.

Instead, they kept pushing forward. Gerard, Overmars, Kluivert, Rivaldo and Simao were all denied but now Leeds were running on empty, and despite Rivaldo's substitution 17 minutes from time, all the effort finally told.

Kluivert was the beneficiary, beating Duberry to Simao's perfect centre to sweep home and then taking substitute Ivan De La Pena's pass and crashing across the exposed Martyn into the far corner.

O'Leary revealed that he had deliberately not handed out a half-time roasting to his team. He said: 'They are boys and you can't go in and blast them. You've got to be constructive and guide them through although I did feel we were paying Barcelona a bit too much respect.