Paco Alcacer admits he feels liberated after finally netting his first Barcelona goal since his €30 million summer transfer from Valencia.
Alcacer did score in last week's friendly win over Al-Ahli in Qatar, but his header in Wednesday's 7-0 Copa del Rey drubbing of third-tier Hercules was his first official goal for his new club.
The striker had failed to find the net in his 10 previous appearances for Barca -- five of which had come as a substitute -- but he says he's been able to remain calm despite the pressure which has been building on him to break his duck.
"I haven't suffered," he told reporters after the match. "I haven't gone through a bad time, but I needed this goal.
"It's my first goal wearing this shirt and it means a lot to me. It had been a long time since I'd scored and it was important to get my first goal. If you work well and then you score, you feel liberated.
There was a hint of offside about Alcacer's second half goal, which came via a deflected Rafinha cross, but he feels he's earned a little bit of fortune if that was the case.
"Until now I've lacked some luck," he added as he reviewed his dry spell in front of goal. "But I don't want to look back, I only want to look forward and I hope that everything [this season] goes as we wish.
"I only know that I have to give 100 percent all the time and be ready when [Luis Enrique] needs me. He has a tough task to choose 11 players from a squad with enormous strength. I will wait for my chances and try to take advantage of them."
Barca boss Luis Enrique was happy to see Alcacer on target at last, although he was never overly concerned about the goal drought.
"I haven't felt bad for him because these are things which happen in football, even though we were all willing him on to score his first goal," he said in his postgame news conference.
"But we know him and there weren't any doubts because watching him in training we knew [the goal] would arrive. I am happy with how Paco -- and everyone else -- played."
It was also a big night for Arda Turan, who scored his second hat trick this month following his treble in the Champions League against Borussia Monchengladbach.
There was a first Barca goal for left-back Lucas Digne, too, with an Ivan Rakitic penalty and a crisp Rafinha effort completing the rout and ensuring the Blaugrana progressed to the last 16 of the Copa del Rey.