LIONEL MESSI
Lionel Messi bagged a hat-trick and Neymar grabbed four
assists as Barcelona launched their Champions League campaign in style with a
7-0 thrashing of Celtic on Tuesday.
Messi and Neymar were reunited with Luis Suarez from the
start for the first time this season and took no time in getting reacquainted
as all three were on the scoresheet.
Two goals from Messi either side of Moussa Dembele's missed
penalty for Celtic gave Barca a comfortable halftime lead.
And there was no let-up for the Scottish champions after the
break as Neymar, Messi, Andres Iniesta and a Suarez double completed the rout.
"It has been many games since we have been able to enjoy
being on the pitch together and today we did," Suarez told TV3.
Suarez was lauded as the best striker in the world by Celtic
manager Brendan Rodgers, who was in charge of the Uruguayan for two years at
Liverpool, on the eve of the game.
And Rodgers admitted the gulf in class told, but claimed
there was no reason for Celtic to be embarrassed.
"There can be no embarassment because they do that to
better teams than ourselves," said Rodgers.
"They are special players. It is a front three that can
occupy as many players as you want.
"We had a back five, but their movement speed and touch
combined, they are world class players and they showed that tonight."
However, Barca could face further sanctions from Uefa after
thousands of separatist Catalan flags were again flown at the Camp Nou.
The Spanish champions were fined €150 000 by Uefa for
the presence of the flags during last season's competition, €50 000 of
which was suspended for two years.
Messi had started Saturday's shock 2-1 defeat to Alaves on
the bench due to the after-effects of a minor groin injury, but took just three
minutes to make his presence felt with a rising drive into the top corner from
Neymar's lovely through ball.
However, Celtic had a great chance to level against the run
of play when Dembele surged onto Scott Sinclair's pass and was upended by
Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Dembele was Celtic's hat-trick hero in a 5-1 thrashing of
Glasgow rivals Rangers on Saturday, but he failed to add to his burgeoning
reputation as ter Stegen flew to his right to turn the Frenchman's penalty
behind.
The German 'keeper has now saved three of the four penalties
he has faced in the Champions League.
Barca immediately upped a gear and doubled their advantage
three minutes later when a sensational exchange of passes between Neymar and
Messi freed the latter to tap home his second of the night despite the presence
of seven Celtic defenders in the area.
The one-way traffic continued after the break as Dorus de
Vries could only parry Neymar's free-kick into the top corner for his first
goal of the season.
Iniesta had been introduced at halftime and for all Messi's
magic, the midfield schemer struck the goal of the night with a ferocious
volley from Neymar's cross.
Suarez showed his unselfishness rather than his killer
instinct a minute later by squaring for Messi to roll home and complete his
sixth Champions League hat-trick.
Suarez did eventually get his goal, though, as he controlled
another Neymar chipped pass before swivelling and smashing the ball into the
roof of the net past a helpless de Vries.
And Messi's low cross was prodded home from close range by
Suarez to cap a humbling evening for Rodgers's men on their return to the
Champions League after a three-year absence.
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