Messi hat-trick mauls City

Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick as Barcelona ruined Pep Guardiola’s Camp Nou return, blowing away his Manchester City side 4-0 on Wednesday.

Sergi Roberto’s continued absence saw Barca name three centre-backs for the second game running, while Sergio Aguero was dropped for successive matches, leaving Kevin De Bruyne to play the role of City’s false nine, as Claudio Bravo faced his former club for the first time.

The clash also saw former Barca teammates Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique lock horns, the latter came out on top in their last meeting two seasons ago, when the Catalans eliminated Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-finals.

Yet just 10 minutes in, Jordi Alba went off injured, to be replaced by Lucas Digne. Nonetheless, Messi robbed his marker down the right a few minutes later, before charging towards the edge of the box, playing a one-two with Andres Iniesta, capitalising on Fernandinho slipping and tapping into an empty net.

Suarez nutmegged his marker delightfully before drilling a cross into the box for Messi, but the Argentine was just about beaten to the chase by Fernandinho, the Brazilian making up for his previous error.

Barca then suffered another blow when David Silva flew into Gerard Pique from behind. The defender stays down and needed tending to, and while he got back on his feet, he did slightly gingerly, prompting Jeremy Mathieu’s introduction.

City had to wait until the end of the first half for their first chances in the game, two of which came through Silva, who played in Nolito to his left, but the former Barca man’s shot was kept out by Marc-Andre ter Stegen at his near post. Ilkay Gundogan then curled a shot on target that the goalkeeper superbly tips over the bar. John Stones finally headed a corner just wide.

It was soon Luis Suarez’s turn at the other end, when he was threaded through by Messi, but his finish was tipped over from point-blank range by Bravo.

La Blaugrana escaped a handball decision on the cusp of half-time, Raheem Sterling emerging with the ball down the right but seeing his cross deflected by the arm of Lucas Digne as Kevin De Bruyne then flicked the ball into the side-netting.

That came back to haunt City and Bravo as the goalkeeper charged out of his box to pass the ball to a teammate, but his attempt fell straight to Suarez, whose chipped finish was deliberately clawed away by the Chilean. A straight red card followed – and so did another Messi goal.

The Argentine proceeded to cut inside from the right and curl a shot into the bottom-right corner of substitute Willy Caballero’s net.

With that, plus an injury to Pablo Zabaleta, any momentum City had been building was wiped out. Ter Stegen needed to push away De Bruyne’s low drive, the consequence of which was Suarez dropping the ball in front of Messi near the penalty spot, which the No 10 duly half-volleyed into an empty net.

However, utter stupidity from Mathieu, having been booked moments before, saw him sent off for scything through Sterling, who clearly had the beating of him. Aleksandar Kolarov then forced Ter Stegen into a one-handed save down low from his powerful free kick.

Suarez and Messi’s time had gone, entering the final 10 minutes, paving the way for Neymar, who had been picked out by Ivan Rakitic at the far post, ghosting behind John Stones, with a clipped cross. Unfortunately, the Brazilian’s first-time finish was saved by Caballero from point-blank range.

Neymar then had the chance to score from the spot as Messi rode one challenge but not Stones’ in the penalty area, but a daft run-up meant he took an age before striking the penalty, which was ultimately pushed away by Caballero, the Argentine guessing correctly to his right.

The No 11 did it the hard way, however, leaving Stones with two left feet, before bending a finish past Caballero to wrap up another four-goal win for Barca, who are now all-but-through to the last 16.

Barcelona 4-0 Manchester City

Messi 17, 61, 69, Neymar 89, Mathieu sent off 73 (B) Bravo sent off 53 (MC)

Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Mascherano, Pique (Mathieu 39), Umtiti, Alba (Digne 10); Rakitic, Busquets, Iniesta (Gomes 80); Messi, Suarez, Neymar

Manchester City: Bravo; Zabaleta (Clichy 57), Otamendi, Stones, Kolarov; Fernandinho, Gundogan (Aguero 79); Silva, Sterling, Nolito (Caballero 57); De Bruyne

Referee: Mazic (SRB)

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