Arda Turan scored a hat-trick as Barcelona cruised into the Champions League last 16 with a 4-0 victory over Borussia Monchengladbach on Tuesday.
Given they had already secured top spot and a place in the last 16, the game was a dead rubber for Barca, who lined up at Camp Nou with a second-string XI.
It took the Catalans just eight minutes to launch their first real attack as Aleix Vidal put in a dangerous cross for Paco Alcacer, although Gladbach did well to clear their lines.
Nonetheless, Lionel Messi would move to 93 Champions League goals, two shy of Cristiano Ronaldo on 95, when he slid home a trademark finish from Andres Iniesta’s inventive play.
The Germans had third place and the Europa League to defend, yet they were given no time on the ball by La Blaugrana, who pressed high and with great intensity.
Coming out for the second half, Denis Suarez’s cross took a deflection, which Arda headed home at the far post, before Vidal’s delivery was rifled home by the Turk for a double-goal salvo.
That salvo was turned into a treble by Arda before the final whistle as he nodded Alcacer’s cross past Yann Sommer, who subsequently made a fine stop to keep out Messi’s diving header.
With that, Arda left the pitch to a standing ovation, putting the fatal free kick he conceded in the Clasico at the weekend firmly behind him.
Barcelona 4-0 Borussia Monchengladbach
Messi 15, Arda 50, 53, 67
Barcelona: Cillessen; Vidal, Mascherano, Umtiti, Digne; Denis, Gomes, Iniesta (Rafinha 61); Messi, Alcacer, Arda (Cardona 64)
Borussia Monchengladbach: Sommer; Christensen, Vestergaard, Jantschke, Elvedi; Korb, Strobl, Dahoud (Kramer 59), Schulz (Johnson 59); Hazard (Raffael 72), Hahn
Referee: Karasev (RUS)
