Lokomotiv Moscow 1 - Barcelona 3

Lokomotiv: Ovchinnikov; Nizhegorodov, Ignashevitch, Sennikov; Obradovic, Evseev, Maminov, Lekcetho; Pimenov; Obiorah (Buznikin 66'), Drozdov. 3-4-1-2.
Barcelona: Víctor Valdés; Puyol, De Boer, Fernando Navarro; Mendieta, Xavi, Cocu, Motta; Saviola (Rochemback 85'), Luis Enrique (Geovanni 62'); Kluivert (Gerard 74'). 3-4-2-1.

Goals:
0-1. 28. Kluivert. Ran on to score after Luis Enrique touched on Mendieta pass.
0-2. 32. Saviola. Header across keeper from long Xavi cross.
0-3. 49. Saviola. Took pass from Kluivert and held off marker to shoot low.
1-3. 56. Obiorah. Controlled long ball and got ahead of Puyol to chip Víctor.

Barcelona virtually ensured their qualification for the second league stage after a comfortable victory over Lokomotiv Moscow, taking their tally to three wins out of three. Van Gaal turned a deaf ear to the critics who said he should rest some of his tired stars, once again putting out an unchanged side despite the defeat at Betis over the weekend.

Within four minutes Barça had the ball in the net, although Saviola's effort was ruled out by Scottish referee Thomas McCurry for offside. That set the tone for the game though, and although Ignashevitch went close with a header which was blocked by his own man, the play was mainly in the Russian half of the field. Keeper Ovchinnikov saved twice from Kluivert and then Saviola before a long ball from Mendieta was touched on by Luis Enrique, and Kluivert made no mistake this time. Four minutes later Saviola got on the end of Xavi's cross to head home a second, and the young midfielder almost repeated the act before the break when another of his free kick's found the unmarked Luis Enrique, who headed wide. A few minutes later though Luis Enrique damaged a shoulder, and had to be substituted in the second half.

Almost immediately after the half time interval Saviola scored again, the young Argentine international holding off a strong challenge to poke the ball under the Russian keeper. There seemed no way back for Lokomotiv, but Nigerian striker Obiorah put the home side back in the game getting ahead of Puyol to lift the ball over the advancing Víctor Valdés. The Barcelona defence had a few nervous moments after that, although Kluivert went close to increasing his side's lead when he hit the post before the final whistle. With three games played, Barcelona top group H with nine points, Galatasaray have four, Brugge two and Lokomotiv one.