European Champions League

Barcelona 7 – Celtic 0

Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Sergi Roberto, Piqué, Umtiti, Jordi Alba; Rakitic (Iniesta 46’), Busquets (Rafinha 61‘), André Gomes; Messi, Luis Suárez, Neymar. 4-3-3.
Celtic: De Vries; Lustig, Touré, Sviatchenko (O’Connell 67’), Tierney; Bitton (McGregor 75‘); Roberts (Armstrong 67‘), Brown, Gamboa, Sinclair; Dembélé. 4-1-4-1.

Goals:
1-0. 03. Messi. Picked up Neymar pass and fired angled shot past De Vries.
2-0. 27. Messi. Pulled back Neymar centre and poked shot past defenders.
3-0. 49. Neymar. Curled free kick over defensive wall in to near top corner.
4-0. 59. Iniesta. First time volley past De Vries from floated Neymar cross.
5-0. 60. Messi. Got on the end of Luis Suárez centre to slide shot past keeper.
6-0. 75. Luis Suárez. Chested up Neymar pass and fired shot on turn in to net.
7-0. 88. Luis Suárez. Got on the end of Messi centre to slide shot past keeper

Yellow cards: Ter Stegen 22’, Rakitic 39’, Brown 55’.

Barcelona bounced back from their humiliating defeat against Alavés at the weekend, a massive 7-0 victory against Celtic giving their new Champions League campaign the best possible start. Luis Enrique made no less than eight changes to the line-up he put out on Saturday, and within three minutes Messi had connected with Neymar to open the scoring. The Scottish champions had a chance to equalize when Ter Stegen gave away a penalty on Dembelé with twenty minutes gone, but the keeper saved the striker’s spot kick, and a couple of minutes later Messi made it two following a quick passing move. Rakitic and Neymar had shots blocked before the interval, and some four minutes in to the second half Neymar got the third with a well struck free kick. Soon afterwards Iniesta volleyed in the fourth, and a minute after that Messi completed his hat-trick after Luis Suárez set him up. Later on in the game Suárez helped himself to two more as well, and only a great save by De Vries prevented Messi from scoring another. The weekend disaster is already forgotten!