European Champions League

Barcelona 4 – Manchester City 0

Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Mascherano, Piqué (Mathieu 39’), Umtiti, Jordi Alba (Digne 10’); Rakitic, Busquets, Iniesta (André Gomes 80‘); Messi, Luis Suárez, Neymar. 4-3-3.
Man City: Claudio Bravo; Zabaleta (Clichy 57’), Stones, Otamendi, Kolarov; Fernandinho, Gündogan (Agüero 80‘); Sterling, David Silva, Nolito (Willy Caballero 57’); De Bruyne. 4-2-3-1.

Goals:
1-0. 17. Messi. Picked up Iniesta back-heel pass and rounded Bravo to score.
2-0. 61. Messi. Collected short Iniesta pass and fired low shot wide of keeper.
3-0. 69. Messi. Turned shot in to net after Luis Suárez laid ball across area.
4-0. 89. Neymar. Controlled Messi through ball and cut past Stones to score.

Yellow cards: David Silva 29’, Fernandinho 40’, Mathieu 71’, 73’, Sterling 92’ / red cards: Claudio Bravo 53’, Mathieu 73’.

Barcelona beat Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City 4-0 in an event-packed match on Wednesday evening, the result taking them on to a maximum nine points from their first three ties. Messi made the break through early on after Fernandinho slipped trying to clear Iniesta’s back-heel pass, and ex Barça keeper Claudio Bravo had to save from Neymar and Luis Suárez later on in the first half. Ter Stegen had to keep out Nolito and Gundogan though, and Stones headed wide from a long Silva free kick soon afterwards. Luis Enrique lost Jordi Alba and Piqué to injuries though before the break, but soon after the restart Bravo gave the ball away to Suárez whilst outside of the area, and the keeper was sent off for blocking the striker’s attempted chip with his hand. The English team’s defence were all over the place though, and Messi took advantage to complete his 37th hat-trick in a Barcelona shirt, assists from Iniesta and Suárez. Numbers were evened up when substitute Mathieu picked up two bookings in a row, and although replacement keeper Caballero saved a Neymar penalty after Kolarov brought down Messi in the area, the Brazilian forward did manage to get his name on the scoresheet from a Messi pass in the last minute.