Lionel Messi scored a marvellous hat-trick as Barcelona got their Champions League campaign up and running with a 4-0 win over PSV at Camp Nou.
Match Events
0' UCL is finally back to Camp Nou
7' CHANCE! Pereiro's shot over the bar
OVER! Lozano's delivery causes problems for the home side and the loose ball falls favourably for Pereiro to strike at goal. He shots on the half-volley on his left foot, sending his effort narrowly over the bar. A warning for Barca.
14' CLOSE! Bergwijn's shot flashes past the back post
CLOSE! Dembele loses out on the edge of the PSV box and it allows the visitors to break. Bergwijn collects De Jong's pass in the final third and goes for the strike towards the bottom corner. His effort is a good one, but does not have the curl to find the back of the net, travelling just wide of the target.
21' CHANCE! Suarez's shot wide out
WIDE! Messi plays a delightful reverse pass for the run of Suarez in the right inside channel. The Uruguayan goes for the first-time strike, blasting his effort into the side-netting.
31' GOAL! Barcelona 1-0 PSV (Messi)
Absolute magic and once AGAIN, Messi's magical left foot produces a wonderful, curling free kick that nestles into the top corner.
Just sublime and it's a 61st Champions League group stage goal for Messi.
36' SAVE! An audacious effort from Suarez
50' SHOT! A decent effort from Messi
67' CLOSE! Suarez's shot off the bar
74' GOAL! Barcelona 2-0 PSV (Dembele)
DEMBELE SCORES A STUNNER!!! BARCELONA 2-0!!!! The Catalan club kill off the game as the Frenchman scores a brilliant individual goal. Dembele turns out of two challenges with a neat turn, leaving the PSV defence rooted to the spot. He reaches the edge of the box before bending a pinpoint effort past the hand of Zoet into the bottom corner. A fantastic effort from Dembele.
77' GOAL! Barcelona 3-0 PSV (Messi)
MESSI KILLS OFF THE CONTEST!! BARCELONA 3-0!!! The Argentine notches his second of the contest to secure the three points. Rakitic lifts a ball over the top of the PSV backline and Messi times his run to perfection to latch on to the offload. Messi takes on the strike first time and buries his effort into the bottom corner, leaving Zoet with no chance.
79' Second Yellow Card! Umtiti sent off
RED CARD! Umtiti blocks off the run of Lozano and the referee shows him a second yellow card. A needless dismissal for the Frenchman as his side have the three points in hand.
87' GOAL! Barcelona 4-0 PSV (Messi)
HAT-TRICK FOR MESSI!!! BARCELONA HAVE FOUR!!! The Argentine completes his hat-trick with a fine finish from the inside right channel. Suarez releases his team-mate with a precise throughball, sending him behind the PSV backline. Messi holds his composure and buries a right-footed effort past Zoet into the bottom corner. A brilliant finish from the forward.
Match Report
The Barca captain opened the scoring in the 31st minute with a wonderful free-kick - his eighth scored in 2018 - before Ousmane Dembele (75) struck in a similar curling fashion in the second half.
Messi then tapped home from close range two minutes later, although Samuel Umtiti was sent off after receiving a second yellow card not long after following a forceful challenge on Hirving Lozano.
The Argentine completed his treble with a sweeping effort in the 88th minute to seal an impressive first victory of the campaign in Group B.
Line-ups
Barcelona XI: L. Messi, L. Suárez, Piqué, I. Rakitić, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, Philippe Coutinho, M. ter Stegen, S.Roberto, S. Umtiti, O. Dembélé
Subs: Vidal, Jasper Cillessen, Rafinha, Lenglet, Semedo, Arthur, Munir
PSV XI: Daniel Schwaab, Jeroen Zoet, Luuk de Jong, Nick Viergever, Jorrit Hendrix, Gastón Pereiro, Angeliño, Steven Bergwijn, H. Lozano, Denzel Dumfries, Pablo Rosario
Subs: Eloy Room, A. Behich, T. Sainsbury, Nicolas Isimat-Mirin, Erick Gutiérrez, Bart Ramselaar, Donyell Malen
GlennM
271
If proving haters wrong was a job than Dembele would have been manager of that job
Logan Paul Vlogs
241
even the goats are happy for messi hatrick
Moore89
225
Messi > Man City
starryen
155
102 - Lionel Messi has now scored as many Champions League goals as PSV
shray_srivastava
136
While the fans keep blaming Dembele that he looses possession often, and his passing is bad, but remember admist all that, he always creates goal scoring opportunities, PSV really played well & the score line may not suggest that because of the brilliance of Messi & Dembele, but I feel Dembele was terrific to win the freekick which led to the first goal & then netting the second himself to ease the pressure, until his goal PSV we're in the game & hoped for the equaliser but his goal killed the game. Well done.
L10NELMESSI
104
Lionel Messi is the first player in Champions League history to score eight hat-tricks in the competition. Going where no GOAT has gone before. 🐐
Apostle1
86
Messi will one day retire and we'll never get to watch him play this beautiful sport. Appreciate him when you still can[Cry]
snobbish
68
Wish he could do this for his country
9268c
66
FC Barcelona played unbelievable today and that Dembele will always prove his haters wrong and the G. O. A. T. 🐐 Lionel scored an sensational free kick and a hatrick. I am confident in FC Barcelona that they will win champions league and they will win all of their matches. #ForcaBarca💪[Comeon]
BarcelonaManCityFC
54
There’s a reason they call him the best! There’s the reason we’re the best club in Europe cause we keep WINNING in Europe. Messi shattered records today but Dembele surprised me. He was amazing today! LETS GO BARCELONA!!!
Jhoxua11
49
Abhishek_Shrestha
44
perfect reply to fifa for snubbing him from top 3 fifa best player award
educatea
22
"Maybe I should take a peek on Barca/PSV" turns on the stream sees Messi standing next to FK I wonder… Messi shots …but I probably shouldn't.
ewerkea
18
When that needle in the haystack is as sharp as a surgeon's scalpel...
Zambia8493904
10
Great players are great on any turf ! Messi is not a great player. He is okay for club football. He cannot produce the same club form at an International stage. Messi for many times has failed to produce the form he has at Barcelona with his National Team. He is a local great player that is all ! Just like Neymar totally useless for Brazil but very good for his club. These are local club players.
Whatever you say the statistics are very clear; Messi was a big failure in the last World Cup. Greater players take their greatest skills to a much higher platform than just Barcelona. Look at Maradona he was excellent at his club he produced even greater form at theWolrd Cup, look at Pele a great player he was even greater at the World level I can name past and present players such Hazard, Midric, Rakatica and many others, when the World stage comes they perform even better than their club form but for Messi, he was a shadow of himself at the World Cup. He was a very poor if no inspiration to other player but come a smaller swimming pool; the Club, the European Cup he is a great player surely something is wrong with him! No matter what you say he failed at the World Cup so did useless Neymar. Any way some asked about me. I played for my Country at the schools international level, i was a football coach for a club I helped in founding and I know what is the problem with Messi at the International stage, so do I know the problem with useless Neymar.