Messi hat-trick as Barca hit Celtic for seven

http://i0.wp.com/www.truesportsfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/81107d817d7ad79b35e7261906f7f0e0142b028a.jpg?fit=640%2C426

Barcelona (AFP) – Lionel Messi bagged a hat-trick and Neymar grabbed four assists as Barcelona launched their Champions League campaign in style with a 7-0 thrashing of Celtic on Tuesday.

Messi and Neymar were reunited with Luis Suarez from the start for the first time this season and took no time in getting reacquainted as all three were on the scoresheet.

Two goals from Messi either side of Moussa Dembele’s missed penalty for Celtic gave Barca a comfortable half-time lead.

And there was no let-up for the Scottish champions after the break as Neymar, Messi, Andres Iniesta and a Suarez double completed the rout.

However, Barca could face further sanctions from UEFA after thousands of separatist Catalan flags were again flown at the Camp Nou.

The Spanish champions were fined 150,000 euros ($ 170,000) by UEFA for the presence of the flags during last season’s competition, 50,000 euros of which was suspended for two years.

Messi had started Saturday’s shock 2-1 defeat to Alaves on the bench due to the after-effects of a minor groin injury, but took just three minutes to make his presence felt with a rising drive into the top corner from Neymar’s lovely through ball.

The five-time World Player of the Year sent another effort inches wide from the edge of the area as Celtic struggled to get out of their own half in the early stages.

However, they had a great chance to level against the run of play when Dembele surged onto Scott Sinclair’s pass and was upended by Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Dembele was Celtic’s hat-trick hero in a 5-1 thrashing of Glasgow rivals Rangers on Saturday, but he failed to add to his burgeoning reputation as ter Stegen flew to his right to turn the Frenchman’s penalty behind.

The German ‘keeper has now saved three of the four penalties he has faced in the Champions League. 

Barca immediately upped a gear and doubled their advantage three minutes later when a sensational exchange of passes between Neymar and Messi freed the latter to tap home his second of the night despite the presence of seven Celtic defenders in the area.

The one-way traffic continued after the break as Dorus de Vries could only parry Neymar’s free-kick into the top corner for his first goal of the season.

Iniesta had been introduced at half-time and for all Messi’s magic, the midfield schemer struck the goal of the night with a ferocious volley from Neymar’s cross.

Suarez was lauded as the best striker in the world by Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers, who was in charge of the Uruguayan for two years at Liverpool, on the eve of the game.

However, Suarez showed his unselfishness rather than his killer instinct a minute later by squaring for Messi to roll home and complete his sixth Champions League hat-trick.

Suarez did eventually get his goal, though, as he controlled another Neymar chipped pass before swivelling and smashing the ball into the roof of the net past a helpless de Vries.

And Messi’s low cross was prodded home from close range by Suarez to cap a humbling evening for Rodgers’s men on their return to the Champions League after a three-year absence.

The post Messi hat-trick as Barca hit Celtic for seven appeared first on World Soccer Talk.

World Soccer Talk
http://wp.me/p59zQO-93I
#Barca, #Celtic, #Hattrick, #Messi, #Seven - #Soccer

Messi, Turan lead Barca Super Cup romp

http://i1.wp.com/www.truesportsfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/89a6ea9f2e42fbb51adef3ff4e6d00a9e155a1f7.jpg?fit=640%2C427

Barcelona (AFP) – Arda Turan and Lionel Messi blew away Sevilla as Barcelona lifted their 12th Spanish Super Cup with a 3-0 victory at the Camp Nou Wednesday.

With the hosts already leading by two goals from the first leg, Sevilla — bar an early flurry of chances — were on the receiving end of a Barcelona football master class.

Turan put in his best display yet for the Catalans after a disappointing debut season, scoring once in each half.

But it was Messi who masterminded a relentless slew of assaults on Sevilla’s goal.

The visitors’ Ben Yedder did force a smart early save by Claudio Bravo, firing a low strike towards the goalkeeper’s far post. 

Barcelona withstood the early pressure and it took just 10 minutes for them to open the scoring.

A good move between Andre Gomes and Messi led to the  Argentine putting Turan through and the Turk fired home to break the deadlock.

It could have been two shortly afterwards, with Messi drilling a strike inches wide after a good cut-back from Aleix Vidal.

Vidal was selected ahead of Sergi Roberto as Luis Enrique shuffled his pack, allowing the Camp Nou a first glimpse of all four new signings in competitive action – Gomes, Samuel Umtiti, Denis Suarez and Lucas Digne.

French centre-back Umtiti was having a good game until shortly after the half-hour mark, when he blocked Mariano Ferreira’s shot with his arm and the referee pointed to the penalty spot.

However, Bravo dived low to his right to deny Sevilla captain Vicente Iborra.

Reports in Spanish media suggest Bravo could be moving to Manchester City and he put in a flawless display.

Sevilla should have equalised on the stroke of half-time when Vidal allowed Gabriel Mercado space, but his header clipped the top of the crossbar and flew over.

It proved a costly miss five minutes after the break when Turan whipped a superb strike from distance over the goalkeeper for Barca’s second.

He should have had his hat-trick a couple of minutes later when Messi played him in, but his lob cleared both the keeper and the crossbar.

It didn’t matter as Messi soon made it 3-0, heading home after a superb cross from Digne, who in turn had been fed neatly by Gomes.

The post Messi, Turan lead Barca Super Cup romp appeared first on World Soccer Talk.

World Soccer Talk
http://po.st/MzUqvE
#Barca, #Lead, #Messi, #Romp, #Super, #Turan - #Soccer

Messi Fanboy Brutally Taken Out By Massive Security Guard

http://i0.wp.com/www.truesportsfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/1f633.png?fit=72%2C72

Getty

We all want to meet our idols.

Whether that be Kim Kardashian (if you’re a wanker), Piers Morgan (if you’re an even bigger wanker), or whoever, everyone wants a selfie.

Lionel Messi has more than his fair share of fanboys, but none that go to lengths like this guy did.

Luckily for the Barcelona striker, his security guard earned his pay cheque, by smashing the living daylights out of the over zealous fan before he could grab his favourite player.

Check it out:

People go to crazy lengths to meet their idols pic.twitter.com/jwKaMRtB1V

— Matt Holt Tips (@MattHoltTips) August 3, 2016

BOOM and the fan is gone.

In fairness, if you want to approach Messi, there’s better ways to do it than dropping ten feet from a balcony and running towards him.

Top marks for the security guard though, he done a better job of marking Messi than a lot of defenders have over the years!

Football – UNILAD
http://po.st/hWtTGB
#Brutally, #Fanboy, #Guard, #Massive, #Messi, #Security, #Taken - #Soccer

Messi quiet but Barcelona stroll past Celtic

http://i0.wp.com/www.truesportsfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/e428a9349ed3549ec5164fedfd9e2f48a70182a9-768x582.jpg?fit=640%2C485

Dublin (AFP) – A blond-haired Lionel Messi failed to get on the scoresheet but it hardly mattered as under-strength Barcelona taught Celtic a footballing lesson in a Dublin friendly on Saturday.

Strikes by Arda Turan and Munir El Haddadi, and an own goal by Efe Ambrose — all before the break — were enough to earn a 3-1 victory for Luis Garcia’s men in what was their first game back after the summer.

Leigh Griffiths had replied to Turan’s opener, but boss Brendan Rodgers will be concerned with how vulnerable his defence looked once again, ahead of Celtic’s crucial Champions League third qualifying round clash with Astana on Wednesday.

The tie is delicately balanced at 1-1 ahead of the second leg at Parkhead.

Barcelona came to Dublin without Andres Iniesta, Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets, Javier Mascherano, Claudio Bravo and Jordi Alba, who aren’t back in training until tomorrow, while Neymar is preparing for the Olympics in Brazil.

But there was more than a sprinkling of quality with Messi and Luis Suarez bringing enough star power to help fill over 47,000 seats at Lansdowne Road.

Rodgers made four changes to the side that drew at Astana last Wednesday, but new signing Kolo Toure did not travel.

Things had looked good for Celtic early on and they almost opened the scoring after just 13 seconds when Patrick Roberts capitalised on a Jeremy Mathieu slip, cut inside -– Messi-style -– but sent his curling effort inches wide of Jordi Masip’s goal.

With Roberts a constant threat, Celtic had the bulk of the early chances, but when the opening goal came it was from the Spanish champions, Turan firing home powerfully from the edge of the box.

Roberts continued to get the fans on their feet, delivering some of the slalom runs many would have come to see Messi perform.

But when Celtic scored the assist came from a Barcelona error, handing Griffiths a tap-in from five yards out.

Ambrose and keeper Craig Gordon then conspired to concede a howler, with the centre-half stretching to intercept a harmless cross and sending it beyond the hapless Gordon.

Barcelona added a third before the break as Celtic’s defence collapsed again, with Suarez nipping behind all too easily, before nutmegging Ambrose and squaring to Munir, who was all alone to slot home.

Both sides swapped their entire starting 11s as the second half passed, with a quiet Messi — sporting his new peroxide blond hair — going off at the break.

The post Messi quiet but Barcelona stroll past Celtic appeared first on World Soccer Talk.

World Soccer Talk
http://po.st/Zd4iyt
#Barcelona, #Celtic, #Messi, #Past, #Quiet, #Stroll - #Soccer