MESSI HAT TRICK HELPS BARCELONA

BARCELONA (SPAIN): Three days after a rare poor performance in the Spanish league, Messi returned to normal service on Tuesday with three goals in a 4-0 win over PSV Eindhoven in their Champions League opener. That took the Argentine past longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who has seven Champions League hat tricks.

Ousmane Dembele also scored for Barcelona, which was already 3-0 up when it was reduced to 10 men as defender Samuel Umtiti was sent off with a second yellow card for a hard foul in the 79th.

The Group B result extended Barcelona's unbeaten run at home to 27 matches in the Champions League. The Catalan club has won 25 games and drawn only two during the streak.

Messi had struggled in the team's league win at Real Sociedad on Saturday, a worrying sign just ahead of the team's important Champions League opener.

But he put that behind him with a beautiful free kick in the 32nd minute to open the scoring at Camp Nou Stadium. He curled the ball over the PSV wall from 25 meters (yards) out into the top corner beyond the reach of goalkeeper Jeroen Zoet.

“Messi makes extraordinary things look routine,” Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde said. “The free kick goal came just when we needed to break the game open. It was masterful.”

Dembele added to the lead with a well-placed shot from outside the area in the 75th, and Messi sealed the victory with goals in the 77th and 87th minutes.

PSV, back in the Champions League after a one-year absence, is winless in seven matches at the group stage of the European competition.