BARCA EASE PAST BHOYS

the season. Leigh Griffiths scored the consolation for the Hoops, but boss Brendan Rodgers will be concerned with how vulnerable his defence looked, once again.

Barcelona came to Dublin without several star names, but there was more than a sprinkling of quality here, with Leo Messi and Luis Suarez.

Rodgers (right, with his former Liverpool star Suarez) made four changes to the side that drew 1-1 with Astana last Wednesday, with Saidy Janko, Emilio Izaguirre, Nir Bitton and James Forrest starting.

Things had looked good for Celtic early on, but when the opening goal came it was from the Catalans.

Vidal chased a ball lofted over the flat Celtic backline, nutmegged Forrest, and cut back for Turan who, fired home powerfully from the edge of the box.

And when Celtic scored, the assist came from a Barcelona defender.

A poor first touch by Jose Martinez inside his own penalty area handed Griffiths a tap-in from five yards out.

But Celtic’s defence weren’t about to be outdone in the bad play stakes and Ambrose and Gordon 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, with Suarez squaring to Munir who was all alone to tap home.