The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
It’s all too easy for slick Barca as Messi hat-trick condemns Guardiola to painful return
Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick as Manchester City were thrashed 4-0 on a nightmare return to Barcelona for Pep Guardiola and Claudio Bravo.
Bravo, the goalkeeper controversially signed by City manager Guardiola from Barca this season, was sent off for handling outside the area after blundering attempting to play out from the back.
Messi, who had already scored to give his side the lead in a breathless Champions League Group C match at the Nou Camp, took further advantage with two more and Neymar, after missing a penalty, added a late fourth.
Barca also finished the game with 10 men after Jeremy Mathieu – a 39thminute substitute for the injured Gerard Pique – was dismissed.
The opening minutes were promising for City but Barca quickly overcame the early loss of Jordi Alba to injury and began to take a firm grip.
In a quick break Suarez slipped in Neymar. John Stones cleared but Barca came back again with Messi combining with Andres Iniesta on a charge into the box.
Fernandinho slipped at an unfortunate moment and suddenly the ruthless Messi had all the space he needed he round Bravo and put Barca ahead.
Barca lost a second defender to injury when Pique limped off but they went close again as Suarez’s shot rebounded goalwards off Bravo’s body and the goalkeeper clawed away.
City had already had another escape after Samuel Umtiti headed wide when Bravo came out of his area and miscued a pass straight to Suarez. The former Liverpool man immediately attempted a lob and Bravo’s instinctive jump to handle the shot was only ever going to result in a red card.
In the reshuffle Nolito was sacrificed and Willy Caballero sent on in goal, while Pablo Zabaleta also went off injured during the stoppage.
There was no stemming the tide as Messi clipped in his second from the edge of the box just after the hour.
Caballero was soon picking the ball out of the net again after Gundogan made a mess of a pass and Suarez surged forward to tee up Messi’s hat-trick.
Barca were also lost a man when Mathieu received a second yellow card for fouling Sterling.
Caballero made his mark by saving Neymar’s spot kick after Aleksander Kolarov felled Messi but the Brazilian was not to be denied and struck in the 89th minute.