Messi scores hat-trick, Barca opens Champions League with 7-0 victory

After losing to Alaves in La Liga, Barca vented their anger with a 7-0 win over Celtic.

Barca regained confidence after a big win. Photo: Reuters

Goals: Messi 3', 27', 60', Neymar 50', Iniesta 59', Suarez 75', 88'.

Messi helped Barca regain confidence with an early double, before Neymar scored early in the second half. After Iniesta scored the best goal of the match with a volley, M10 completed his hat-trick to make it 5-0. At the end of the match, also with a double, Luis Suarez contributed to Barca's resounding victory.

The victory over Celtic on the opening day not only helped Barca forget their defeat in La Liga but also brought them to the top of Group C of the Champions League. Also in the first round of matches, due to heavy rain, the Organizing Committee had to postpone the match in the same group between Man City and Moenchengladbach.

After the mistake of sending a team with many substitutes into the field in the defeat to Alaves last weekend, coach Luis Enrique no longer had to take too many risks. Andre Gomes was the only player who did not play regularly to be named in the starting lineup against Celtic. With the return of the trio Messi, Suarez, Neymar, Barca's attack played much more creatively than in the match against Alaves. The defense also became more solid thanks to the return of goalkeeper Ter Stegen and the central defender pair Pique - Umtiti.

Like many times before, when doubts about the ability to maintain stability, Barca quickly regained confidence thanks to Messi. The striker wearing the number 10 shirt opened the score with a shot like a pro in the third minute, before doubling the gap after a beautiful exchange of passes with Neymar in the 27th minute.

Messi has three goals early in the Champions League this season.

In terms of performance, Neymar was truly the best player of the match. Of Barca's seven goals, the Brazilian striker alone contributed four decisive passes, including two to Messi, one to Suarez and one to Iniesta, who volleyed home the best goal of the match. In the 50th minute, Neymar himself scored a beautiful free kick to increase the score to 3-0.

In a pressured match, Celtic could have had an early goal of honor if they hadn't missed the situation in the 15th minute. At that time, after goalkeeper Ter Stegen's foul on Moussa Dembele, the away team had a chance on the 11m mark.Dembele stood up to take the penalty kick and Ter Stegen saved it. This was also the only chance Celtic had in more than 90 minutes of play.

Coming on at the start of the second half to replace Ivan Rakitic, Iniesta played just as well as the trio of Messi, Suarez, and Neymar. The 32-year-old midfielder delighted the crowd with a volley into the middle of the goal to make it 4-0, before passing the ball to Messi to break down the left wing to set up Suarez to complete the victory.

Iniesta volleyed to make it 4-0.

Before scoring a brace at the end of the match, Suarez also had a chance to set up a cross for Messi to rush in and score a hat-trick. With seven assists and six goals scored directly, the trio of Messi, Suarez, and Neymar reaffirmed their position as the best attacking trio today.

After a brilliant start to the Champions League, Barca will return to La Liga with three consecutive matches against Leganes, Atletico Madrid and Gijon. In two weeks, the Catalans will play their second match of Group C when they visit Moenchengladbach.

Neymar contributed greatly with a goal and four assists in the win over Celtic.

According to VNE