Messi hits hat-trick as Barcelona trounce PSV Eindhoven

GB news 24 desk//

Lionel Messi scored the eighth Champions League hat-trick of his career as 10-man Barcelona eased to an emphatic 4-0 victory over PSV Eindhoven in Group B.

The Argentinian was once again in imperious form as the hosts overcame a low-key start to cruise past their Dutch opponents, with Ousmane Dembélé also getting on the scoresheet.

The only blot on another great night at the Camp Nou was Samuel Umtiti’s 79th-minute sending-off for a second bookable offence after a foul on PSV winger Hirving Lozano. By that point Messi’s magic had already decided the contest, but PSV will be left to rue their failure to make more of a bright start.

When Messi opened the scoring in the 32nd minute, curling a free-kick into the top corner after Dembélé had been pulled down, it was the home side’s first shot on target.

PSV had started with confidence and had the first real chance when Gastón Pereiro fired over the bar in the eighth minute. Barça looked lacklustre with the exception of Philippe Coutinho, whose tireless probing almost led to the opener when he just failed to steer home a Luis Suárez cross.

Ivan Rakitic had a shot blocked in the box but it was a largely frustrating first quarter of the game for the hosts, while PSV enjoyed by far the better of the chances and threatened on the counterattack. Messi’s opening effort changed the momentum immediately, with Rakitic coming close with two more chances prior to half-time.

After the break, Messi stepped up his tempo, driving a shot which PSV keeper Jeroen Zoet had to fingertip away, while Zoet also had to be alert to collect a poor backpass under threat from Suárez.

The Uruguay forward missed a chance to make it 2-0 from a cross by the excellent Coutinho, who also brought another fine save out of Zoet just before the hour mark. Dembélé finally doubled Barcelona’s lead in stunning fashion in the 74th minute when he burst on to the end of a Coutinho pass, danced past defender Daniel Schwab, and unleashed an unstoppable shot into the top corner from outside the box.

Three minutes later it was all over as Messi added his second, finishing off after being put in by a clever lob from Rakitic. Umtiti’s red card came too late to affect proceedings and Messi added yet another hat-trick to his Champions League list when he finished superbly in the 87th minute after a clever backheel from Suárez.