Barcelona 4 Manchester City 0
BAR: Messi 17’, 61’, 69’; Neymar 89’
In the end, Barcelona against Manchester City wasn't about the difference between Luis Enrique and former Barca boss Pep Guardiola, but Lionel Messi.
The Catalans boast the world’s best player, City’s Catalan manager doesn’t. Messi scored a hat-trick; each of the goals coming after City had lost possession in dangerous areas. Barca, spearheaded by the fit-again Messi making his first start in a month, were not slow to punish them.
It was the Argentine's 37th hat-trick, his second in two games in the Champions League this season. Messi has scored 50 goals in 50 Champions League home games. He also won an 86th minute penalty, which Neymar saw saved by replacement goalkeeper Willy Caballero.
It was a curious encounter, with both sides down to ten men after second-half red cards for City’s Claudio Bravo and Barca’s Jeremy Mathieu. Barca lost two of their defenders, Gerard Pique and Jordi Alba, to first half injuries, while Sergio Aguero, City’s best player, didn’t enter the pitch until the 79th minute when the game was all but over. Aguero was told on the afternoon of the game that he wouldn’t play, with Guardiola preferring Kevin De Bruyne in a false nine role.
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The scoreline flattered Barca. Luis Enrique had opined that “he cannot imagine a better game for any football fan” beforehand.
The Catalan media were not short on hyperbole either. "The best game in the world" was the headline on the cover of the Catalan daily Sport. As with the hype which proceeded Liverpool's game with Manchester United two evenings previous, it was all a bit overblown, the game lacking the expected quality with Barca less than their spectacular usual selves.
City played well during the first half, matching their hosts who’d won their previous 12 home matches in Europe’s premier competition. Sticking to a game plan which saw Aguero surprisingly left on the bench and Guardiola conducting from the side with finger-pointing and jabs, City pressed high, crowded the midfield and created chances, but couldn’t finish them in a first half where they went behind to a Messi goal after 17 minutes. It came after Fernandino slipped in his box before a reverse pass from Andres Iniesta saw Messi surge forward to score past Claudio Bravo with a left foot strike.
The last time Pep Guardiola watched Barcelona play City, in a 2015 Champions League match in Camp Nou, there was a significant gulf in class, but he could have pride in how his City team matched Barca in many areas of the field this time.
Despite a worse scoreline, they didn’t look in awe of their opponents as they had done against Real Madrid in April’s Champions League semi-finals. Yet the result was still damning.
Barca’s task was made easier after 52 minutes when Bravo, who left Camp Nou in August, passed a long Barca ball straight to Luis Suarez from outside his own area. The Uruguayan attempted to chip Bravo, who handled the ball to receive a straight red. It was reckless and unnecessary and it will have been scant consolation that he left to applause from the huge 85,000 crowd. City have had a player sent off in four of their five Champions League meetings with Barcelona.
“It’s difficult to play against Barcelona with 11 players,” sighed Guardiola. “My confidence in him [Bravo] has not changed. Football is a game of mistakes and he has a lot of experience. He will learn.” Nolito was sacrificed as Caballero came on in goal. He was soon picking the ball out of the goal on the hour after De Bruyne gave the ball away and Andres Iniesta passed it to Messi on the right. The Argentine struck a left foot shot into the bottom corner.
Messi’s hat-trick came following another error when Ilkay Gundogan played a pass behind John Stones after 69 minutes. Messi calmly finished from a square ball from Luis Suarez.
Neymar’s low 86th minute penalty was hesitant and easily saved, before Messi set him up and he ran forward, beat John Stones and pushed the ball past Caballero in the 89th minute. It was the 103rd goal Neymar, Messi and Suarez had scored in 2016.
It was also the joint worst defeat in Guardiola’s managerial career. Not that he accepted that after the game, accentuating the positives on a chastening night for his team.
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