Share

Scott Brown: Celtic’s second-half display in Barcelona was ‘unacceptable’

The 7-0 victory surpassed Barcelona’s biggest win in the Champions League to date, a 7-1 defeat of Bayer Lever- kusen in 2012.

Advertisement

It was the deadly trio who once again took centre stage on Tuesday night, playing a hand in all of the seven goals, as they ruthlessly exposed Celtic in the Champions League.

“But we need to defend better from the front middle and back, be more compact and courageous on the ball and even here we usually do better than that”.

Former Liverpool striker Suarez scored the final two goals after earlier laying on an assist for Messi, who scored a record sixth hat-trick in the tournament and teed up his Uruguayan team-mate’s second strike.

Until last season, Ronaldo and Messi were joint top for most hat-tricks in Champions League history with five hat-tricks each, but with Tuesday’s result, Messi went one past the Portuguese forward. Both Messi and Suarez did not start over the weekend, but Messi, despite a groin problem, did play a half hour in Barca’s surprising 2-1 La Liga loss to Alaves.

“We came off a defeat that hurt us a lot for the way in which it came about but there is always an opportunity to quickly change that image, those sensations in the next games and today the team did that from the first minute”, said Iniesta. “We need to be careful to judge the new players, though”.

Neymar’s 50th-minute free-kick made it three, Celtic goalkeeper Dorus de Vries getting a touch but not a big enough touch.

Lionel Messi’s first goal of the Champions League season took three minutes.

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers had said “there can be no embarrassment” after the heavy defeat.

Bayern Munich did not encounter any difficulty to overcome the Russian for Carlo Ancelotti first Champions League ahead of the club. We saw the team and all the fans having fun.

“It’s a front three that really can occupy as many players as you want”.

Ludogorets scored freely on the road in three qualifying rounds, but was limited to Jonathan Cafu’s 45th goal to finish a twisting run.

Iniesta came on as a second half substitute and scored a wonderful volley for Barca’s fourth and displayed his trademark range of passing.

But only on goal difference as Atletico Madrid won 1-0 at PSV Eindhoven, Saul Niguez doing the damage with a sizzling scissor-style volley just before the break.

Advertisement

“It is a long season, we have a really good team and we have made a good start, but right now we are a bit sad and have to think about what we can do better”.

Champions League: Barcelona Condemn Celtic To Heaviest-Ever European Defeat In 7-0 Mauling (Video)