Messi blasted home a powerful left-footer after just three minutes to give the home side an ideal start in their first group match, following a pass from strike partner Neymar, before the Brazilian fed the Argentine global again to make it 2-0 shortly before the half hour mark.
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Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick as Barcelona opened their Champions League Group C campaign with a 7-0 victory over Scottish champions, Celtic, at Camp Nou on Tuesday night. This will be a brilliant learning season for us in the Champions League.
Rodgers reckoned a crucial turning point in the game occurred when Moussa Dembele had a penalty saved that would have put Celtic level.
“Ospina was very good and he will have shown tonight for those who doubted him that he is a good goalkeeper”, said the Frenchman.
Amid suggestions Celtic disappointed, Luis Enrique felt regardless of which team the Blaugrana faced the winning margin would have been a big one.
“There can be no embarrassment because they do that to better teams than ourselves, (but) it’s obviously a disappointment”, Rodgers said. It’s tough to take when you lose so many. “The players are rested and desperate to compete and play again in the Camp Nou in a competition that excites us”.
The Spanish champions were fined 150,000 euros ($170,000) by UEFA for the presence of the flags during last season’s competition, 50,000 euros of which was suspended for two years.
Following Saturday’s shock defeat at home to Alaves, Barcelona coach Luis Enrique took no risks and on Tuesday fielded arguably his strongest available side, with the exception of young midfielder Andre Gomes who was in for talsimanic Andres Iniesta, reports Xinhua.
This was the Glasgow side’s first Champions League group fixture in three seasons after two failed attempts to reach that stage under former manager Ronny Deila.
Celtic’s uneventful evening further unraveled when Neymar flew in a free-kick behind keeper Dorus du Vries.
– Neymar is the first player to assist four goals in a Champions League game since Zlatan Ibrahimovic in November 2012 for PSG.
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Iniesta, on as a half-time substitute, got Barca’s fourth as he hammered a volley high into the net following Neymar’s pinpoint cross, and Messi completed his hat-trick one minute later, turning home from inside the six-yard box after Suarez had cut the ball back into his path. Messi gave the fans his 4th treble in Champions League while Suarez added a brace of his own for a flawless evening in Spain.
