Global commitments and injuries prevented Neymar, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez from starting in the same team in the opening weeks of the new season, but all three started and finished Tuesday’s Champions League clash with Celtic.
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As Neymar teed Messi up to smash home the opening goal after three minutes and laid on the pass for the Argentinian’s second strike later in the first half, there was no sign the feted trio had lost any of their nearly telepathic understanding.
Neymar set up Messi to score twice in the first half hour at Camp Nou before the Brazil striker struck from a free kick just after halftime.
Suarez partnered Lionel Messi and Neymar for the first time this season, and the trio combined to devastating effect to record Barca’s biggest ever margin of victory in Europe’s top competition.
While Rodgers has enjoyed an encouraging start domestically, winning Manager of the Month for August in the Scottish Premiership before defeating Rangers 5-1 in the first Old Firm tussle of the season at the weekend, he has already endured some hard assignments in continental competition.
No doubt however that Celtic were painfully outplayed last night and they will be hoping for better when they welcome Barcelona to Parkhead.
“Tonight is one of those tough nights that you take at this level”. But I thought we came back into the game and once we actually got a bit of belief and a bit of confidence to pass the ball then we started to open up and create opportunities.
“It’s such a contrast to Saturday – we were on such a high and now we’re on such a low and we have to lift ourselves for the next challenge”. Messi did the rest by sizing up Dorus de Vries before blasting a left-footed shot past the Celtic ‘keeper.
“The pitch is fantastic”.
“If he plays as a No.9, No.8 or No.6, he’s the best No.9, No.8 or No.6 in the world”.
The defeat leaves Celtic bottom of Group C, with Manchester City still to play Borussia Monchengladbach after their match was called off because of heavy rain.
The match was rescheduled for Wednesday.
With his hat-trick over Celtic on Tuesday, Lionel Messi now has six Champion League hat-tricks to his name – one more than his rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
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Brazilian Talisca canceled out a 12th-minute earlier goal by Argentina’s Franco Cervi for Benfica, finishing a rebound from Besiktas goalkeeper Tolga Zengin’s save. But despite solid defending and inspired attacking moves, the four-time defending French champions were made to pay for their profligacy.
