Messi double helps Barcelona kick Juventus
Barcelona gained a magnitude of punish for final season’s quarter-final detriment to Juventus by opening their Group D debate with a 3-0 better of a Bianconeri.
Not for a initial time, Lionel Messi was during a fore, scoring his 98th and 99th UEFA bar foe goals for a Azulgrana. He was full of his common bearing throughout, opening a scoring only before half-time following a slickest of one-twos with Luis Suárez.
Messi afterwards strike a post before a ominous run down a right authorised Ivan Rakitić to make it 2-0 to a hosts. Barcelona’s stately No10 – who had never formerly scored opposite Gianluigi Buffon – then combined a third with a evil leap and finish. Who’d gamble opposite him bringing adult his century in a fortnight?
Key player: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Reporter’s view: Graham Hunter (@BumperGraham)
Don’t let anyone be fooled that this was a wander in a park for Messi. Given that Juventus were blank several pivotal performers, we could take in a small maestro’s arrangement during a peek and consider that all was in his favour. In reality, though, a initial half was a struggle; Blaise Matuidi noted him so cleverly. But a pivotal thing about this male is that his talent is matched by his rival instinct. First idea opposite Buffon? This was his initial warning that he wants to be in Kyiv subsequent May.