BARCELONA 4, MANCHESTER CITY 0
- Lionel Messi scores his 37th hat trick, his second in the Champions League this season, and his 50th Champions League goal in his 50th Champions League appearance at home for Barcelona (89th in all)
- Man City’s fourth red card in five Champions League games against Barcelona after Claudio Bravo’s handball blocked a Luis Suarez shot on goal outside his area
- Pablo Zabaleta goes off injured with a right ankle injury after Barcelona lose Jordi Alba and Gerard Pique in the first half
- Jeremy Mathieu sent off late on for second booking
- Willy Cabellero saves a Neymar penalty
- But Neymar scores at the death
Lionel Messi scored a hat trick and laid on a fourth goal for Neymar to condemn 10-man City to a fifth defeat in five Champions League games against Barcelona – and the fourth consecutive game without a win for City boss Pep Guardiola.
Messi capitalised on a Fernandinho mistake to unpick the City defence in a first half which City had competed well in but Pep Guardiola’s game plan was in tatters after 53 minutes when Claudio Bravo was sent off for handling the ball outside his area.
Messi completed his hat trick to leave the visitors no chance of a comeback despite Barca going down to ten men themselves late on with the sending off of Jeremy Mathieu.
Neymar’s fourth goal was merely the icing on the cake for Barcelona after Willy Caballero had earlier saved his penalty.
Pep Guardiola opted to leave Sergio Aguero out of the starting lineup to further bolster the City midfield against Barcelona.
With three changes in all, City changed both full backs and opted against a return to the team for Sergio Aguero, who didn’t participate in the warm-up, citing a tactical need to control midfield.
Pablo Zabaleta and Aleksandar Kolarov came in for Gael Clichy and Leroy Sane, while Nolito replaced Kelechi Iheanacho as City reverted to a back four with what appeared on paper to be a six man midfield with Kevin De Bruyne continuing in a false nine role.
They lined up against a Barcelona side that included their famous trident of attackers Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez but appeared to be playing a three-man back line.
Despite being the better team in the opening stages, City fell behind after Messi took cruel advantage of a slip by the luckless Fernandinho to put the visitors on the back foot after exchanging passes with Andres Iniesta.
Barcelona’s first half rhythm was upset when they lost two defenders to injury – Jordi Alba and Gerard Pique both had to go off – and City were far from awed despite seeing Barca fail to extend their lead through a fine move which was hit into the side netting by Luis Suarez.
City regained composure at the end of the first half and saw chances by Nolito and Ilkay Gundogan saved while John Stones headed wide at the back post.
With Barca weakened in their full back positions, City were direct in the second half with De Bruyne popping up across the forward lines as they probed for space in the second half.
Samuel Umtiti’s header from Ivan Rakitic’s cross was just wide as Barca began to step up their own game, an ominous improvement that led to the event that defined the game.
Claudio Bravo had to go after a poor goal clearance fell straight to Suarez after 53 minutes, the Uruguayan’s snap-shot from 30 yards out was handled by the Chilean who was far outside his own area and left the referee with no choice but to send him off.
Nolito was sacrificed for Willy Caballero but Messi settled matters when he cut inside the reorganised City defence and doubled the Barca lead after 61 minutes from the edge of the area.
And Messi completed his 37th hat trick for Barcelona from ten yards out in the 69th minute after a poor backpass by Gundogan went past Stones allowing Suarez to square the ball for the Argentine to make it three.
Although Kevin De Bruyne and Aleksandar Kolarov tried to reduce the deficit they found Marc Andre Ter Stegen in fine form to deny them.
Mathieu was sent off for a second bookable offence in the 74th minute for a foul on Raheem Sterling and Aguero finally made it on with ten minutes to go but it was too late for City to mount a comeback who could have been 4-0 down after Barca were awarded a late penalty.
Aleks Kolarov slid in to foul Messi in the area after he had been put through by Neymar but the Brazilian was denied a goal, after a stuttering run-up, by a correct guess by Caballero late on.
But he was not to be denied after Messi put him through again right at the end and he rounded Stones to put a bow on a victory that was gift wrapped for them by City.