Barcelona clinched top spot in Champions League Group E with a 6-1 victory over Roma on Tuesday night at the Camp Nou.
Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez each had a brace, while Gerard Piqué and Adriano also collected scores.
After returning from injury in El Clásico as a substitute, Messi made his first start in two months and joined fellow South American Neymar and Suárez up top in manager Luis Enrique’s starting XI. In midfield it was the trio of Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitic and Sergi Roberto, while Javier Mascherano’s injury forced a reshuffle in defense, with Thomas Vermaelen slotting in at center back next to Piqué and full-backs Dani Alves and Jordi Alba, along with Marc-André ter Stegen in goal.
From the start Messi seemed intent on showing everyone he was back to his best and inside of the first 10 minutes he had two chances. A fourth minute shot forced a save from Roma No. 1 Wojciech Szczesny and then four minutes late La Pulga pulled a shot just wide. But despite the early chances from Barcelona, it was Roma who came close to scoring first in the 12th minute when Edin Dzeko beat Barcelona’s offside trap, but the former Manchester City man popped his header over Ter Stegen’s crossbar.
Roma’s back line looked exposed in the early going and on 15 minutes Barcelona were happy to take advantage when Alves made a piercing run down the right and swung a cross to Suarez who could have walked the ball into the net. Instead the Uruguayan opted for an easy tap-in to hand the hosts a 1-0 lead.
The moment those inside the Camp Nou had been waiting for came in the 18th minute with a Messi goal to give Barcelona a 2-0 lead. The front three combined beautifully to set up Messi, who chipped over Szczesny for the goal.
Barcelona then capped their scintillating first 45 minutes with a Suárez goal in the 44th minute. Neymar played a ball in that was headed out by the Roma defense, but it fell right to Suarez, who then rocketed a volley in past Szczesny to stretch the lead to three.
Roma showed some life to start the second half and Ter Stegen had to be alert to save Iago Falque’s shot from close-range in the 54th minute. But right as Rudi Garcia’s men were building momentum, Barcelona struck for their fourth when Piqué had an easy sweep into net in the 55th minute off a cross from Messi.
Before Luis Enrique could blink, it was 5-0 in the 59th minute as the front trio teamed up again to craft another goal. Neymar played a ball in from the left which Suárez darted to Messi whose shot was initially saved by Szczesny but there was nothing that the Polish goalkeeper could do to stop Messi’s follow up.
It looked for all the world that Neymar had made it 6-0 in the 71st after some combination play between the Brazilian and Suárez, but the shot sailed just wide of the far post. Minutes after Suárez was denied a penalty in the 74th minute, Neymar was taken down in the area and earned a spot kick. But Neymar’s penalty was saved by Szczesny, however substitute Adriano reacted first and hammered in the rebound to make it 6-0.
Roma searched for a consolation goal and thought they had it in the 82nd minute after Dzeko was fouled by Vermaelen in the area, but Ter Stegen saved the Bosnian’s spot kick. However, in the final seconds Dzeko would finally get his goal, headed in past the German goalkeeper.
Barcelona return to La Liga action on Saturday against Real Sociedad.
