Lionel Messi scored a record eighth Champions League hat-trick as Barcelona kick-started their campaign with a 4-0 home win over PSV Eindhoven, although they had defender Samuel Umtiti sent off late in the second half in Tuesday's clash.
The Spanish champions’ all-time top scorer Messi broke the deadlock in the 32nd minute with an immaculate free kick which he curled over the wall into the top corner against a PSV side who had defended well and looked dangerous on the break.
But Barca demonstrated the gulf in class as the second half progressed and doubled their lead in the 75th with a curling strike from French forward Ousmane Dembele, who scored his fifth goal in six games in all competitions this season, reports Reuters.
Messi got his second two minutes later when he turned Ivan Rakitic’s dinked pass into the net with a flick of his boot.
The mood was briefly dampened when Barca’s France defender Umtiti was dismissed in the 79th for a second yellow card before Messi completed his treble three minutes from time.
The Argentine received another chipped pass, this time from Luis Suarez, and ruthlessly smashed the ball home.
The strike completed eight trebles in Europe’s top competition for Messi, one more than rival Cristiano Ronaldo who will make his Juventus Champions League debut on Wednesday.
