Glasgow: The dazzling Lionel Messi returned from illness to score yet another double to help Barcelona ease into the knockout stages of the Champions League for a 13th successive year with their 2-0 victory at Celtic here Wednesday.
Messi, who missed the goalless draw encounter Saturday with Malaga with a sickness bug, was back to his tormenting best just as he had been when scoring a hat-trick in Barca’s 7-0 win in their Group C fixture at the Nou Camp two months earlier.
The Argentine followed up an impressive first half strike from close range with a penalty after the break, and was a constant threat throughout the match alongside Brazilian teammate Neymar.
The brace took Messi’s Champions League total to 92 goals, including nine in this season’s group stages alone, and though he narrowly missed a hat-trick, his genius ensured Celtic exited all European competition while Barca progressed as group winners.
“It was a game that we expected. In one of the toughest groups, we have come top. I have to congratulate the team,” said Barcelona coach Luis Enrique after the game.
Celtic coach Brendan Rodgers had impressed upon his players not to give their illustrious opponents too much respect as they had done in Barcelona and they were certainly not humiliated in the same manner as they were in September.
They had some decent goalscoring opportunities which fell to striker Moussa Dembele, but he failed to add to his three goals in this season’s group stage.
For all Celtic’s pressing and possession, however, Barca had too much class with Messi their executioner again, latching on to Neymar’s dinked through ball to fire first time past Craig Gordon in the 24th minute. He doubled his tally from the penalty spot in the 56th minute after Luis Suarez was fouled by Emilio Izaguirre.
Messi had further opportunities to add to his tally and only a remarkable save by Gordon from a Suarez header in the first half prevented the winning margin from being wider.
“The players gave everything,” said Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers. “We restricted them to one or two chances and at 1-0 we had a real chance to equalise. However, they went up to the other end and scored a second. But I can assure everybody that if we had just Messi and him only, we would have beaten Barca.”
He can live with that thought till the next opportunity comes.
Rostov shock Bayern while City, Atletico advance
Douglas Costa rifled Bayern ahead on 35 minutes in Russia, but Rostov equalised through Sardar Azmoun on the stroke of half time before going ahead courtesy of a Dmitri Poloz penalty.
Juan Bernat swiftly levelled for the Germans, but Ecuador international Christian Noboa fired competition debutants Rostov to a first group stage victory with the winner on 67 minutes.
In Madrid, French duo Kevin Gameiro and Antoine Griezmann netted second half goals as Atletico – runners-up twice in the past three seasons – registered their fifth win in as many matches this season.
Meanwhile Manchester City also qualified from Group C after they recovered from a goal down in Germany to earn a 1-1 draw at Borussia Moenchengladbach.
Raffael grabbed the opening goal for Gladbach on 23 minutes, but David Silva poked in Kevin De Bruyne’s cross just prior to the break.
Meanwhile French champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) seized control of their own destiny in Group A with a 2-2 draw away to Arsenal.
Edinson Cavani turned in Blaise Matuidi’s cross at the far post to hand PSG an 18th-minute lead at the Emirates Stadium. But the Gunners hit back on the stroke of half time as Olivier Giroud converted a penalty. The hosts then went ahead when an attempted clearance from Marquinhos ricocheted off an unfortunate Marco Verratti into the back of the PSG net.
But Lucas ensured Unai Emery’s side departed with a point as his header from Hatem Ben Arfa’s corner flicked off Alex Iwobi and flashed past David Ospina 13 minutes from the end.
Both PSG and Arsenal have 11 points with one match to play, but the French outfit have the head-to-head edge on away goals after the reverse fixture at the Parc des Princes in September finished 1-1.
