Spartak Moscow 0-3 Barcelona: Barca group winners as Messi shines

BARCELONA eased into the Champions League last 16 after record-chasing Lionel Messi fired a first-half double as the 
favourites rediscovered their European verve to overcome Spartak Moscow.

Barcelona full-back Daniel Alves opened the scoring in the 16th minute and Messi added two more in the space of 12 minutes before half-time with his 79th and 80th goals during this calendar year. The Catalans, who now have 12 points from five games after shrugging off the 2-1 defeat at Celtic this month, controlled the tempo with their famous tiki-taka passing game on Moscow’s slick artificial turf and often picked holes in Spartak’s porous defence.

The defeat eliminated the Russians, who had only a slim chance of advancing from Group G before the match. “We couldn’t allow what happened at Celtic to happen again,” Messi told Spanish TV. “We knew we had to come out strongly right from the start because it’s always tough to play away in this competition and even more so given the state of the pitch. Obviously the fact we didn’t concede is a boost for everyone, especially when we have been letting in too many goals recently.”

Brazil international Alves beat Spartak goalkeeper Andriy Dykan with a low blast from outside the box after the Russians failed to clear the ball following Barcelona’s build-up near the goal. Messi doubled the lead 11 minutes later, firing into an unguarded goal with his right foot after Dykan did well to stop the initial shot by Andres Iniesta.

The Argentine wizard made it 3-0 after rounding Dykan and rolling the ball into an empty net with his left foot following a great through pass by Pedro.

While Alves scored his first this season, Messi made it 80 in 2012. The all-time calendar year record of 85 goals set by former West Germany and Bayern Munich striker Gerd Muller in 1972 is in his sights.

Spartak Moscow: Dykan, Makeev, Insaurralde, Suchy, Dmitri Kombarov, Rafael Carioca, Kallstrom, Kirill Kombarov, Jurado, Ari, Emenike. Subs: Chermyshuk, Bryzgalov, Mahmudov, Welliton, Yakovlev, De Zeeuw, Ananidze.

Barcelona: Valdes, Dani Alves, Pique, Mascherano, Jordi Alba, Fabregas, Xavi, Busquets, Pedro, Messi, Iniesta. Subs: Pinto, Puyol, Villa, Jonathan, Montoya, Song, Deulofeu.