Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi both scored twice as Barcelona thumped Roma 6-1 in the Champions League on Tuesday.
The hosts entered the match knowing that a point would see them qualify from Group E as winners, but a victory for Roma would have given the Italian side automatic qualification ahead of Bayer Leverkusen.
Barcelona were three goals ahead at the break courtesy of a Suarez double and Messi's first, before Gerard Pique made it 4-0 in the 56th minute. Four minutes later, Messi had his second on the night as Barca made it five without reply.
Adriano also got in on the act late on after Neymar's penalty had been saved by Wojciech Szczesny, but there was a late consolation for Edin Dzeko, who made up for a penalty miss of his own by scoring a header in stoppage time.
Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action between the two teams.
Match statistics
BARCELONA
Shots: 18
On target: 12
Possession: 66%
Corners: 11
Fouls: 13
ROMA
Shots: 8
On target: 4
Possession: 34%
Corners: 3
Fouls: 12
Was the result fair?
To be perfectly honest, Roma were fortunate that they only conceded six times at Camp Nou. The Italians are not exactly strangers to taking hidings in the Champions League, which Manchester United and Bayern Munich fans will know all too well. The visitors needed to keep tight for the opening 20 minutes or so, but they fell behind in the 15th minute when Suarez scored his first of the night. It was always going to be an uphill battle from that moment, but their willingness to play a high-line did make it more straightforward for Barcelona than it might have been. Three minutes after the scoring had been opened, Messi made it 2-0 and when Suarez bagged his second late in the first period, the match was over as a contest.
Roma simply did not put a glove on Barcelona in the first period, but they did improve in the second and had their moments before Pique and Messi quickly made it four and then five in quick succession. Neymar was given the chance to score from the spot late on for six, but it was Adriano that converted after his fellow Brazilian had been denied. Roma certainly deserved to be on the end of a heavy defeat, but they did have some good opportunities and it was certainly justified when Dzeko, who missed from the penalty spot in the 82nd minute, scored a clever header in the first minute of stoppage time.
Barcelona's performance
It had been suggested that Messi's return to the XI following a serious knee injury would actually harm the performances of Neymar and Suarez, who have built up a sensational double-act in the Argentine's absence. Well, all of those fears were put to bed in this game. Barcelona could have have been two or three goals ahead inside the first 10 minutes, with Messi having a goal disallowed and also bringing a smart save from Roma's on-loan goalkeeper. The opening goal came in the 15th minute, however, when Messi slid through Dani Alves, who had the simple task of squaring for Suarez and the striker could not miss.
At that point, it was full steam ahead and another sensational move that involved Neymar, Suarez and Messi saw the home side double their lead. Ultimately it was Suarez's sublime pass that fell into the path of Messi, who chipped the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper. Some of the football in the first period was just excellent and Suarez gave the supporters something further to cheer in the 44th minute when he volleyed one into the bottom corner. The MSN up top were proving far too much for Roma and Messi was showing no signs of the knee problem that had kept him from starting a game since September.
Barcelona's fourth came just before the hour when Pique converted a low cross from Messi and it was the Argentine that netted his second on the hour following another move that involved Neymar and Suarez. The selflessness in the team shone through late on when Neymar was given the chance to score from the penalty spot after being brought down inside the box, but it was not the Brazilian's night in front of goal as he saw his effort saved. Barcelona were not to be denied, however, as Adriano made it six. There will be some disappointment that Dzeko managed to score late on, but overall, it was another devastating performance from Barcelona, who in this form, look the team once again to beat in this competition.
Roma's performance
Operating with a defensive shape at Camp Nou is not exactly an alien tactic, with the vast majority of visitors to Barcelona flooding the area that is going to be the busiest. That quickly became clear when Roma boss Rudi Garcia named his XI, but it was a surprise that Daniele de Rossi, who was so impressive in the first leg, was not in the team. After surviving an early onslaught from the home side, Roma actually had a glorious chance to make the breakthrough when a cross was delivered onto the head of Dzeko, but the Bosnian could only lift his effort over the crossbar. That miss proved all the more costly because two minutes later, Suarez sent Barca ahead, before Messi made it 2-0. Almost game over in the blink of an eye.
Roma were simply not involved in the first period for long spells, with Alessandro Florenzi and Iago Falque finding it difficult to provide support to Dzeko. The Italians needed to get to the break at just 2-0, but Suarez's sensational volley in the 44th minute made it even more of an uphill task. Garcia introduced Juan Iturbe at the interval and the attacker certainly made a difference with his movement and pace in the final third. Barcelona continued to cause problems, however, and on the hour, they were 5-0 ahead. The hosts deserve a lot of credit for their quality in the final third, but Roma will need to look at certain aspects of their defending. Despite their problems, the visitors seemed intent on holding a very high line in Barcelona.
Less than one minute after entering in the third Roma change, Salih Ucan brought Neymar to the ground and Barcelona had the chance to make it 6-0 from the spot. It was ultimately Adriano that converted, but Roma actually had their best spell of the match in the final 10 minutes - first forcing a penalty through Dzeko, but the former Manchester City striker was denied by Marc-Andre ter Stegen. Dzeko had his goal in stoppage time, however, after heading past the Barcelona goalkeeper. It was a night to forget for the visitors, but as it stands, they are still second in Group E and a victory in their final match against BATE Borisov would see them qualify behind Barcelona. In this form, however, they will not go much further in the competition.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Lionel Messi: Some players take weeks to return to top form following a period on the sidelines, but Messi is not some players. The Argentine looked as if he had never been away as he put in a sensational performance against Roma. The attacker scored twice at Camp Nou, in addition to setting up Pique for the centre-back's close-range finish. It was a joy to watch Messi alongside Suarez and Neymar once again. All three were sublime.
Biggest gaffe
It is difficult to pin-point one exact moment in terms of a standout gaffe, but Roma's defending in the first period was really poor. Despite Barcelona's pace and indeed ability to pick a pass, the Italians maintained a high defensive line and got caught out on a number of occasions. It must have been a tactic that came from the manager and it would be interesting to hear what Garcia had in mind when he decided to adopt that plan, which had a number of flaws.
Referee performance
Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir had a fairly busy night in Barcelona - issuing four yellow cards and awarding two penalties. The 39-year-old kept in control of the game for long spells and it was the correct decision to award Barcelona a penalty when Neymar had been felled inside the box. The Roma spot kick was a little more controversial, however, with Thomas Vermaelen almost static when Dzeko ran into him.
What next?
Barcelona: The Catalan outfit return to La Liga action this weekend at home to Real Sociedad. Their final Group E match in the Champions League is away to Bayer Leverkusen on December 9.
Roma: Roma face a home game against Atalanta in Serie A on Sunday and they will also complete their Champions League Group E campaign on December 9, facing BATE Borisov in Rome.
Matt Law
