Barcelona conquer Celtic 2-0 to advance as group toppers

Celtic hosted Barcelona in a Group C clash at the UEFA Champions League. He added: “I want to keep playing in the Champions League and keep playing in the Champions League for Celtic first”.

Barcelona dominated the match from the word go.

“Lionel Messi, every season it is the same story – he’s going to leave and he never leaves”, he told his pre-Feyenoord press conference. City would get back on level terms just before the break, though, as David Silva poked home from close range after Kevin De Bruyne played an incisive pass across the six-yard box.

Samuel Marsden covers Barcelona for ESPN FC.

A Lionel Messi double – the second coming from the spot – helped Barcelona to a comfortable win in Glasgow. However, results over the course of the campaign have once again led to suggestions that Luis Enrique’s side are over-reliant on Messi.

Andy Walker has commented on Moussa Dembele’s display against Barcelona.

Barcelona arrived at a passionate Celtic Park having humbled the Scottish champions 7-0 in the previous meeting.

Real Madrid, the reigning champion, is another top team sitting as runner-up in a group heading into the final round of games, while Juventus and Sevilla are battling for first and second place in Group H.

“Anoeta is a complicated stadium where we haven’t won in years”, he said.

Benfica made a devastating start at Besiktas with goals from Goncalo Guedes, Nelsinho and Ljubomir Fejsa inside 31 minutes as they chased the win which would guarantee progress from Group B.

As well as Neymar, Luis Enrique also took Gerard Pique and Jordi Alba off in the second half after both defenders returned from knocks in the weekend’s goalless draw with Malaga.

The duo were rested for Friday’s win at Kilmarnock, along with attacking midfielder Tom Rogic.

That statistic is most damning for centre forward Paco Alcacer, a 30 million euros ($31.68 million) signing from Valencia who was bought to relieve the pressure on Barca’s dazzling attacking trident of Messi, Suarez and Neymar.

“We have played three of the best teams in Europe in this competition and we have gradually got better with each game”.

And Craig Gordon kept his team in it with a fabulous save from a Luis Suarez header after 41 minutes.

The Hoops paid for that glaring miss nearly immediately when Izaguirre’s challenge on Suarez inside the box at the other end saw Italian referee Daniele Orsato point to the spot, with Messi confidently beating Gordon with his penalty.