Messi scores first goals after injury as Barca crushes Roma

El Clasico continued; that’s how Luis Enrique probably pitched this game to his players and judging from our performance, we followed through with that sentiment.

Neymar and Suarez then helped tee up Messi to get his second and Barca’s fifth on the hour and Adriano crashed in the sixth after Neymar’s penalty had been saved by Wojciech Szczesny.

Edin Dzeko had a penalty saved too, and that after heading wide from 10 yards with the game goalless, as Roma endured a night to forget.

Lionel Messi rounds off a sublime passage of play for Barcelona in their Champions League match against AS Roma.

A draw between Bayern and Olympiakos in Germany would have taken both teams through but Pep Guardiola’s team showed no mercy for their visitors as they raced into a three-goal lead inside the first 20 minutes.

Messi had been out injured since the end of September but Barca have coped well without their talisman with strike partners Neymar and Luis Suarez in blistering form.

Finally, after three minutes of unchallenged possession, Barcelona broke open the lock – a frustrated Madrid defence all converged on an incoming Sergi Roberto who neatly played in a free Suarez to score the first goal.

While that win saw Bayern secure top spot in Group F, Arsenal kept their hopes alive by beating Dinamo Zagreb 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium. “Some of the goals he’s scoring… they are goals I didn’t think were possible”.

Chelsea enjoyed their second 4-0 Champions League victory over 10-man Maccabi Tel Aviv this season to move into prime position to reach the knockout stages of the competition from Group G on Tuesday.

Barcelona has widened the leading advantage in the 39th minutes as Iniesta sent a little ball through to Neymar, who scored at the front post. “His injury (knee ligament) was more serious than mine and he needed longer to recover but we all know how vital he is to the team”.

The Malian global Coulibaly headed home five minutes into injury time after Jordan Ferri’s early opener for Lyon had been cancelled out by Danijel Milicevic in the first half of a lively game.

Barca top the group on 13 points, with Bayer Leverkusen (five points), Roma (five) and BATE (four) all chasing second.