In a hotly-contested rematch from last season’s UCL semifinal, Barcelona welcomed the formidable Juventus to the Nou Camp. As two domestic champions in their own right, this match was shaped out to be a clash of the titans’ affair. In the end, only one titan stood up, resulting in a 3-0 win for Barcelona. The commanding win sends them to the top of Group D, basically already confirming qualification.
Here are the main talking points of Barcelona’s 3-0 win over Juventus.
1Lionel Messi shines
After a disappointing campaign last year, Lionel Messi is back with a vengeance. The Argentinian magician completely ran the show against Juventus. Like the Messi of old, he was playing a central role where Sergio Busquets would constantly feed him the ball in between the lines.
Upon receiving it, he would then spin on the turn and run at Juventus in the tight spaces. His individual moments of brilliance were the difference as Blaise Matuidi; the poor man tasked with marking him, had no answer to his wondrous shoulder drops.
Messi couldn’t score over 180 minutes against Juventus last season; now he’s been able to get revenge and score a stunning brace. He was dominant in every aspect, completing 5-take ons and completing 45 passes, helping Barcelona cruise to a comfortable victory.
