Apoel vs. Barcelona: Score, Grades and Reaction from Champions League Game
Nov 25, 2014
Luis Suarez netted his first Barcelona goal and Lionel Messi set another scoring record with his second straight hat-trick as Barca defeated hosts Apoel 4-0 on Tuesday in a UEFA Champions League Group F match at the GSP Stadium in Nicosia, Cyprus.
Suarez, who joined Barcelona from Liverpool over the summer, scored his first goal for his new club with a brilliant solo strike in the 27th minute.
Eleven minutes later, Messi redirected a Rafinha shot to double Barca's advantage and take over as the Champions League's all-time leading scorer with 72 goals.
With the result in little doubt, Messi made it 3-0 in the 58th minute and completed his hat-trick three minutes from time to finish the night with 74 Champions League goals.
Raul, formerly of Real Madrid and Schalke, previously held the record with 71, while current Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo sits four goals behind Messi with 70.
Messi doesn't just break records..he obliterates them in style. Another hat-trick tonight... #UCL#FCB
Both teams had a player sent off in the second half. Barcelona's Rafinha saw red in the 70th minute, followed by Apoel's Joao Guilherme, who drew a second booking and dismissal 14 minutes later.
With the win, Barcelona moved onto 12 points through five matches, one point behind Group F leaders Paris Saint-Germain. When the two teams meet in Barcelona on Dec. 10, the winner will claim top spot in the group and a top seed in the draw for the round of 16.
After Tuesday's victory, Barcelona fans will be hoping for more of the same in the weeks ahead. First up is a trip to Valencia in the Spanish league on Sunday, followed by the PSG showdown in December.
Now that he has opened his scoring account with Barca, Suarez will look toward regaining his best form after serving a lengthy suspension for biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini during last summer's World Cup.
For his part, Messi just keeps scoring goals. Having set the all-time scoring record in La Liga with another hat-trick over the weekend, the Argentine will hope to maintain his impressive scoring production as Barcelona continue to chase trophies.
And with Ronaldo close behind him in the Champions League scoring chart, the two will likely continue their one-on-one rivalry for many years to come.
As expected, Barca took control of the match from the start and quickly set siege on Apoel's box. The hosts held out until the 27th minute, when Suarez opened the scoring with a moment of genius.
When Suarez accepted a pass from Jordi Alba well outside the box with his back to goal, the Uruguayan still had plenty of work to do. With his first touch, Suarez flicked the ball through the legs of his marker while turning toward goal. Advancing through the box, Suarez steadied himself with a second touch before curling in the opener.
With that, Barca led 1-0 and the question became how many the visitors would score.
Messi made it 2-0 in the 38th minute, becoming the Champions League's record goalscorer in the process. The goal was a poacher's strike, with Messi redirecting a Rafinha shot into the net from an onside position directly in front of the goalkeeper.
Barcelona could have had another in the 43rd minute as the ball deflected into the path of Suarez along the edge of the box. But Suarez blasted his shot wide when he should have at least hit the target.
The attacking onslaught continued after the interval. In the 52nd minute, Messi split open the Apoel defence with an angled dribble to the edge of the box before laying off for Pedro on the left. Pedro had a good sight of goal but dragged his shot just wide of the far post.
Messi wouldn't be denied in the 58th minute. Taking advantage of an Apoel giveaway, Dani Alves picked out Messi with a quick pass into the box. The little Argentine did the rest, lifting a neat finish past the advancing goalkeeper for a 3-0 lead.
Apoel created a rare chance in the 65th minute. Cillian Sheridan cut back a pass from the left into the middle for Tomas De Vincenti, who powered a shot on target. Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, who had been unused to that point, made a fine, one-handed save to maintain his side's clean sheet.
Barcelona went down to 10 men in the 70th minute as Rafinha, who had already been booked in the first half, received his second yellow card and subsequent marching orders.
Despite playing down a man, Barcelona continued to dominate. Soon, though, Apoel were down to 10 men as well, with Guilherme being sent off in the 85th minute for his second bookable offence.
Messi completed his hat-trick in the 87th minute. Javier Mascherano cut open the defence with an angled pass aimed at Messi in the middle of the box. Sensing he was offside, Messi allowed the ball to roll through to Pedro on the left. Pedro then cut back to an unmarked Messi, who tapped in.
Grades
Starting XI
Rating
Substitutes
Rating
Urko Pardo
6.6
Mario Sergio
6.8
Joao Guilherme
6.1
Carlao
7.3
Marios Antoniades
7.2
Tiago Gomes
6.3
Nuno Morais
6.5
Vinicius
7.0
Efstathios Aloneftis
6.3
Gustavo Manduca
5.8
Cillian Sheridan
6.8
Georgios Efrem (for Aloneftis, 46')
6.4
Tomas De Vincenti (for Manduca, 63')
6.5
Rafik Djebbour (for Vinicius, 74')
6.0
Starting XI
Rating
Substitutes
Rating
Marc-Andre Ter Stegen
6.9
Dani Alves
8.6
Gerard Pique
7.0
Marc Bartra
7.4
Jordi Alba
7.7
Ivan Rakitic
6.3
Javier Mascherano
7.7
Rafinha
6.5
Lionel Messi
10.0
Luis Suarez
7.9
Pedro
7.5
Xavi Hernandez (for Rakitic, 62')
6.5
Adriano (for Alba, 62')
6.1
Sergio Busquets (for Suarez, 77')
6.2
Reaction
Messi: "Achieving this record in a competition like this is a wonderful thing. But, beyond that it was a very important game." #UCL
We showed very good attacking and defensive concepts which allowed us to attack in an orderly fashion. It's a complete performance, which has left me very satisfied. We have a clear idea of how to play, not only today but all season. It's a style which has characterised the club in recent years, and we will take it to the grave. It will be wonderful (to play PSG) on home soil, in front of our fans. We must beat an almighty opponent at Camp Nou if we want to finish top.
I knew that sooner or later I'd find the net. I've been very calm and therefore not anxious. I just want to help the team.
The most important thing is that my goal could help the team get the win. I think we were excellent in the first half and played well overall. (Lionel) Messi and I understand each other very well, regardless of which one of us plays through the middle. The most important thing is to help the team.
We knew that PSG would have the capacity to beat Ajax at home. Now we must focus on overcoming them at Camp Nou.
