Barcelona 0-3 Juventus: 5 talking points as the Bianconeri run riot at Camp Nou | UEFA Champions League 2020-21
Goals in each half from Cristiano Ronaldo and a 20th-minute strike by Weston McKennie handed Juventus a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Barcelona to send them top of Group G in the UEFA Champions League.
The hosts came into this game on the back of yet another pathetic defeat in La Liga but fans would have been buoyed by the fact that Barcelona had somehow managed to become transformed on the continent.
They were the only club in the entire Champions League boasting a 100% record heading into matchday 6 but it took just 12 minutes for the form book to be thrown out of the window after Ronald Araujo felled Cristiano Ronaldo in the box for a contentious penalty.
VAR checks upheld the referee's decision, and the Portugal star dusted himself up to convert the resultant spot-kick and put Juventus 1-0 up.
Their lead was doubled not long after as McKennie switched play to Juan Cuadrado on the wings. He was on hand to convert the ensuing cross with an excellent scissor kick, although questions will be asked regarding why the Barcelona defense afforded him so much space.
This was the first time that Barcelona had gone 2-0 down at home inside 20 minutes of a Champions League fixture but hopes of any unlikely comeback were promptly squashed five minutes into the second half when Clement Lenglet was adjudged to have handled in the penalty area.
Ronaldo once more stepped up to put Juventus 3-0 up and from then on, there was only going to be one winner.
The visitors were even denied a fourth goal when their number 7 bundled the ball into an offside Leonardo Bonucci only for VAR to rightly chalk the goal off.
The win takes Juventus to the top of Group G and here, we shall be having a rundown of five talking points from the fixture.
#5 Lethargic Barcelona in full-blown crisis mode
The month of August was one of the darkest periods in the illustrious history of Barcelona as a harrowing 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich was followed by the Messi 'burofax' saga.
However,Β fans who thought that they had seen the worst have been in for a shock, as the world's most admired club have slowly descended into chaos.
The former president and his entire board resigned, prompting new elections in January. And it is not only off the field that issues persisted.
Once upon a time, Barcelona could be counted on to get the job done on the field regardless of external factors but those days are long gone, and the club are right now swimming in murky waters.
Ronald Koeman's 'dream' appointment has slowly become a nightmare and at this rate, it is highly unlikely that he would see out the campaign.
This defeat to Juventus marked the club's fifth loss from just 15 games in all competitions this season, while they currently occupy the unfamiliar position of ninth on the table.
Considering the successes the club have enjoyed in the last 15 years, this is a far from ideal position to be in, and things have to start turning around quickly.
#4 Juventus complete unlikely turnaround to secure top spot in the group
When the draws for Group G were made, it was earmarked to be a straight battle between Juventus and Barcelona for the top spot in the group.
This proved to be the case as both sides comfortably dispatched Dynamo Kyiv and Ferencvaros home and away to secure qualification with two games to spare.
It set up a winner-takes-all clash on matchday 6 at Camp Nou but Barcelona had the overwhelming advantage coming into this game.
Their 2-0 victory over a Ronaldo-less Juventus on matchday 2 meant that they only had to get a draw on their own turf or avoid losing by three goals to guarantee first position.
Finishing first gives the advantage of avoiding heavy-hitters like Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Manchester City, and Chelsea in the next round. Although some elite sides like Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, and Inter Milan could still finish second, it is generally preferable to finish at the top of your group.
As it happened, Juventus completed a remarkable Italian job to secure the top spot in the group, leaving Ronald Koeman in the unwanted position of potentially facing a complicated Round-of-16 clash.