4 things to note as Barcelona beat PSV Eindhoven 4-0
FC Barcelona comprehensively beat PSV Eindhoven in the first game of this year's UEFA Champions League thanks to the little maestro Lionel Messi's hat trick and a brilliant solo goal from the big money signing Ousmane Dembele. Let's look at 4 talking points in the game!
#1 Perfect start for Lionel Messi
From that sublime free-kick that left even the PSV defenders in awe to a brilliant link-up play with Rakitic and a sublime finish towards the end of the game, Lionel Messi's intent of winning the Champions League was on display in the first game itself. It was a perfect 10 display for Barcelona's No. 10 in their first game in a campaign to win the Cup that has eluded them for 3 years now.
#2 Ousmane Dembele rises to the occasion
A lot is expected of you if you sign for Barcelona. Even more, if you sign for over 100 million! All eyes are on Dembele in every game that he features in and the critics are quick to speak because Dembele hasn't settled yet in this legendary team.
But even after placing some wrong passes, he redeemed himself with a moment of individual brilliance to slide through two defenders and strike the ball with such sweetness. It's only a matter of time before he gels in this team, which will only make Barcelona only more dangerous than they already are.
#3 PSV will leave Camp Nou with a lot of positives
PSV came to Camp Nou to face an in-form Barcelona side with the likes of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Arturo Vidal already voicing out their desire to go all out to win the Champions League. However, PSV too were in the form of their lives in the Dutch Eredivisie as they were coming into this game after scoring 13 goals in just 2 games.
The game had many positives for the Dutch side as they were successful in getting some amazing balls that opened the Barcelona defence at times and had a solid defence through most parts of the game. In the end, however, Barcelona were Barcelona, they waited, waited and then they pounced and pounced well. But PSV will surely be proud of the performance they put up tonight.
#4 Hirving Lozano continues to impress
At the press conference in the build-up to the game, the PSV forward who had a brilliant World Cup confessed that he would probably like to join the Blaugrana one day and manager Mark van Bommel could only look at him and smile
Whether or not those words were heard by the top people at Barcelona, his spirited performance at Camp Nou has surely shown what he is capable of. Lozano should be proud of his performance at the Camp Nou because it's not every day and not everyone outpaces that Barcelona left-back Jordi Alba and causes problems to that Barcelona defence!