Barcelona: Coutinho looks ahead to Champions League debut HERE for the latest MUFC breaking news and transfer updates SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign upfor the latest MUFC breaking news and transfer updates When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Barca's all-time top scorer Messi broke the deadlock in the 32nd minute at the Nou Camp with an immaculately struck free kick, curling the ball over the wall and right into the top near corner. The Spanish champions began to demonstrate the gulf in class as the second half progressed and they doubled their lead in the 75th minute through a lovely curling strike from in-form French forward Ousmane Dembele, who scored a fifth goal from sixth games in all competitions this season. Messi got his second and Barca's third goal two minutes later, turning Ivan Rakitic's dinked pass into the near corner with one flick of his boot and then completed his treble in the 87th by receiving another chipped pass, this time from Luis Suarez, and ruthlessly smashing home. The mood was briefly dampened when France defender Umtiti was dismissed in the 79th minute for a second yellow card, ruling him out of Barca's next Champions League game away to Tottenham Hotspur on Oct. 3. Barcelona vs PSV Eindhoven: Express Sport brings you LIVE coverage of the Champions League RE-LIVE ALL THE ACTION FROM THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE BELOW BARCELONA 4-0 PSV FT: Done and dusted. Lionel Messi has torn through PSV to get Barcelona off to the perfect start. I’m off to bring you LIVE coverage of Liverpool vs PSG from Anfield. Come and join me by clicking this link HERE! See you there. BARCELONA 4-0 PSV 89: Lionel Messi has scored more hat-tricks than any other player in Champions League/European Cup history. BARCELONA 4-0 PSV - MESSI 87: Oh behave! Lionel Messi completes his 52nd hat-trick for Barcelona with a typically clinical strike. Luis Suarez, again the architect, pokes it through to the Argentine international to use his ‘weaker’ right peg to tuck it beyond Zoet. BARCELONA 3-0 PSV | RED CARD 78: Anyone know what Samuel Umitit is thinking?! He’s already on a yellow card and decides to bodycheck Lozano when the Mexico international was going through on goal. That means he’s out of the Wembley clash against Tottenham. Barcelona vs PSV Eindhoven: Express Sport brings you LIVE coverage of the Champions League BARCELONA 3-0 PSV | MESSI 76: What. A. Goal. It’s raining goals in Spain now as Barcelona turn on the style. Rakitic chips the ball over the top of the PSV defence and Lionel Messi is waiting to tuck it home at the first time of asking. Magic. BARCELONA 2-0 PSV | DEMBELE 74: Game, set and match. If there was any doubt about where the three points were going - Ousmane Dembele has resolved it. The World Cup-winning French international prowls forward, opens his body and unleashes an inch-perfect curling effort from 20-yards. 73: Roughly 15 minutes left at the Nou Camp and surprisingly, PSV are still within touching distance of a point. Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi aren’t on the same wave-length at the moment with plenty of neat one-twos going missing. Barcelona vs PSV Eindhoven: Express Sport brings you LIVE coverage of the Champions League 72: That would have been outrageous. Luis Suarez has a split-second to react to a pinging ball and softly tries to chip the PSV goalkeeper from just outside the penalty area. It looks like it’s heading in but clips against the crossbar and over. 61: He can’t do it again, can he? Lionel Messi has another free-kick opportunity but this time he’s got his execution wrong and the ball flies into the stands. 58: Save! Philippe Coutinho, who I’ve bet on to score from outside the area, shifts the ball to his right and draws a terrific one-handed save from Zoet. 55: Umtiti and PSV captain De Jong both collects cautions for silly fouls. 51: Lozano tries to re-create his World Cup heroics with a solo run forward but he’s struck that wide. Probably should have done better from that position. 47: Busquets serves it up to Messi, who jinks beyond a couple of players before striking it at Zoet. BARCELONA 1-0 PSV 45: And we’re back underway. No changes for Barcelona but worrying for PSV, 13 or Barcelona’s 17 goals this season have arrived in the second half. Barcelona vs PSV Eindhoven: Express Sport brings you LIVE coverage of the Champions League BARCELONA 1-0 PSV HT: Business as usual in Barcelona as Lionel Messi bangs in another one for the highlights reel. It’s still goalless at the San Siro with Inter Milan and Tottenham struggling to create chances. 45: Nice exchange between Suarez and Dembele down the left flank sees the ex-Borussia Dortmund star clip a looping cross into the penalty area but Schwaab heads it into orbit. Seconds later PSV have an effort from distance fly miles over the bar. Sliceeeeee. 42: Barca are just toying with PSV as we approach the break. Plenty of passing around the middle. they will not be rushed. 39: Lionel Messi has scored eight direct free-kicks in 2018 - the most he has netted in a calendar year. Barcelona vs PSV Eindhoven: Express Sport brings you LIVE coverage of the Champions League 36: Confidence running through Barcelona veins now as Luis Suarez goes for an audacious chip from the halfway line. Yes, Zoet was off his line but no chance from that distance. BARCELONA 1-0 PSV | MESSI 30: Ahh, do me a favour! Lionel Messi has scored his 61st Champions League goal and it’s an absolute stunner. Viergever is booked when bringing Demeble down just outside the penalty area. It’s central and begging to be struck by the magical Argentine. He obliges by stepping up and nonchalantly floating it into the top right-hand corner. Sublime. 26: Luis Suarez trying to be too cleaver when trying to usher Rosario out of play. The PSV star reads it and draws the free-kick. There’s five white shirts in the area… but Pereiro can’t find any of them. Barcelona vs PSV Eindhoven: Express Sport brings you LIVE coverage of the Champions League 21: PSV carved open, but Luis Suarez can’t capitalise. Lionel Messi (who else?!) plays a sublime no-look reverse pass to the Uruguayan, who loses his bearings and fires into the side-netting. 18: Luis Suarez wins a corner for his side. It’s played short with Messi looking to dink it to the overlapping Sergi Roberto but Angelino sniffs it out. Wasted really. 13: I tell you what, PSV look really dangerous! After a poor effort from Luis Suarez, the visitors break with De Jong teeing up Bergwijn, who rifles one just past the post. 6: They might have dominated possession, but it’s the visitors with the first chance of the night. Umtiti fouls De Jong and PSV have themselves a free-kick in a dangerous position but Pereiro slashes it wide. 3: Guess how Barcelona have started? Impeccably. The Spanish side are knocking it around for fun with speed and accuracy. I suspect it will be a long evening for PSV. Barcelona vs PSV Eindhoven: Express Sport brings you LIVE coverage of the Champions League BARCELONA 0-0 PSV 1: And at the unorthodox time of 17:55, we’re underway at the Nou Camp! Predictions? Well, I’ve done a request-a-bet that Philippe Coutinho scores from outside the penalty area and Gerard Pique scores a header at 80/1. Banker, isn’t it?! WHO WILL WIN? 17:50: Betfair have very generously sent me the tournament winner odds (with no hidden agenda) so that we can see who tops the market. It’s Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City who top the pile with Barcelona and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Juventus next in the betting. Not many fancy Manchester United or Tottenham - they can be backed at 20/1+. Champions League winner (courtesy of Betfair): Manchester City 9/2, Barcelona 6/1, Juventus 13/2, Paris St-Germain 7/1, Bayern Munich 8/1, Real Madrid 17/2, Liverpool 12/1, Atletico Madrid 12/1, Manchester United 20/1, Tottenham 25/1. Barcelona vs PSV Eindhoven: Express Sport brings you LIVE coverage of the Champions League PHILIPPE… 17:45: Philippe Coutinho is desperate to make up for lost time. The 26-year-old Brazil international made his £142million move from Liverpool to the Nou Camp in January having already played for the Premier League club in the competition and was a frustrated by-stander as they went out to Roma in the quarter-finals. "It will be a special, important night for me. I'm looking forward to this because I couldn't play in this competition for Barca last season,” Coutinho said. "We are Barca and we want to win every competition we play in. The Champions League is a huge competition and we want to do big things. "It's a very demanding competition because of the quality of the teams involved, but both us players and the fans are really hungry to win it." DIFFERENT WINNER? 17:40: It is always difficult to look beyond Real Madrid and the Spanish giants - who have won four of the past five titles and 13 European crowns overall - will again be among the leading contenders. But this is a new era at the Bernabeu with Zinedine Zidane, the man at the helm for the successes of the past three years, and star player Cristiano Ronaldo having left. Manchester City, Barcelona, PSG, Juventus - with Ronaldo now in their ranks - and Bayern Munich are rated as the sides most likely to relieve them of their crown. Barcelona vs PSV Eindhoven: Express Sport brings you LIVE coverage of the Champions League GROUP OF DEATH… 17:20: After a lack of transfer activity during the summer, there were plenty of questions ahead for Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino. However, after three straight Premier League wins, including turning United over 3-0 at Old Trafford, everyone was left wondering what all the fuss had been about. Come full-time at Wembley on Saturday, though, and a jaded Spurs were staring at back-to-back defeats. The challenges ahead in Europe offer little respite, with a visit to Inter Milan first up. Barcelona and PSV Eindhoven are also in the Group B mix, which means there are few margins for error if Pochettino is to safely guide his side through to the knockout stages. BARCELONA vs PSV - TEAM NEWS 17:10: Right then, let’s have a look at these sides. The headline news is that Philippe Coutinho makes his Champions League debut for Barcelona. Obviously he was ineligible having joined them from Liverpool in January. Ernesto Valverde has made two changes from the side that beat Real Sociedad with Sergio Busquets and Coutinho replacing Nelson Semedo and Rafinha, who are among the substitutes. Any changes for PSV? Nope. And why would you change a side that just hammered Den Haag 7-0 in the Eredivisie. Former Newcastle loanee Luuk de Jong captains the side. The highly sought-after winger Hirving Lozano also starts. Barcelona vs PSV Eindhoven: Express Sport brings you LIVE coverage of the Champions League WIN A SIGNED SHIRT... 17:00: No, not you! PSV Eindhoven coach Mark van Bommel says his players can fight it out for Barcelona star Lionel Messi's shirt if they win at the Nou Camp. Barcelona host the Dutch league leaders and Van Bommel wants his players to stay professional as they face the player he described as the best in the world. "If tomorrow we get a good result I don't care if they fight for Messi's shirt," Van Bommel said. "That is part of being a professional, to always be concentrating. I know they will ask him for the shirt, but they shouldn't do it at halftime." Barcelona vs PSV Eindhoven: Express Sport brings you LIVE coverage of the Champions League VARDLY 16:55: And that’s what happens when you try to combine ‘Hardly’ with ‘VAR’ - looks like someone has spelled Vardy wrong. The video assistant referee is coming to the Champions League - but not just yet.<doc-sep>TF-Images/Getty Images Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick as Barcelona got off to a winning start in the 2018/19 UEFA Champions League by beating PSV Eindhoven 4-0 in Group B at the Camp Nou on Tuesday. Ousmane Dembele also got on the scoresheet as Barca underlined the attacking quality sure to make La Liga's champions among the favourites for this season's trophy. Not even a late red card for centre-back Samuel Umtiti could take the gloss of a comfortable win for the Blaugrana. Hirving Lozano Not Ready for Barca Move just Yet Hirving Lozano is the rising star of this PSV team. He powered the club to another domestic title last season before thriving for Mexico during this summer's FIFA World Cup in Russia. Naturally, big clubs are circling, with Barca and La Liga rivals Atletico Madrid said to be keen, per Manolete of AS. ESPN FC's Samuel Marsden noted how Lozano hasn't been shy about talking up the prospect of joining the Blaugrana: While his stock remains on the rise, the early evidence suggests Lozano should wait a while longer before thinking about the Camp Nou. He didn't have many positive moments during an opening half where PSV held their own despite falling 1-0 behind. Videos you might like The visitors struggled to get moving on the counter or muster a cutting edge up top. Lozano's struggles were part of the problem: His issues continued in the second half when profligate finishing wasted some promising breaks. Lozano blasted over when he got by left-back Jordi Alba, then saw a shot deflected after being teed up in the box by Steven Bergwijn. He also had a goal chalked off for offside late on. Lozano will have easier nights, but if he is going to become one of the game's elite he'll need to do more in his next audition against marquee opposition. The gifted forward would be wise to set his sights on impressing during the return against Barca at the Philips Stadion on November 28. Messi and Coutinho Partnership Dynamic Enough to win the Trophy Barca can always count on Messi to deliver the goods, but the club has usually only won this tournament when its main man has a credible supporting act. Fortunately for manager Ernesto Valverde, Philippe Coutinho is forming a dynamic partnership with Messi. The two were on the same wavelength from the off against PSV. They combined effortlessly at pace by exchanging deft flicks and smart touches to leave defenders chasing shadows and create spaces for other to exploit. Coutinho and Messi's symmetry left onlookers wowed: Together they were the creative catalysts for the hosts: Linking with Messi was easy for Coutinho, who was in the mood to showcase his distinctive flair and vision: He continued to conjure magic after the break, going close with shots from distance after meeting more neat layoffs from Messi. Coutinho stayed bright to offer a reminder of his class in what can be a defining season for the Brazil international. Progress has been steady since he joined Barca from Liverpool back in January. However, Coutinho's ability to supplement Messi, in the way Thierry Henry, Andres Iniesta and Neymar did in previous years, can land the Blaugrana a sixth Champions League title. Ousmane Dembele's Erratic Brilliance is Barca's Missing Ingredient If ever there was a perfect illustration of Ousmane Dembele's erratic brilliance it came from his stunning strike to double Barca's lead on 74 minutes. The curled effort from outside of the box came suddenly after a prolonged period where the talented French forward had drifted out of the game. Replacing periods of lethargy with magic on this scale sums up the difference Dembele can make. His value as a game-changer explains why patience has been needed after a stop-start first season in Spain where injuries stalled his progress: Dembele was linked with a switch to Arsenal this summer, but his mercurial ability means he remains an integral member of Valverde's squad. It's also why he can be the missing ingredient able to turn Barca into Champions League winners again. What's Next? Barca will continue their bid to retain La Liga's title by hosting Girona on Sunday. Meanwhile, PSV will face Ajax at the Philips Stadion on the same day.<doc-sep>
Messi takes apart PSV Champions League - Barcelona vs PSV Argentine nets hat-trick in Champions League opener for Barcelona A hat-trick from Lionel Messi helped Barcelona kick off their UEFA Champions League Group B campaign with a 4-0 victory over PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday night at the Camp Nou in Barcelona. The Argentine opened the scoring on the half-hour mark with one of his patented free kicks, before a sensational solo effort from Ousmane Dembele doubled the lead in the 75th minute. Messi would then put the three points on ice with his second of the night in the 77th minute before completing his hat-trick a few minutes from full-time. The final scoreline will perhaps be a bit unfair to PSV, who certainly had their chances on the counterattack, but were done in by their wayward finishing and the exploits of Messi. Unlike last Saturday's league fixture at Real Sociedad, Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde opted to field his strongest starting XI, with Philippe Coutinho back in midfield pulling the strings for the attacking trio of Messi, Luis Suarez and Dembele. While Barcelona mostly had PSV pinned back in their own half, the Dutch side were plenty dangerous on the counter and perhaps with some better accuracy, either Gaston Pereiro in the eighth minute of Steven Bergwijn in the 14th minute could have opened the scoring for the guests. After a half-hour the PSV resistance was holding, but it would soon be overcome by the irresistible force of a Messi free-kick. Dembele was brought down by Nick Viergever outside the area and the free kick was set up perfectly for La Pulga to swing in a left-footer to hand Barcelona a 1-0 lead. The approach of both teams stayed the same to start the second half. Barcelona owning possession and using their intricate, short passing to create chances, while PSV stayed compact in their area and looked to strike quickly on the counter. Outside of a curling right-footer from Coutinho that forced a save from PSV goalkeeper Zoet and a Suarez shot off the crossbar, Barcelona were still failing to find a second and the counterattacks kept coming for PSV. While the visitors could not capitalise, it was a reminder that they were just a goal away from pulling level. One could say that Barcelona were trying to craft too perfect of a goal with their passing to no effect, so Dembele took it upon himself to make some magic by escaping a pair of PSV defenders before rocketing a right-footer in past Zoet to increase the Barcelona lead to 2-0. With the two-goal cushion, Barcelona had PSV on the ropes and two minutes later Messi landed the knockout blow by receiving a perfectly lofted pass in from Ivan Rakitic and finishing strong for a 3-0 advantage. The only stain on the evening for Barcelona was a sending off for Samuel Umtiti, who received his second yellow card of the night for a harsh foul on Hirving Lozano. But even with 10 men Barcelona were punishing, and Messi completed his hat-trick and the 4-0 scoreline thanks to a touch pass from Suarez. Match Sheet: 4- Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Sergi Roberto, Pique, Umtiti, Jordi Alba; Busquets, Rakitic (Vidal, min. 85), Coutinho (Lenglet, min. 81); Messi, Suarez, Dembele (Arthur, min. 83). 0- PSV: Zoet; Dumfries, Schwaab, Viergever (Isimat-Mirin, min. 66), Angelino; Hendrix, Rosario (Gutierrez, min. 82), Pereiro; Lozano, Bergwijn, De Jong Goals: 1-0, min. 31: Messi; 2-0, min. 75: Dembele; 3-0, min. 77: Messi; 4-0, min. 88: Messi Referee: Tasos Sidiropoulos (Greece). Yellow cards: Viergever (Min. 30) for PSV, Umtiti (Min. 55) for Barcelona, De Jong (Min. 57) for PSV, Umtiti (Min. 79) for Barcelona Red cards: Umtiti (Min. 79) for Barcelona. Stadium: Camp Nou. Attendance: 73.462.