In the wake of the 4-0 victory over Real Madrid in El Clásico on Saturday, Barcelona manager Luis Enrique suggested his team did not even hit top form. It appeared an incredulous statement at first, even with Lionel Messi poised to return to the starting XI. Messi and his teammates vindicated the show of faith with a rampant 6-1 victory over AS Roma at the Camp Nou on Tuesday.
Messi and Luis Suarez both scored twice in this romp to clinch Group E with a match to spare, but the plaudits extended throughout the team. This performance punished Roma for its naïve approach in midfield and showcased the menace mustered when Barcelona is in full flight.
There were no doubts about the results after Suarez and Messi struck inside the opening 20 minutes. Suarez thrashed home a volley for his second before halftime. Gerard Pique turned home the fourth from close range, while Messi summed up the route with a straightforward fifth on the hour. Adriano smashed home the sixth after Wojciech Szcezny saved Neymar’s penalty in the final quarter of an hour, while Edin Dzeko atoned for a missed penalty to procure the scantest of consolation goals at the death.
Perhaps the most galling part for Roma: the final score somehow undersold balance of play. Barcelona were utterly rampant on the night, even with a place in the knockout round secured by the 1-1 draw between Bayer Leverkusen and BATE Borisov in Belarus earlier in the evening. This victory erased any lingering doubts about Barcelona’s place atop the group, while AS Roma must now win at home to BATE Borisov on Dec. 9 to secure second spot ahead of Leverkusen.
Barcelona signaled their intent in the early stages with a bright start. The irrepressible display against Madrid fueled them from the outset, while Roma’s peculiar combination of a high line and nonexistent pressure on the ball in midfield merely encouraged them even further.
Messi -- included from the start for the first time since Sept. 26 -- saw his simple finish ruled out for offside as Barcelona staked their claim early. The home side dominated in possession and threatened Roma time and again through the line, though Dzeko missed a presentable header inside the opening quarter of an hour. It proved costly as Suarez and Messi essentially decided the game within minutes.
All of the trouble started with Neymar’s intelligent run into the vacated space in midfield. He picked up the ball without pressure and then struck a sumptuous diagonal from left to right to pick out Dani Alves. The resulting work -- a simple square from Dani Alves, a simple finish from Suarez -- provided the move with its deserved result.
Messi doubled the advantage after sumptuous work in combination. Several Roma defenders were rendered hopeless as Neymar and Suarez combined intricately after a long spell in possession. The resulting ball over the line played Messi through for a neat chip worthy of completing such sharp work in the buildup.
Barcelona eased forward from there with Roma offering no resistance. The balance remained noticeably tipped in midfield as the visitors failed to adjust and watched Barcelona stroke the ball around with impunity. Suarez thrashed home his volley for a deserved third before halftime to point toward a truly famous win.
Camp Nou reverberated with appreciation after the interval as the gulf increased. Pique turned home the fourth from a Messi square, while Messi grabbed his deserved second on the hour as Barcelona punished Roma for their desire to push forward yet again.
Modest faults emerged in the final 20 minutes as Barcelona sauntered toward victory, but even those missteps somehow petered away without rebuke. Neymar missed a penalty, but Adriano swept home the rebound for a sixth. Dzeko drew his own spot kick, but he watched ter Stegen produce a fine save to deny him.
Dzeko finally converted in the dying embers of the game, but the goal did nothing to detract from the nature of this performance. Somehow, Barcelona improved upon their performance from the weekend. And their resulting display justified their manager’s belief and sent a chilling message to any club planning to stand in their way as this Champions League campaign continues.
