Report: Messi and Suarez score two each as Barcelona stick six past Roma at Camp Nou

After ridiculing Real Madrid, Barca picked up their instruments of torture and went in search of a new victim.

Roma were the unlucky visitors to Camp Nou and this time Luis Enrique had an extra weapon in his armoury, a fully fit and fresh Lionel Messi ready to start and ready to make Roma squirm. Reassembling the most deadly trident in footballing history, Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez trampled all over the Italians to book Barca’s place in the last 16 of the Champions League and secure their place at the top of Group E. 

The Argentine scored twice, as did the Uruguayan, while Neymar squandered his chance to get in on the act from the penalty spot. But the Brazilian still played his part in Roma’s torment, while Gerard Pique and Adriano completed the rout and even Marc Andre ter Stegen got involved, saving Edin Dzeko’s penalty late on - although the Bosnian did grab a late consolation in the end. 

Saturday’s demolition of Real Madrid was rightly hailed as historic by Luis Enrique, but his side were just getting warmed up. Although this thrashing may have lacked the intensity of their thrilling exhibition at the Bernabeu, it was in fact a more complete performance, a true demonstration of their powers and their hunger to retain the Champions League.

Roma are only three points behind Serie A leaders Inter Milan but the gulf in class when faced with Barca was striking. Indeed, it’s incredible think these teams drew 1-1 at the Olympic Stadium back in September, when Barca were rocked by Alessandro Florenzi’s 50-yard screamer and the agonising cruciate knee ligament injury to Rafinha. That was a troubling night for the Catalans, but this was a celebration, a footballing party at their house to add to the joy of humiliating their rivals at their place just three days before.

Despite Roma’s inferior performance, the Italians came within inches of taking the lead. They took a short corner and slowly worked the ball up towards Dzeko, who beat Ter Stegen to the cross but couldn’t quite keep his header under the bar.

Barca responded to this scare ruthlessly. Neymar spread the ball from the middle to the right wing in a manner we often associate with Messi, allowing Alves to race down the wing and roll the ball back across the box for Suarez, who had time to control the ball and walk it into the empty net.

Just a couple of minutes later scorer turned supplier in the most exquisite display of the telepathic understanding between the trident. Neymar received from Thomas Vermaelen and played two wall passes with Messi, who then knocked it to Suarez, who flicked it into the air for Messi to scamper into the box and deftly chip over the body of Szczesny and into the far corner.

With Neymar and Suarez still setting the stadium alight in his absence, you could not say that Barca have missed their icon. But my God was it great to have him back.

Barca took a brief pause after scoring twice in three minutes and did not strike again until a minute before the break, Suarez unleashing a volley after Roma failed to clear the danger properly.

When the half-time whistle arrived Roma must have wished it was the full-time whistle, for they were being shamelessly outclassed. 

Their former boss Luis Enrique was already thinking about Saturday’s game with Real Sociedad and withdrew Busquets for 20-year-old Sergi Samper at the start of the second half. Marc Bartra was also waiting to come on but he had to wait for Pique to score first. 

The defender was denied the chance to pile more misery on Madrid by Munir but was presented with a gift by Messi and side-footed into the empty net to make it four. But Messi wasn’t content with just one goal and one assist, and carved his way through the Roma defence yet again, shooting at Szczesny and then following up the rebound to walk the ball in and make it 5-0. Things were getting out of hand.

Roma did manage one break after Barca lost possession but guess who was there to make the tactical foul and sacrifice a booking? Messi, not a player exactly known for tracking back, sprinted to make an ungainly tackle on compatriot Juan Manuel Iturbe, one of many Argentines to have been dubbed the new Messi. It is not a tag any player would want, for when faced with the real thing, there really is no one who can hope to truly compare with the little genius from Rosario.

Messi could have had completed a hat-trick when Neymar was felled in the box, but he allowed his friend and team-mate to take it. The in-form Brazilian could not beat Szczesny but Adriano could, ramming the ball into the top corner. Messi then had another chance to get his third but was denied by the Polish goalkeeper.

At the other end Vermaelen tripped Dzeko to allow Roma the chance to grab the most scant of consolation goals. The Bosnian missed from the spot, denied by Ter Stegen, but he did get his goal, heading home second before the referee blew for full time.