Minsk (Belarus): Lionel Messi scored once in each half as Barcelona routed BATE Borisov 5-0 in the Champions League on Wednesday for the defending champions' first victory in Group H.
With his double, Messi joined Ladislau Kubala as Barcelona's second all-time leading scorer with 194 goals.
Barcelona took advantage of the hosts' defensive errors to cruise to a comfortable win.
An own goal by BATE midfielder Aleksandr Volodko put Barcelona ahead before Pedro Rodriguez and Messi sent the Spanish giants into half-time with a 3-0 lead.
Messi got his second just after the restart with a cracking strike from inside the area, and David Villa capped the win in the 90th.
The 24-year-old Messi has the chance to surpass Kubala on Sunday at Sporting Gijon in the Spanish league. Kubala played for Barca for a decade from 1951.
Barcelona's top-scorer Cesar Rodriguez scored 235 goals from 1942-55. If Messi keeps scoring at the same rate he did last season, he could pass that mark before this campaign is over.
Barcelona have four points, even with AC Milan after the Italians beat Viktoria Plzen 2-0.
BATE and Viktoria Plzen were left with one point each.
In a mild surprise, Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola left center-back Gerard Pique on the bench again, despite him returning from injury as a substitute at the weekend, and selected midfielder Javier Mascherano in the center of defence with Carles Puyol.
Seydou Keita also got the nod over Sergio Busquets in midfield, while Thiago Alcantara started in place of Cesc Fabregas.
Mateja Kezman spearheaded a BATE attack that was without injured striker Vitali Rodionov, but the former Chelsea player rarely received the ball as Barcelona dominated possession from the outset.
BATE put 10 men behind the ball and for the first 15 minutes succeeded in limiting the visitors to a long strike by Thiago and a Messi free kick.
With their short passing game frustrated, Barcelona broke through BATE's defence by uncharacteristically going over the top.
Volodko tried to clear Dani Alves' cross for Messi but ended up sending the ball into his own net to give the visitors the lead in the 19th.
Three minutes later, Villa followed Alves' example and picked out Pedro at the far post for the Spain forward to guide his header over goalkeeper Aleksandr Gutor to double Barcelona's advantage.
A lapse in defence almost let BATE pull one back, but Puyol scrambled to block Volodko's close-range strike before Villa drew a diving save from Gutor.
But moments later an error by the BATE keeper put the result beyond doubt when Gutor let Pedro's tame cross slip through his hands for Messi to tap across the goalline.
Ten minutes after half-time Messi scored his second with a rising left-footed shot after Alves slid him the ball inside the area for his 14th goal in 10 matches this season.
The two-time Ballon D'Or winner came close to setting up another Barcelona goal with a perfectly-placed diagonal pass to Eric Abidal, only to see Gutor block his low strike.
Villa slotted home his late goal after a counter-attack, with the BATE defence in tatters.
Comments
0 comment