'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Barcelona kicked off their Champions League campaign with a comprehensive 5-1 victory over Ferencvaros at Camp Nou.
Captain and talisman Lionel Messi opened the scoring from the spot in the 27th minute while Ansu Fati doubled the lead 15 minutes later to give the Blaugrana a 2-0 half-time lead.
Philippe Coutinho made it three early in the second half before Gerard Pique was shown a red card for a foul on Tokmac Nguen inside the box.
Igor Kharatin made no mistake from the resultant penalty but any hopes of an unlikely comeback were quelled when Pedri stepped off the bench to score his first goal for Barcelona.
Ousmane Dembele added a fifth late in the game to give Barcelona a comfortable victory and put them in the driving seat in Group G of the Champions League.
The Blaugrana came into this game on the back of a shock 1-0 defeat to Getafe last weekend and they started shakily against a side that were making their first Champions League appearance in 25 years.
Ferencvaros did not seem fazed by the prospect of facing off against the Catalan giants and gave as good as they got in the early stages.
However, Messi's goal sucked the life out of them and from then on, Barcelona seized the initiative. This result puts them in good stead ahead of the blockbuster El Clasico this weekend.
Here, we shall have a rundown of five talking points from the fixture.
#5 Phenomenal Fati continues record-breaking run
Ansu Fati became the latest sensation to emerge from the famed La Masia academy, and big things have been expected of him since he made his professional debut last season.
Several records have consequently been set or broken at both club and international level, and the 17-year-old went one further with the second goal for Barcelona.
Having initially been denied by an excellent save from the Ferencvaros goalkeeper, the Spain international was not to be denied a second time as he guided a miskicked volley past Denes Dibusz.
The goal was his second in the competition and made him the first Under-18 player in history to score two goals or more in the Champions League.
Fati was not done for the night as he turned provider seven minutes into the second half with an excellent backheel for Coutinho to put Barcelona 3-0 up.
Another record was also set with Pedri's goal as the former Las Palmas man - just a month older than Fati - ensured that this was the first time that two different Under-18 players scored in the same Champions League match.
#4 Ferencvaros fail to take advantage of bright start against Barcelona
This is inarguably the weakest Barcelona team in the last 15 years, and any aura of invincibility the La Liga giants used to have has since dissipated.
Perhaps sensing that the Blaugrana were there for the taking, the Hungarian champions came all out for victory and did not mind the disparity in quality between the two sides.
The visitors were very much the better side in the opening exchanges and had a goal ruled out for offside while they also struck the post in the early minutes.
Messi's goal swung the pendulum in Barcelona's favour and Ferencvaros were left kicking themselves at their inability to make the most of their early dominance.
Also check out: Complete Champions League Schedule 2020/21
#3 More misery for out-of-sorts Griezmann
Things have hardly gone to plan for Antoine Griezmann since completing his mega move from Atletico Madrid to Barcelona last summer.
If he was expecting a new lease of life with a different manager, that has not been the case as the France international looks as lost as ever under Ronald Koeman.
He subtly called out his club manager for playing him out of position after starring for France in the Nations League but Koeman responded that it was the player's job to make the most of opportunities afforded to him.
This has not happened so far and having put up another anonymous showing against Getafe, the 28-year-old was left out of the starting line-up against Ferencvaros.
The former Real Sociedad man did not get a single minute of action, and this would have come as a major disappointment as the lower stature of the opponents represented a perfect opportunity for him to open his account and build confidence for the season.
It says a lot that Antoine Griezmann has now struggled under three different Barcelona managers, and time is fast running out for him to make a success out of his Blaugrana career.
#2 Morale-booster for Barcelona ahead of important Clasico clash
Barcelona will square off against Real Madrid this weekend and having flattered to deceive so far, this positive result would go some way in restoring their confidence ahead of the fixture with their most-heated rivals.
Los Blancos themselves are not in the best of form and also suffered a shock home defeat to Cadiz on Saturday.
Although Ferencvaros are not the most illustrious of opponents, the emphatic victory in this game would go some way in restoring Barcelona's fragile confidence.
#1 Yet another record for majestic Messi
The summer headlines were dominated with news surrounding Lionel Messi's bombshell decision to leave Barcelona.
Having resolved the issue, attention turned to him giving his best to the Catalan giants and trying to help the club achieve their aims.
It has not been smooth sailing for the Argentina international as he came into this game with just one goal from his previous four matches - a penalty in the opening day victory over Villarreal.
It is very rare that the six-time Ballon d'Or winner goes four games without a goal from open play and in all honesty, he has not looked as sharp as he usually does, leading Koeman to suggest that his captain could 'play better.'
Although he did not score from open play, Messi opened the scoring for Barcelona in the 27th minute with a well-taken penalty and, in the process, wrote his name in the record books yet again.
The goal made him only the second player in history to score in 16 different Champions League seasons, joining Ryan Giggs in attaining the milestone.
However, Messi went one further by doing his in consecutive seasons and he is the only player to have attained this feat.\
Also check out: Updated Champions League Standings 2020/21
