Champions League 2018/19: Top 5 results from Matchday 1

#4 Barcelona 4-0 PSV

Messi has already laid the marker for this season

This was the game that kicked off the new Champions League season and if the morning shows the day, we are in for a fabulous season of football. Barcelona went into the game unbeaten and leading in La Liga, but Valverde did not underestimate PSV, putting out his strongest available team to face the Dutch Champions.

The game started with PSV looking the better side, however, it did not take long for Barcelona to stamp their authority on the evening and the first goal of the new Champions League season will certainly be one of the best goals of the year. Lionel Messi, the magician, crafted the perfect free kick to send Barcelona 1-0 up. The score would remain the same at the break, but there was a lot more to come in the second half.

The first talking point came from Dembele, who, with a turn curled in an incredible goal in the 74th minute, doubling Barcelona’s lead. 3 minutes later, Messi latched on to Rakitic’s pass and finished first time, his second of the night.

In the 79th minute, Umtiti saw his second yellow of the night, got his marching orders and put Barcelona in a little bit of trouble. Messi brushed those troubles aside in the 87th minute, receiving Suarez’s ball and completing his hattrick. The game ended 4-0 to Barcelona and saw two new records set by Lionel Messi – the most hattricks in the Champions League and the most goals scored in the group stages of the Champions League.