Neymar Treble, Messi Brace Fire Ruthless Barcelona Past Granada
FC Barcelona returned to winning ways in emphatic fashion with a 6-0 demolition of Granada at Camp Nou on Saturday, as Neymar netted a hat-trick and Lionel Messi added a brace to reaffirm the Catalan giants’ attacking might ahead of their Champions League showdown with Paris Saint-Germain.
After being held to a frustrating midweek goalless draw against Málaga, Luis Enrique’s men responded with purpose, dismantling a disjointed Granada side with a performance full of flair, intensity, and precision.
It was Neymar who opened the scoring in the 25th minute, pouncing on a defensive error from Granada’s Jeison Murillo to slot home the first goal. Ivan Rakitic doubled the lead shortly before halftime, heading in a Dani Alves cross in the 43rd minute. Just two minutes later, Neymar struck again—this time finishing a quick team move to send Barcelona into the break with a commanding 3-0 lead.
The second half offered no respite for the visitors. Lionel Messi made it 4-0 in the 62nd minute, timing his run perfectly to meet a clever cutback from Jordi Alba. Five minutes later, Neymar completed his hat-trick with a composed finish after a flowing move involving Andrés Iniesta and Messi. The Argentine maestro capped the night with his second goal in the 82nd minute, capitalising on another defensive lapse from Granada to make it six.
The victory keeps Barcelona top of La Liga, pending results from title rivals Valencia and Sevilla. More importantly, it sends a powerful message to Paris Saint-Germain, who face the Spanish side in the Champions League group stage in midweek. While PSG were held to a draw in Toulouse, Barcelona now travel to Paris full of confidence and with their front line firing on all cylinders.
Luis Enrique praised his side’s sharpness after the game. “We needed to bounce back after the Málaga result, and we did it in the best possible way,” he said. “Everyone was focused, and the goals reflect the hard work on and off the ball.”
With Neymar and Messi combining to devastating effect, and Rakitic pulling the strings from midfield, Barcelona looked every inch a side ready to compete at the highest level in Europe. The upcoming clash in Paris promises to be a defining test, but if this performance is anything to go by, the Blaugrana are more than ready.
