Messi hits 3 as Barcelona beats Guardiola’s Man City
BARCELONA, Spain — Lionel Messi scored a hat trick to inflict a humbling defeat on his former mentor Pep Guardiola on Wednesday, leading Barcelona to an emphatic 4-0 victory over Manchester City in the Champions League.
Messi sped through City’s defence and around former Barcelona goalkeeper Claudio Bravo before giving the hosts a 17th-minute lead in a Group C match that both teams finished with 10 men.
It only got worse for Bravo, who was sent off in the 53rd minute for using his hands to block a shot outside the area after his poor pass gifted the ball to Luis Suarez.
Messi struck again in the 61st and 69th to take his total to 89 goals in Europe’s top club competition. The Argentina forward is second only to Cristiano Ronaldo, who has scored 98.