Messi finally conquers Buffon as Barca beats Juventus 3-0
BARCELONA,
Spain (AP) -- Lionel Messi finally scored against goalkeeper
Gianluigi Buffon as Barcelona beat Juventus 3-0 in their first match of
the Champions League group stage on Tuesday.
Messi
grabbed his 95th and 96th goals in the Champions League, breaking the
deadlock just before the end of the first half. After he had hit the
post and played a part in Ivan Rakitic's second goal, Messi beat Buffon
again to round off the commanding win.
Messi's goals were his first ever against the 39-year-old Buffon, who had kept him without a goal in three previous meetings.
Ousmane
Dembele, the most expensive signing in Barcelona's history, made his
first start for the Catalan club. The 20-year-old France forward helped
in Messi's goal on a counterattack that caught Juventus' defense
off-guard. Messi took the ball from Dembele, worked a quick one-two
passing combination with Luis Suarez and then rolled a left-footed shot
just inside the far post.
Messi helped make it
2-0 in the 56th when his dangerous low cross was cleared by substitute
Stefano Sturaro back to Rakitic, who fired it home.
Messi
got his double in the 66th when he took the ball on the right side, cut
back to go around two defenders before he left Buffon with no chance
against another left-footed strike which smacked the lower corner of his
net.
Barcelona's all-time top scorer, Messi has scored eight goals in six games across all competitions this season.
Juventus eliminated Barcelona from last year's quarterfinals en route to losing the final to defending champion Real Madrid.
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