Barcelona may have won this top versus bottom Champions League Group D clash, but it didn’t quite go as smoothly as they would have hoped.

Ernesto Valverde’s men took the lead early in the first-half through an own goal from Dimitris Nikolaou, but Pique was then foolishly sent off just before the first period drew to a close.

They continued to dominate with 10 men, though, and all but secured the three points thanks to two strikes from Messi and Lucas Digne. Olympiacos did pull one back late on, but it was too little too late as Barcelona eased to their third win from three in this season’s Champions League campaign.

The Catalans, as always, started the game on the front foot and had an immediate chance to open the scoring. Deulofeu swung in a corner towards Umtiti, who flicked it on to Suarez at the back post, but he couldn’t direct his sliding effort on target.

Barcelona took a thoroughly deserved lead after 18 minutes after Busquets picked out Deulofeu on the right with a sublime cross-field ball. The former Everton man hit a first time volley back across goal, which was deflected into his own net by Nikolaou.

After taking the lead, the hosts settled into a very smooth rhythm and had the ball in the net again four minutes later. Iniesta squared for Paulinho, who calmly slotted home, but the Spanish midfielder was ruled to be in an offside position in the build up.

They almost made it two seven minutes later when Iniesta again perfectly picked out the run of Paulinho, who rose highest to head on from the penalty spot, but his effort rebounded back off the crossbar.

Just after the half-hour mark, Messi bundled through the Olympiakos defence before playing in Suarez, who clearly didn’t have his shooting boots on. The Uruguayan forward was one-on-one with Silvio Proto, but the onrushing goalkeeper did incredibly well to keep his strike out.

In an incredible end to the half, Pique thought he had scored, but seconds later saw red for a second bookable offence. Proto could only parry a fierce Deulofeu strike into the path of the defender, who bundled the ball over the line and started to celebrate. The referee, however, spotted that the Pique had used his hand to push the ball into the net and dismissed him after he had picked up his first yellow for pulling Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe back earlier on in the half.

Despite being reduced to 10 men, Barcelona continued on the front foot at the start of the second period.

The hosts doubled their lead through a textbook free-kick from none other than the left boot of Messi. After being brought down on the edge of the box by Nikolaou, he stepped up and bent his strike over the wall and into the back of the net. Proto, however, will be disappointed he didn’t keep the strike out after getting a strong hand to it.

And the Nou Camp didn’t have to wait much longer for the third. Messi this time turned provider as he got to the right byline before cutting back into the path of Digne, who made no mistake as he calmly slotted into the far corner with a very neat strike.

The visitors did score a consolation goal in the dying minutes when Nikolaou rose highest to meet a corner and brilliantly place a header in the back of the Barcelona net.

But that was all they could manage as Barcelona closed out the game with ease to put them firmly at the top of Group D, while Olympiacos remain rock-bottom without a single point.

Dimitrios Nikolaou

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