Eto’o treble puts brilliant Barca on brink of last 16

BARCELONA striker Samuel Eto’o scored a stunning hat-trick in a 5-0 Nou Camp demolition of Panathinaikos that put the Catalans on the brink of qualifying for the last 16 of the Champions League last night.

Barca tore the Greek side apart as they raced into a 4-0 lead in a whirlwind first half, Dutchman Mark van Bommel opening the scoring inside the first minute.

Eto’o made it 2-0 with a fine header before a quarter of an hour was up and Argentine prodigy Lionel Messi scored an opportunist third 11 minutes before the break.