Messi treble sends Barca through

LIONEL MESSI scored a hat-trick as Barcelona became the first team to book their place in the UEFA Champions League knockout stages with a 4-0 win at Viktoria Plzen.

Pep Guardiola’s men proved far too strong for the Czech side, whose already tall order had become an almost insurmountable one after Marian Cisovsky was sent off for fouling Messi in the 22nd minute.

Messi tucked away the resulting penalty and added his second in first-half injury time. Cesc Fabregas added a third on 72 before Messi completed his hat-trick in the last minute to guarantee the holders’ passage out of a lopsided Group H.