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Watch: When he goes high, they go low; How a PSV player tried to stop Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi scored a record eighth hat-trick of UEFA Champions League during FC Barcelona’s Group B opener against PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday.

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Lionel Messi scored a record eighth hat-trick of UEFA Champions League during FC Barcelona’s Group B opener against PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday.

It was overall 48th career hat-trick for Barcelona's skipper.

UEFA have introduced a handful of earlier kick-offs in every Champions League midweek this season, and it was still light at the Camp Nou as Messi-led Barcelona kicked off against PSV Eindhoven.

Messi has made clear his determination to go all the way in Europe this season and the Argentine duly scored the first goal of the 2018-19 group stage from a superb first-half free-kick.

WATCH Messi’s spectacular free-kick from the stands here:

 

 

When Messi was ready for the free-kick, a PSV player lied down behind the wall in case Messi went under the wall on his free kick. It’s not a very common tactic but apparently, it has been done quite a few times.

 

 

 

In the past, the Brazilians were one of the teams to have tried the same tactic and their opponents that match were Messi’s Argentina. Brazil had Marcelo hiding behind the wall and interestingly, it was again Messi at the free-kick position. The result was the same as Tuesday night – the tactic could not stop Messi from converting the free-kick into a splendid goal.

On Tuesday, Barca ran away with the game in the second half, with Ousmane Dembele scoring a stunner before Messi added two more to complete his eighth Champions League hat-trick, one more than Cristiano Ronaldo, and seal a 4-0 win.

Watch Barcelona 4-0 PSV highlights here: 

"Normally if you score a hat-trick you frame it. But he makes the extraordinary routine," said Barca coach Ernesto Valverde, whose side had Samuel Umtiti sent off late on.

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