Messi weaves magic once again

Barcelona 4 Santos 0: LIONEL MESSI scored two wonder goals as European champions Barcelona ripped apart Brazil’s Santos to win…

Barcelona 4 Santos 0:LIONEL MESSI scored two wonder goals as European champions Barcelona ripped apart Brazil's Santos to win their second Club World Cup in swashbuckling style yesterday.

“My players were like artists,” purred Barca coach Pep Guardiola. “Whatever they envisaged in their minds they were able to do on the pitch. It was an incredible performance.” Santos coach Muricy Ramalho called Barcelona “invincible” after his team were torn to shreds in Yokohama.

“Barcelona are the greatest team in the world,” he said. “No team can live with them. They’re unbeatable at the moment. Losing 4-0 to them is no disgrace.”

Barcelona, who won the title for the first time in Abu Dhabi in 2009, gave Santos no chance, hopes of a shootout between Messi and Brazil’s teenage sensation Neymar quickly evaporating.

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Messi put Barcelona ahead in the 17th minute, exquisitely clipping a left-foot shot over goalkeeper Rafael Cabral after a clever ball from Xavi. Only seven minutes later it was 2-0 when Xavi himself latched on to a pinpoint pass from Dani Alves, beating one defender before smashing the ball home.

Cesc Fabregas hit the post and then stabbed home Barca’s third on the stroke of half-time as the Spanish champions threatened to run riot in front of a crowd of 68,000.

The former Arsenal midfielder came within a whisker of another goal moments after the restart, forcing a magnificent save from Cabral. Player of the tournament Messi made it 4-0 eight minutes from time, bursting past Cabral at breathtaking speed to slip the ball into the net and complete the rout.

“It’s beautiful to be world champions but it’s a team effort,” said Messi. “We often play like that but because it was a final it seemed more beautiful.”

Asked whether he had adopted a 3-7-0 formation, Guardiola shrugged: “I don’t think we were playing 3-7-0. That’s just how we play. We try to control the midfield and exploit space. We wanted to suffocate the supply to Neymar, who we know is a dangerous player, and to Borges. There is no special secret to our success. I am just blessed to work with such terrific players who want to keep on winning.”

Neymar looked shell-shocked after the game. “It’s impossible to stop Barcelona,” said the 19-year-old. “But we are the second-best team in the world and for us that is a great reward.”

BARCELONA: Valdes, Dani Alves, Pique (Mascherano 56), Puyol (Fontas 85), Abidal, Xavi, Busquets, Iniesta, Messi, Fabregas, Thiago (Pedro 78). Subs not used: Pinto, Sanchez, Keita, Jonathan, Maxwell, Adriano, Cuenca, Oier. Booked: Pique,Mascherano.

SANTOS: Barbosa, Edu Dracena, Leo, Durval, Bruno Rodrigo, Danilo (Elano 31), Arouca, Henrique, Ganso (Ibson 83), Borges (Alan Kardec 78), Neymar. Subs not used: Aranha, Bruno Aguiar, Carvalho, Vinicius, Anderson, Renteria, Para, Diogo, Vladimir. Booked: Ganso, Edu Dracena.

Referee:Ravshan Irmatov (Uzbekistan).