Barcelona takes control over their Group

Lionel Messi’s double gave Barcelona a 2-0 win over FC Copenhagen on Wednesday in the Champions League despite the hosts’ poor finishing in front of goal. Messi found space outside the area to launch a shot past goalkeeper Johan Wiland into the top corner in the 19th minute. He added the second in injury time after a nervous second half for Barcelona.

Wiland had saved from Messi, David Villa and Daniel Alves to keep the Danish champions in the match at the Camp Nou stadium. But Copenhagen striker Cesar Martin wasted several chances and Dame N’Doye rattled a shot off the crossbar.

Barcelona’s usual precise passing game saw it dominate the first half, but the Danes did not surrender despite going behind early and looked close to equalizing on several occasions before Messi’s fourth goal of the competition.

Messi’s first goal was a spectacular shot high into the net from Andres Iniesta’s pass, while his second was more simple, the Argentina striker controlling Eric Abidal’s errant volley as it came down before poking into goal.

Even with Xavi Hernandez starting on the bench, Barcelona looked ready to roll over Copenhagen as Villa hit the crossbar after five minutes before Wiland stopped Maxwell and then snatched away a hard Messi header inside 17 minutes.

N’Doye missed a header from a well-placed cross in the 48th and then fired a shot past goalkeeper Jose Manuel Pinto—who was filling in for Victor Valdes— in the 67th but found the crossbar. With Pinto out of position and an open net beckoning, Cesar Martin somehow managed to head the rebound wide.

Cesar Martin had already provoked the ire of coach Stale Solbakken in the 26th when the Brazilian striker surprisingly pulled up from a run thinking he was offside, even though no referee’s whistle was forthcoming.

Only Daniel Alves kept Christian Bolanos from getting Copenhagen on the board in the 74th with a last-ditch sliding tackle. Daniel Alves, one of Barcelona’s standouts, sliced a shot off the far post in the 87th as Barcelona looked to close out and avoid dropping points at home, as it had in the group stage last season in a 1-0 defeat to Rubin Kazan.