Arda Turan hat-trick helps Barcelona hammer Borussia Monchengladbach

An under-strength Barcelona easily dispatched Borussia Monchengladbach in their final Champions League group stage match.

With a number of first-team regulars either suspended, injured or rested, Barca made eight changes to the side that started El Clasico but dominated throughout.

Lionel Messi was one of the few survivors and opened the scoring in trademark fashion, slotting home after playing a nice one-two with Arda Turan.

Turan then scored a hat-trick in the space of 17 second-half minutes as an underwhelming Gladbach side were put to the sword.

The standings in Group C had already been decided before Tuesday night's fixtures, with Barca topping the group ahead of Manchester City and Gladbach finishing in third.

Barca show off strength in depth. The eight changes from Saturday’s team saw all six of Barcelona’s summer signings start, as well as Turan and Aleix Vidal, who arrived the previous summer, and the way the side stylishly hammered the visitors suggests that these were shrewd additions that give the Catalans squad depth that has perhaps been lacking in the last few years. Admittedly Gladbach were poor and the likes of Jasper Cillessen – who didn’t have a save to make – haven’t proved much but everyone appeared to fit into Barcelona’s system seamlessly and this win, while inconsequential in the group, should boost morale and is another warning to the rest of Europe. All that was missing was a first goal for Paco Alcacer.

Arda Turan (Barcelona). It’s probably fair to say he’s underwhelmed since arriving at Barcelona, but not tonight. He was Barcelona’s most dangerous player throughout, regularly getting in behind Gladbach’s backline as he did to set up Messi. His hat-trick, while unspectacular, was a showcase in clever movement and clinical finishing with his second in particular really well taken and once he went off Barca weren’t the same attacking force.

Barcelona: Cillessen 6, Vidal 8, Mascherano 6, Umtiti 6, Digne 7, Gomes 7, D. Suarez 7, Iniesta 7, Messi 8, Turan 8, Alcacer 6. Subs: Rafinha 6, Cardona 6.

Borussia Monchengladbach: Sommer 8, Christensen 6, Vestergaard 6, Jantschke 5, Elvedi 5, Strobl 5, Dahoud 7, Korb 6, Schulz 5, Hazard 5, Hahn 5. Subs: Kramer 5, Johnson 6, Raffael 6.

16’ – GOAL! Barcelona 1-0 Gladbach. It's trademark Messi as he picks the ball up on the edge of the box, plays in Turan and is then on hand to receive his cross and slide the ball into the far corner.

50’ – GOAL! Barcelona 2-0 Gladbach. Suarez gets played in behind the Gladbach defence down the right and his deflected cross loops up to the back post where Turan nods in.

53’ – GOAL! Barcelona 3-0 Gladbach. Vidal again gets in behind down the right and after being picked out by Messi he crosses low for Vidal who controls the finish beautifully into the bottom corner.

67’ - GOAL! Barcelona 4-0 Gladbach. Rafinha puts Alcacer through and he squares the ball across the six yard box for Turan to tap in for a hat-trick.

81 – CHANCE! Gladbach go on a rare foray forward which sees Raffael put Johnson through on goal but rounding Cillessen takes him wide and his subsequent cross evades everyone.

Barcelona have topped their group for the tenth season in a row.

Messi has scored 51 goals in 51 Champions League games at the Camp Nou.

Borussia Monchengladbach didn’t have a single shot.