Barca Finish Year With Club World Cup Success

December 20, 2015

Barcelona finished the year with a dazzling display as they sealed World Club Cup success with a 3-0 win over River Plate in Yokohama.

With Neymar, Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi all starting for Barcelona, the result was never in doubt, especially after Messi had given the reigning European champions a first-half lead.

Luis Suarez took over after the break, firstly racing clear on 49 minutes to double his side's advantage, before heading a perfect Neymar cross into the top corner on 68 minutes to seal more trophy success.

That's five trophies in the calendar year for the Catalan giants, and with Messi, Neymar and Suarez back together, few look capable of stopping them in their quest for further glory.

Neymar and Messi's inclusion in the starting line-up was somewhat of a surprise, after they had been doubtful in the run up to Sunday's final, but both returned to link up with Suarez, and immediately the telepathy returned between the trio.

Andreas Iniesta's quick-thinking managed to play in Messi, whose snapshot was brilliantly saved by River 'keeper Marcelo Barovero, but it wasn't long before the Argentine talisman was on the scoresheet.

There was a hint of controversy about the goal after 36 minutes, as Messi appeared to control the ball with his hand as he let the ball roll across his body, but that didn't take anything away from the finish, as Messi controlled his strike brilliantly into the bottom corner.

Suarez should have doubled Barca's lead on the stroke of half-time. Messi drifted out to the right and nonchalantly picked out the onrushing Suarez, but he couldn't find the target with Barovero narrowing the angle.

However, just four minutes after the break, Suarez raced clear on the counter, before passing the ball past the despairing dive of Barovero to give his side more breathing space.

Neymar wasn't happy about having the limelight taken away from him, as he tried to take on the entire River side, before just being dispossessed at the last.

The Brazilian then turned provider for Suarez to seal the win. He pulled out left, before lofting an inch-perfect cross on to the head of Suarez, who made no mistake.

Despite having a very quiet evening in Yokohama, Claudio Bravo had to be at his best in the Barca goal to preserve his clean sheet late on, brilliantly springing across his goal to tip a Gonzalo Martinez strike onto the post.

It was a fitting way to cap of a wonderful 2015 for Barca. The result broke club records for the most wins [50] and goals [176] in a calendar year, and sent an ominous message to their rivals, especially with their deadly strike trio back together, and firing on all cylinders.

(Sky Sports)