Turan shines in defeat of Gladbach

Cape Town - Borussia Monchengladbach had no answer to Barcelona at the Camp Nou on Tuesday after suffering a heavy 4-0 defeat in their final Group C Champions League clash.

The match took place almost entirely in Gladbach's half as the hosts dictated play from start to finish.

Barca's intricate passing saw Arda Turan look to set up Lionel Messi in the 13th minute for their first chance, but the Argentine failed to make contact at the near post.

However, the duo combined to better effect three minutes later when Messi linked up with Andre Gomes and played in the Turkey international, who cut a first-time pass back to the little magician to slot into the bottom-right corner of the net from seven yards out.

Yann Sommer had to be alert to deny Messi a second on 18 minutes after the forward had been released through on goal by Turan and struck a firm effort from 10 yards out that was pushed wide by the keeper.

He was only required to make one more save in the first half, comfortably keeping out Turan's low strike from 19 yards out on 27 minutes, while Gomes, Iniesta and Messi all failed to hit the target with their respective shots before half-time.

It didn't take the Blaugrana long to get into their stride in the second half and they found a second goal on 50 minutes through Turan, who headed home at the back post from Denis Suarez's cross on the right.

The Turkish attacker grabbed his second goal of the game three minutes later as he was picked out in acres of space by Aleix Vidal on the right after latching onto Messi's perfectly-weighted pass.

Paco Alcacer nearly made it 3-0 on 58 minutes after being teed up by Iniesta inside the box, but he shot straight at Sommer from a narrow angle on the left.

Turan completed his three-goal haul on 67 minutes, slotting home at the back post from Alcacer's ball across the six-yard box - despite the best efforts of Sommer to keep him out.

Only the sharp reflexes of Sommer denied a stooping Messi a second on 73 minutes as the keeper dived to his left to save the header from a few yards out.

The visitors failed to take their one clear-cut chance in the encounter on 81 minutes when Raffael sent Fabian Johnson clean through on goal, but his touch to go around Jasper Cillessen was too heavy and he fired the ball back across the face of goal from an acute angle on the left.

There were no further scares for Barca as they finished top of Group C ahead of Manchester City in second place.