Philippe Coutinho scored his first Champions League goal at the Camp Nou where a Lionel Messi brace and strikes from Gerard Pique and Ousmane Dembele eased Barcelona into the quarter-finals.
Barcelona were given a scare when Lucas Tousart scored for Lyon on the hour but the familiar sight of Messi swerving one way as opposing defenders fell to the turf traveling in the other direction soon restored order as the hosts ran out 5-1 winners.
Messi’s start-of-season promise that he would do all he could to make sure ‘this beautiful cup comes back to the Camp Nou’ is still looking good.
Lionel Messi was the star man on Wednesday night as he scored twice and set up two other goals in a 5-1 win over Lyon
Five-time European champions Barcelona booked their place in the quarter-finals by thrashing Lyon at the Nou Camp
Messi and Philippe Coutinho (right) both scored in the first half to put the home side in a dominant position in the tie
But Lucas Tousart gave Barcelona a scare when he hit a sweet volley to get visitors Lyon back into contention on 58 minutes
Star man Messi put Barcelona back into a comfortable position with a superb individual goal, scoring after a mazy dribble
Gerard Pique (left) and Ousmane Dembele then added gloss to the scoreline by scoring on 81 and 86 minutes respectively
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE MATCH FACTS
BARCA: Ter Stegen; Roberto (Semedo 83), Pique, Lenglet, Alba; Rakitic, Busquets, Arthur (Vidal 74); Coutinho (Dembele 70), L Suarez, Messi
SUBS NOT USED: Cillessen, Umtiti, Alena, Malcom
GOALS: Messi 18 (pen) and 78, Coutinho 31, Pique 81, Dembele 86
BOOKED: Lenglet
LYON: Lopes (Gorgelin 34); Dubois, Denayer, Marcelo, Mendy (Cornet 77); Ndombele, Tousart, Marcal; Fekir; Dembele, Memphis (Traore 73)
SUBS NOT USED: Cheikh, Tete, Aouar, Rafael
GOAL: Tousart 58
BOOKED: Marcal, Dembele
Barcelona’s second goal came from a fine team move in which No 9 Suarez dribbled past Marcal before setting up No 7 Coutinho
For more stats and maps visit Sportsmail’s Match Zone.
Lyon came to defend and nick a goal but this wasn’t the best night for that. Messi, Coutinho and Luis Suarez were soon running rings around the five Lyon defenders strung across the edge of the penalty area.
Twice they combined with Anthony Lopes saving. On 18 minutes he was beaten from the spot.
Suarez was brought down by Jason Denyer and Messi dinked a Panenka penalty over Lopes’ sprawling dive for his seventh Champions League goal of the season. There were no complaints from Lyon but replays showed Suarez stepping on the defender’s foot before going down.
Coutinho was more alive than he has been all season and when he went through on Lopes the keeper came off worse and needed five minutes of treatment. He partially recovered to save Suarez’ next shot and was still on the pitch when Coutinho scored the second.
Arthur’s pass to Suarez found him sandwiched between Fernando Marcal and Ferland Mendy. He slipped away into space and might have finished himself but spotted Coutinho to his left. His pass was a gift for a player who has suffered this season and was jeered by the Camp Nou at the weekend. He accepted it with shot into the empty net.
With the tie finely poised after a goalless first leg, Barcelona fielded a strong starting XI full of stars for Wednesday’s match
Lyon posed for a pre-match team photograph at the Nou Camp as captain and playmaker Nabil Fekir held up a pennant
Almost 100,000 supporters were at the Nou Camp where thousands of scarves and flags were held up prior to kick-off
Lyon boss Bruno Genesio (left) and Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde watched the action with serious looks on their faces
Lyon’s Portuguese goalkeeper Anthony Lopes made an impressive diving save to keep the scores level early in the first half
Barcelona captain Messi found himself surrounded by Lyon players as Fernando Marcal and Marcelo (left) pressured him
The tie was slipping away from Lyon. Marcal elbowed Messi and was booked. Lenglet then played the ball up to Suarez who let it run through his legs and the legs of a Lyon defender, all that was missing was a goal from the No 9 who has not scored in the Champions all season.
Busquets then teed-up Messi who should have made it two but substitute keeper Mathieu Gorgelin – now on for Lopes – made the save.
One cheeky Coutinho backheel almost put Suarez in as the first half finished. There had been almost no sign of Moussa Dembele until he kicked Jordi Alba and was booked. Lyon’s game plan had not worked and they would need to step out in the second half and look for a way back into the game.
Lyon gave themselves a chance 15 minutes into the second period when Lucas Tousart shot past Marc Andre ter Stegen after Sergio Busquets had failed to properly head clear in a crowded area.
VAR reviewed the goal with a possible foul on Lenglet and a possible offside being looked at. The wait seemed interminable and the news was bad for Barcelona as referee Szymon Marciniak eventually confirmed the goal. Suddenly Barcelona’s swagger was lost and Lyon sensed their chance.
But Messi soon found himself in plenty of space as he stepped up to convert a penalty from 12 yards to give Barcelona the lead
Barcelona were awarded the penalty after striker Luis Suarez was fouled by Lyon’s Belgian defender Jason Denayer (right)
Messi displayed supreme confidence as he used the Panenka technique to chip his penalty kick into the centre of the goal
Multiple Barcelona players crowded around Messi to congratulate their captain after he opened the scoring at the Nou Camp
It was soon time for Barcelona to celebrate again as Coutinho tapped into an empty net to score the second goal of the night
Coutinho was set up by some fine play from No 9 Suarez who dribbled past a defender and slid a perfect pass to the Brazilian
Suarez looked on with a grin on his face as Coutinho rolled the ball into an empty net after latching onto the Uruguayan’s pass
Coutinho pointed at Suarez to indicate that his team-mate and fellow ex-Liverpool player deserved the credit for his goal
Coutinho might have settled those nerves but shot into the side netting. Messi then robbed possession midway inside the Lyon half but he ran into trouble and the chance was gone.
Ousmane Dembele replaced Coutinho who went off to applause instead of the whistles of the previous weekend. Barca’s French winger was on the bench resting a tight hamstring, and his introduction said a lot for the nerves now being felt.
But what looked like it might be a Lyon comeback soon fizzled out as Messi settled things with 12 minutes left. Rakitic played him in and — getting away from Denayer and Marcelo, leaving both on the deck — he rolled the ball in off the post.
Pique made it four with ten minutes left. Messi was again at the heart of it running from deep down the right and crossing to the defender.
Dembele got the fifth from another Messi pass to make it five and send Barcelona into Fridays’ quarter-final draw.
Lyon were back in the tie after Tousart chested the ball down and volleyed it into the Barcelona goal just before the hour-mark
Lyon players celebrated after seeing Tousart’s shot hit the net but they had to wait three minutes for VAR to confirm the goal
Multiple replays were analysed as officials checked whether No 6 Marcelo had been offside in the build-up to Tousart’s goal
Messi restored Barcelona’s two-goal lead with a right-footed finish after hypnotising Lyon’s defenders with his slick dribbling
Marauding central defender Pique slid in at the far post to make it 4-1 to Barcelona and end all hope of a Lyon comeback
France international Dembele added a fifth Barcelona goal late on as he slotted past substitute goalkeeper Mathieu Gorgelin