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Barcelona 2-0 Dynamo Kiev: Ease past




uk.eurosport.yahoo.com
Lionel Messi and Pedro Rodriguez were both on target as Barcelona eased past Dynamo Kiev with an impressive 2-0 Champions League victory at the Camp Nou.

The Argentinian superstar opened the scoring in the 26th minute before sub Pedro wrapped the game up with fourteen minutes remaining.

The result means the reigning champions top Group F, following Italian rivals Internazionale's earlier 1-1 draw with Rubin Kazan.

Despite Dynamo's poor away record in the Champions League, Magrao fired the first shot for the Ukranian side with a strike that flew well wide of Victor Valdes's goal.

However, the visitors flattered to deceive as they fell back in numbers and the champions took full advantage when Andres Iniesta forced Yevhen Khacheridi into a pinpoint tackle in the box.

In a rare foray at the other end, Valdes' poor punch caused panic in the Barcelona defence and as the ball was delivered across the box, Ayilia Yussuf just failed to get on the end.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was determined to pick up the mantle vacated by the injured Thierry Henry with a mazy run that left three defenders in his wake, before Lionel Messi finally broke the deadlock.



Allowed too much room on the Dynamo left, he cut inside and fired inside the near post with a shot that Oleksandr Shovkovskiy should have stopped.

However, the Dynamo keeper soon redeemed himself with fine saves to deny both Ibrahimovic and Messi, and the Ukranians felt they had equalised with five minutes remaining when Artem Milevskiy bundled the ball home, only to be flagged offside.

Ibrahimovic began the second period in the same vein with a header that found Shovkovskiy well-placed, and as Dynamo struggled to get out of their half, Messi was a constant thorn in Dynamo's left side.

The only surprise was that it took until the 76th minute to make the game safe.

Messi was again allowed to drift across the Dynamo box and as he drew three defenders, his pass to Ibrahimovic was instantly laid off to Pedro and the substitute superbly curled the ball past Shovkovskiy to claim the three points.
Ian Hare / Eurosport