In the UEFA Champions League, Barcelona hosted Borussia Monchengladbach. With Barca already through as Group C winners and the other positions also determined, the main attraction at the Nou Camp was the possibility of Lionel Messi matching Cristiano Ronaldo's haul of 11 goals in the group stage of the 2013-14 competition.
Barcelona's Lionel Messi (C) celebrates after scoring during the UEFA Champions League match against Borussia Monchengladbach at Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Dec. 6, 2016. Barcelona won 4-0. (Xinhua/Pau Barrena)
Messi's insatiable appetite for the net is rewarded in the 16th minute after a give and go with Arda Turan allows him to sweep home his 10th of this campaign and 93rd overall in the competition. The Argentine now just three adrift of Ronaldo in the race to be the first to one hundred.
However, the second half is all about Turan as Denis Suarez dribbles into the box and his deflected cross is met by Turan's head to make it 2-0 in the 50th minute.
Three minutes later, Messi sends Aleix Vidal clear on the right and his cut back finds Turan who drills his second of the game into the corner and it's 3-0 Barca.
The home side would add one more in the 67th minute and once again, Turan is on the end of a great build up when Paco Alcacer squares it to the Turk who can hardly miss from there. Turan records his first hat-trick for Barcelona as the Catalans claim an easy 4-0 win that really shows the depth of this amazing squad.
"The whole team played a great game. It was a match in which we had nothing to win but a lot to lose instead. But the whole team displayed a great level and I congratulate them," said Luis Enrique, Barcelona Coach.
"They had a good time, we won and our fans had a good time. We have surpassed our goals. Now we happily wait for the draw convinced that we can make it."
Perez hat-trick helps Arsenal finish atop Group A
In Switzerland Arsenal faced Basel in a match that became the Lucas Perez show. The 28-year-old forward scores his first champions league goal in the eighth minute when Kieran Gibbs crosses for him to tap in at the far post.
The Spaniard then makes it 2-0 in similar fashion, when Gibbs's shot is parried into his path in the 16th minute.
Perez completes his hat-trick in more impressive fashion as he blasts a low shot under goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik to make it 3-0 Arsenal in the 47th minute.
Mesut Ozil caps the Gunners' performance with a delightful assist to let Alex Iwobi score in the 53rd minute.
Basel substitute Seydou Doumbia strikes a consolation goal in the 78th, but their season in Europe is over though they are 12 points clear in the Swiss league and likely to be back in the Champions League next season.
Arsenal unexpectedly finished atop Group A, rising above Paris Saint-Germain which drew 2-2 at home to winless Ludogorets. Robert Lewandowski scored a stunning free-kick to give Bayern Munich a 1-0 victory over Atletico Madrid in Group D. Dynamo Kiev crushed Besiktas 6-0 but finish bottom of Group B as Benfica and Napoli move on. Manchester City drew with Celtic and advance in second in Group C, and both PSV Eindhoven and Rostov are eliminated in Group D.
