Dundee Utd 1-5 Barcelona

Jul 27 2008 Gordon Waddell

UNITED restored the SPL's respectability by keeping one Barcelona team in check for 45 minutes.

But when Team 2 was marshalled by the magic of Lionel Messi? It all got a bit messy again.

He's mercury in a shirt. A ballet in boots. And his 24-minute second-half hat-trick was a privilege to witness.

The Argentinian was Hibs' tormentor in chief on Thursday night in a 6-0 defeat.

And despite United stunning the Catalans by taking the lead in the first half through Prince Buaben, Messi was always destined to send them crashing from the sugar rush.

It may have ended up as a five-goal demolition but when you've been slain by one of the world's best there's little shame.

Setting up a side to face one Barca was hard enough for Craig Levein - but taking on two in the space of 90 minutes?

Sure, the Catalans split their big guns but it would still be like standing at the bottom of Everest in a pair of flip-flops.

However, this Arabs team wasn't about to give anyone an easy ride. They snapped into tackles and denied us the delights of those little dinks, flicks and triangles Barca love.

In fact, itwas Morgaro Gomis who pulled the first nutmeg of the day, slipping past Daniel Alves for a moment he will tell the grandkids about one day.

But not as often as Buaben willmention the day he scored the opener against Barcelona.

Only Thierry Henry had really troubled the Tannadice back-line early on, blazing over when he cruised clear for one of his classic curlers.

But after 25 minutes United sent a stunned crowd into ecstasy with the opener.

Martin Caceres misjudged Scott Robertson's long ball and Warren Feeney raced clear.

He pulled back a great cross and Buaben kept his cool to head low past Victor Valdes.

Sadly, Levein's men shipped a leveller within 35 seconds.

Darren Dods missed a header in the box and Henry's first snapshot was wonderfully stopped by Lukasz Zaluska.

But the former Arsenal man drilled the loose ball home with a bit of venom.

Henry then missed another sitter with his left peg before Bojan Krkic forced another top save from Zaluska and Eidur Gudjohnsen bundled Pedro's corner against the post.

Messi was one of eight Barca changes for the second half and within eight minutes the Argentinian had caught fire.

He took the break of the ball from Wilkie, left four Tangerine shirts in his wake in a split second and rolled the ball under sub keeper Michael McGovern.

That was just a taster, though.

Samuel Eto'o got in on the act after 60 minutes as he pounced on a poor passback from sub Andis Shala to slide home No.3.

The Cameroon frontman then turned provider for the last two goals as he took a back seat to the brilliance of Messi.

The little wizard's one-two with Eto'o was finished with a left-foot volley only a handful of players would ever have had the balance to pull off.

And three minutes later his footwork threw everyone as he pounced on a rebound after Eto'o was denied.

Messi nonchalantly rolled it home at a snail's pace as United's defence watched part in agony, part in admiration.

That's 90 minutes Messi has given us in Scotland with four goals and two assists to his name. Dods is only just completing one tackle he attempted on him while you're eating your cornflakes.

But United won't face his like again in a hurry.