Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Yokohama: A Luis Suarez hat-trick condemned reigning Asian champions Guangzhou Evergrande to a 3-0 semi-final defeat on Thursday as Spain’s Barcelona set up a FIFA Club World Cup title showdown with River Plate.
Suarez struck late on in the first half, before bagging a second shortly after the break and a penalty on 67 minutes to seal the competition’s first ever hat-trick and leave Guangzhou with the prospect of facing Japan’s Sanfrecce Hiroshima in Sunday’s battle for third place.
In a game which Barcelona - minus the services of Lionel Messi and Neymar - ultimately dominated throughout at a packed International Stadium in Yokohama, the Spanish giants came close to opening their account when Munir El Haddadi headed Andres Iniesta’s pinpoint pass narrowly wide.
However, with the European champions slowly ratcheting up the pressure, the breakthrough eventually came on 39 minutes when Guangzhou goalkeeper Li Shuai could only parry Ivan Rakitic’s swerving shot from distance into the path of Suarez who finished with aplomb.
Barcelona custodian Claudio Bravo then reacted smartly to save Elkeson’s flicked header from a Zheng Long free-kick in the final goalmouth action of an entertaining first period.
The second half was only five minutes old when Suarez netted his and his side’s second, the Uruguayan striker controlling yet another superb Iniesta pass on his chest before rifling the ball home past a hapless Li.
Suarez duly completed his hat-trick haul from the spot after Huang Bowen had hauled El Haddadi down in the box. Li guessed correctly but was powerless to stop the Barca forward’s fiercely struck penalty.
FIFA Club World Cup Fixtures:
Match for 3rd Place: December 20: Sanfrecce Hiroshima v Guangzhou Evergrande
Final: December 20: River Plate v Barcelona
Photo: FIFA/Getty Images