Lionel Messi scores stunning hat-trick in Champions League demolition

Barcelona players celebrate after scoring against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League on Tuesday, September 18 [Courtesy]

Lionel Messi scored a stunning hat-trick as Barcelona fired a warning to group rivals Tottenham and Inter Milan with a clinical demolition job against PSV Eindhoven.

The La Liga champions are favourites to top Group B and made the perfect start against their Dutch opponents.

Lionel Messi grabbed his treble either side of Ousmane Dembele's strike as the Frenchman continued his fine start to the season.

The only blot on Barca's copybook was the red card shown to Samuel Umtiti who will miss the trip to Wembley in a fortnight.

Messi opened the scoring just after the half-hour mark when he curled home a free-kick from 25 yards [Courtesy]

Messi opened the scoring just after the half-hour mark when he curled home a free-kick from 25 yards.

Nick Viergever had conceded the free-kick after a foul on Dembele and Messi did the rest.

Dembele then scored his fifth goal of the season after leaving two PSV defenders for dead and curling the ball into the net.

Messi scored his second after latching on to a brilliant cushioned pass from Ivan Rakitic and then made sure he was taking home the match ball by collecting a pass from Luis Suarez and rifling the ball home.

Dembele then scored his fifth goal of the season [Courtesy]

Umtiti had by this point been sent off after receiving a second yellow card for a blatant body check on Hirving Lozano.

Barcelona: ter Stegen, Sergi Roberto, Pique, Umtiti, Jordi Alba, Rakitic (Vidal 85), Sergio Busquets, Coutinho (Lenglet 81), Messi, Luis Suarez, Dembele (Arthur 83).

Subs not used: Cillessen, Nelson Semedo, Rafinha, Munir.

Sent off: Umtiti 79.

Bookings: Umtiti.

PSV: Zoet, Dumfries, Schwaab, Viergever (Isimat-Mirin 66), Tasende, Rosario (Gutierrez 82), Pereiro, Hendrix, Bergwijn (Malen 78), de Jong, Lozano.

Subs not used: Room, Behich, Sainsbury, Ramselaar.

Booked: Viergever, de Jong.

Referee: Tasos Sidiropoulos (Greece)