Club World Cup

Barcelona 3 – Guangzhou Evergrande 0

Barcelona: Claudio Bravo; Dani Alves, Piqué, Mascherano, Jordi Alba (Adriano 75’); Rakitic Busquets, Iniesta (Sergi Samper 81’); Sergi Roberto (Sandro 72‘), Luis Suárez, Munir. 4-3-3.
Guangzhou: Li Shuai; Zhang Linpeng, Feng Xiaoting, Kim Young Gwon, Zou Zheng (Li Xuepeng 35’); Zheng Zhi, Paulinho, Huang Bowen, Goulart, Zheng Long (Yu Hanchao 56’); Ekelson (Gao Lin 66’). 4-2-3-1.

Goals:
1-0. 39. Luis Suárez. Following up after Li Shuai saved long shot from Rakitic.
2-0. 50. Luis Suárez. Controlled Iniesta pass and poked shot wide of keeper.
3-0. 67. Luis Suárez (penalty). After Huang brought down Munir in the area.

A Luis Suárez hat-trick ensured Barcelona a place in Sunday's final against River Plate. Neymar was already ruled out of the match, and Luis Enrique had to rethink his line-up when Messi also pulled out with a bad case of kidney stones. The Spaniards still dominated the game though, and Munir went close a couple of times before Suárez beat Li Shuai on the follow up after the keeper could only push out a wickedly curving shot from Rakitic. Scolari’s team came back however before the break, Bravo having to save from Elkeson and Paulinho, but some five minutes in to the second half Suárez controlled Iniesta’s lofted pass on his chest before poking a shot past Li. And with just over an hour gone Suárez completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot after Munir was brought down by Huang, the first player to score three goals in the inter-continental competition since Pele did so back in 1962.