AP, Glasgow :
Lionel Messi steered Barcelona to a 13th straight appearance in the Champions League knockout stage, scoring both goals in a 2-0 win at Celtic as the Spanish team secured top spot in Group C on Wednesday.
Messi drove in a 24th-minute opener at Parkhead before converting a penalty in the 55th, putting him on nine goals already in four group games.
Five of those have come against Celtic, following his hat trick in Barcelona’s 7-0 win at Camp Nou in September.
With Manchester City drawing at Borussia Moenchengladbach in the group’s other game, Barcelona is four points clear of City and cannot be denied first place heading into the final round of matches in group play.
Celtic will finish last in the group and is out of Europe altogether.
The Scottish champion’s hopes of a third memorable win over Barca in 12 years – after a UEFA Cup victory in 2004 and a Champions League triumph in 2012 – looked thin from the moment Messi scored his 91st goal in the competition, meeting a clipped pass from Neymar with a first-time shot inside the near post.
Back after missing Barca’s last La Liga game through illness, Messi had already squandered two good chances by then, while Suarez was denied a second goal from a diving header because of an acrobatic save by goalkeeper Craig Gordon late in the half.
Barca started the second half sloppily only to be gifted a penalty thanks to a clumsy challenge from Emilio Izaguirre on Suarez.
Messi drove his penalty low and straight as Gordon dived to his left.
In search of the 38th hat trick of his Barca career, Messi dragged a shot narrowly wide in the 67th. He turned down a shot on goal to tee up Suarez, who struck the post with a close-range shot.
