Champion's League: Five-star victory for Barca

Sporting Lisbon 2 - 5 Barcelona

Barcelona sealed top spot in Group C of the Champions league courtesy of a night of high farce among the Sporting Lisbon defence.
Barcelona were 3-0 up within 50 minutes courtesy of goals from Thierry Henry, Gerard Pique and Lionel Messi, before Sporting pulled two back in two minutes through Miguel Veloso and Liedson.
Barca responded immediately with a Marco Caneira own goal and once Rui Patricio was sent off for the foul that led to Bojan Krkic's penalty, the Sporting defence had played their part in all five of Barca's goals.
The onslaught began in the eighth minute as Xavi's curling free-kick from 20 yards beat Patricio but struck the top of the crossbar.
Barca took the lead in the 14th minute, when Henry played in Messi down the right.
The Argentina forward shrugged off a weak challenge from Daniel Carrico before pulling back for the France striker, who finished with ease.
A miserable defensive night for Sporting continued three minutes later as they allowed Barca in for an inelegant second.
Xavi's cross from the left struck the back of Eidur Gudjohnsen at the far post and found its way back into the danger zone, where Pique just about got the final touch to turn the ball into the back of the net.
Sporting's Brazilian defender Anderson Polga was equally as responsible as Pique, but the former Manchester United man was credited with the goal.
At the other end Polga found himself unmarked in the Barca box, but the whistle went, somewhat harshly, for offside.
But in the main the first half fizzled out with Barca content to sit on their two-goal lead.
The third came five minutes after the break in controversial circumstances, with Polga again involved.
The Brazilian handled just outside the box and Alves took the free-kick quickly, much to the chagrin of the of the Sporting players, slipping Messi through to score.
The match then see-sawed in a wild 10-minute period which saw four goals and a red card.
Veloso grabbed one back for Sporting in the 65th minute, though he should never have had the opportunity.
Rafael Marquez was adjudged, wrongly, to have handled 20 yards from goal and was booked, while Veloso thundered the set piece into the net.
And the deficit was reduced to one a minute later as Marquez could only flick on a hopeful Sporting long ball and Liedson finished well.
But Barca were restored to a position of comfort a minute later when Caneira, under pressure from Sergio Busquets, lifted the ball over his own keeper and into the net via the bar.
And things got worse for Sporting after 73 minutes as another defensive calamity led to Patricio being sent off.
Leandro Grimi inadvertently nodded the ball into the path of Bojan and Patricio, despite getting a touch on the ball, hauled down the youngster inside the area and duly saw red - Sporting's fifth dismissal in six matches.
Bojan converted the spot-kick, though substitute goalkeeper Tiago got his fingertips to the ball.
It was an ignominious night for Sporting, though they could console themselves with the knowledge they had already secured their place in the knockout stages.