Watch: Barcelona wrap up their fifth title in 2015 by winning the Club World Cup
When Messi, Neymar and Suarez combine, very few teams can withstand the might of the Catalan giants.
It was never really expected that they would lose, but European champions Barcelona displayed their ruthlessness against River Plate, winners of the South American Copa Libertadores tournament, by breezing past them 3-0 to clinch the 2015 Club World Cup, their fifth title of the year.
River Plate manager Marcelo Gallardo had admitted before the match that his side would have to play "a perfect game on every level", and though the Argentinian club tested the Catalan giants with their resilience, Barca's power-packed frontline comprising Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez proved just too good for them.
After being thwarted for the first half-an-hour, Messi expertly controlled a header from Neymar inside the box before putting it inside the right corner in the 36th minute. That goal opened the floodgates as Suarez ran at the defence and slid it in to score Barcelona's second.
Messi could have scored another but squandered a chance late in the second half. Suarez though made no mistake, glancing a Neymar cross into the far corner to give Barcelona a comprehensive 3-0 win.
