Suárez scores a hat-trick, Barcelona advances to FIFA Club World Cup 2015 Final

December 18, 2015

Yesterday, Catalonia-based football club FC Barcelona defeated Chinese 3–0 at  in  in a  semifinal match hosted in Japan.

FIFA Club World Cup is a tournament in which football clubs winning in the respective continental confederation championships participate. Barcelona won the, and Guangzhou won the. Barcelona's, suffering from groin injury, was not included in the squad.

Barça had greater ball possession. The match saw one, when was yellow carded in the 16th minute, and at least two dozen fouls were committed in the match. The AFC Champions League winners Guangzhou prevented the European winners from scoring a goal for more than half an hour. In the 39th minute, 's shot on the target was saved by the Chinese goalkeeper, but netted the goal providing Barcelona a 1–0 lead before half-time. The first half ended in 1–0.

In the second half, Suárez scored again in the 50th minute, assisted by. A quarter of an hour later, Guangzhou player fouled  in the penalty area, and Barcelona was awarded a penalty kick. Suárez, in the absence of Lionel Messi, took the penalty and completed a.

After the match, Guangzhou coach praised the club's performance. "We lost 3–0, but it's not much different to what has happened to other big clubs. At least we didn't let in four like Real Madrid."

Barcelona, is now scheduled to play the final on December 20.