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FC Barcelona beat Beijing Guo'an 3-0 at Bird's Nest

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The photo taken on on Aug. 8, 2010 shows Argentine star Lionel Messi (L) of Barcelona F.C team in a match at the national stadium, also known as "Birds' Nest", in Beijing, capital of China. [Photo: Xinhua]

An exhibition match by Spanish football giants FC Barcelona highlighted the National Fitness Day in Beijing on Sunday night when the Catalan club routed Chinese Super League champion Beijing Guo'an 3-0 in the iconic Bird's Nest Olympic stadium.

The substituted Ibrahimovic sealed the easy victory in the 90th minute with a calm low shot. The Swedish center forward grabbed much more popularity from the audiences than the leader Lionel Messi with one goal and several sharp passes, proving he was not only a minor role in the new season for the star-studded club.

Barca, dressed in the traditional turquoise-coloured strip, showed that they were not in the same level with the host's club from the beginning of the lop-sided match.

The visitor's head coach Josep Guardiola only fielded four familiar first-team players led by Messi onto the ground. But they were strong enough to their opponent.

With the intricate short passes and patient bulid-up from wings, two young faces Sergio Roberto and Manuel Nolito each were fed to score a quick-fire goal after only 15 minutes.

The host side seemed stunned from the start but gradually found their positions in the midfield and created several chances by speedy counter-attack.

The best chance of Guo'an came on 33rd minute when Honduran forward Walter Martinez were set free in the area but his low strike was parried by a diving save from Barca's second-choice keeper Pinto.

Messi louded applauses from the fanatic crowds on his every touch on the ball, especially when he made several dazzling dribbles.

After his freekick was stopped by the host's keeper Yang Zhi in the last minute of first half, the Argentina talented striker sat on the bench in the rest of the game.

The victory was Barca's second successive one after the Spanish Primera Liga champion whipped South Korea's K-League all-star team 5-2 in the first stop of the pre-season Asian tour.

Barca's eight first-team players that helped Spain win the World Cup didn't come to Asia. Among them, there are big names such as David Villa, Xavi and Andres Iniesta, who scored the sole and winning goal against Netherlands in the final.

Besides the friendly match, a series of other sports activities were staged on across the country, which marked the second anniversary of the opening of the 2008 Olympic Games and also the National Fitness Day.