Get Instant News Updates
Enable
x
Notification Settings X
Time Settings
Done
Clear Notification X
Do you want to clear all the notifications from your inbox?
Settings X
For Quick Alerts
ALLOW NOTIFICATIONS  
For Daily Alerts

Chelsea and Roma share spoils, another milestone for Messi

Lionel Messi scored his 100th goal in European competition as Barcelona moved close to qualifying for the Champions League knockout stages

Chelsea and Roma split points

Bengaluru, October 19: Former holders Chelsea and AS Roma served up a rip-roaring 3-3 draw at Stamford Bridge as both clubs stayed firmly on course for a place in the last 16 of the Champions League.

Edin Dzeko scored twice on his 100th appearance for Roma in an enthralling contest as the Italians stormed back from 2-0 down to lead 3-2 with 20 minutes remaining, only for Eden Hazard to salvage a point for Group C leaders Chelsea with a header.

The goal flow began in the 11th minute when David Luiz's curler put Chelsea ahead and when Hazard doubled the home side's advantage in the 36th, it looked like being a routine night for Antonio Conte's side.

Aleksandar Kolarov fired Roma back into contention before the interval though and Dzeko's double in the space of six minutes, the first a scorching volley, looked to have earned Roma only their second win in 16 attempts on English soil.

Hazard's equaliser kept Chelsea top with seven points from three games with Roma on five -- three ahead of Atletico Madrid who were surprisingly held to a 0-0 draw by Qarabag.


Lionel Messi scored his 100th goal in European competition as Barcelona moved close to qualifying for the knockout stages by outclassing Olympiakos 3-1 despite playing the second half with 10 men.

Gerard Pique was sent off two minutes before halftime for two bookings, one for tugging an opponent's shirt and the other for slapping the ball into the net, but Barca were barely threatened by a hapless Olympiakos side who are badly under-performing in their Greek title defence.

The Athens club, who won three league titles and two domestic Cups under current Barca coach Ernesto Valverde, are fifth in the standings in the Greek top flight and have lost all their games in the Champions League.

Barca took the lead in the 18th minute at a rainswept and sparsely attended Nou Camp when visiting defender Dimitrios Nikolaou turned Gerard Deulofeu's cross into his own net.

It was the fifth own goal Barca have benefited from this season in all competitions.

Messi struck his landmark goal in Europe from a free kick in the 61st minute to double Barca's lead. It was his 97th goal in the Champions League. His other three came in the UEFA Super Cup.

The unbeaten Barca top Champions League Group D with nine points. A win at Olympiakos in two weeks will seal their place in the last 16.


Paris Saint-Germain's feared attacking trio all got on the scoresheet as the French side completed a comfortable 4-0 away victory over Anderlecht in their Group B clash.

Kylian Mbappe, Edinson Cavani and Neymar, who form the world's most expensive frontline, all netted, while Angel Di Maria added a fourth with a late strike, in a win that maintains the Ligue 1 side's 100 per cent record in the group stage with three wins from three.


An embarrassing mistake by Benfica's 18-year-old goalkeeper Mile Svilar gifted Manchester United a 1-0 win at Benfica in Group A.

The 18-year old Belgian, the youngest keeper to play in the Champions League, was undone by Marcus Rashford's long-range free kick in the 64th minute, catching the ball before back-pedalling and carrying it behind the goalline with his arms outstretched.


Juventus hit back to snatch a late 2-1 win at home to Sporting after gifting the Portuguese side an early lead with a bizarre own goal by Alex Sandro.

Four days after their two-year unbeaten home run was ended by Lazio, Juve were in more trouble when goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon saved at foot of Gelson Martins but the ball hit Alex Sandro and went straight into the net.

Miralem Pjanic levelled with a superb free kick in the 29th minute and, just as Sporting seemed set to frustrate the hosts, Mario Mandzukic scored the winner with a superb diving header in the 84th minute.


Bayern Munich eased past Celtic 3-0 to hand coach Jupp Heynckes a victorious return to the competition he won with them in 2013.

First-half goals from Thomas Mueller and Joshua Kimmich put them in the driving seat and Mats Hummels grabbed a third in the 51st minute to round off a dominant performance in which the 72-year-old Heynckes became the oldest coach in the competition's history.

Story first published: Thursday, October 19, 2017, 7:41 [IST]
Other articles published on Oct 19, 2017