Magical Messi
Lionel Messi hit a hat-trick as Barcelona began their Champions League campaign with a 4-0 win over Ajax on Wednesday but Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea suffered a shock home defeat.
Messi took his tally to 62 Champions League goals and became the first player to score more than four Champions League hat-tricks, whilst also netting his 24th such treble for Barca.
A day after Cristiano Ronaldo hit three in Real Madrid’s 6-1 thumping of Galatasaray, Messi reminded everyone who is still the four-time reigning Ballon d’Or winner.
Barcelona and Ajax had never met before their Group H encounter at the Nou Camp.
And typically it was a dazzling display from Messi that got the 2009 and 2011 winners off to the ideal start.
Messi’s first had an air of inevitability about it as he was first felled on the edge of the area and then stepped up to curl home a sumptuous free-kick.
And his second came in another of Messi’s classic moves as he took a pass from Sergio Busquets on the right before cutting inside onto his left foot to shoot home. Messi fired home his third from Xavi’s pass 15 minutes from time.
Blues stunned at Stamford
Mourinho’s Chelsea were stunned in the shock result of the night as FC Basel left Stamford Bridge with a 2-1 victory in Group E.
The hosts had seemed to be heading to a routine home victory when Brazilian Oscar put them ahead after quick, slick passes from David Luiz and Frank Lampard.
Oscar almost doubled the Londoners’ advantage with a splendid second half strike that crashed back off the bar.
But then Mohamed Salah bent the ball around Ahsley Cole and inside the post on 71 minutes before Marco Streller headed home the unexpected winner from a corner.
Dortmund begin disastrously
In other games, AC Milan left it late before avoiding an embarrassing slip-up at the San Siro as Emilio Izaguirre’s own goal broke Celtic’s hearts, with Sulley Muntari adding a second to secure the Rossoneri a 2-0 success.
Last season’s runners-up Borussia Dortmund had a disastrous start to their campaign as they went down 2-1 at Napoli in Group F. Arsenal joined Napoli at the top of the group with a 2-1 win over Marseille.
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