Champions League: Messi achieves 100-goal landmark; Manchester United, Bayern Munich score wins

Lionel Messi joined the exclusive 100-goal club in European competitions as Barcelona moved close to qualifying for the knockout stages of Champions League by thumping Olympiakos 3-1 on Wednesday. The La Liga club played almost the entire 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 Barcelona faced little problems from Olympiakos. 

Barca took the lead in the 18th minute on a rain swept evening at a sparsely attended Nou Camp when Dimitrios Nikolaou turned Gerard Deulofeu's cross into his own net.

Messi then 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, while his other three strikes in Europe came in the UEFA Super Cup.

The Argentine then carved his way through the hapless visiting defence moments later to tee up France left back Lucas Digne to score his first goal in the Champions League for Barca.

Greek defender Nikolaou put the ball in the net for the second time in the game by heading home from a corner at the other end to give Olympiakos a scantly deserved consolation goal in the 89th minute. 

Chelsea-Roma share the points 

Chelsea and Roma stayed firmly on course for a place in the last 16 of the Champions League as they served up a rip-roaring 3-3 draw at Stamford Bridge. 

Edin Dzeko scored twice for Roma 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.

David Luiz put Chelsea ahead in the 11th minute and Hazard doubled the home side's advantage in the 35th.

Aleksandar Kolarov fired Roma back into contention before the interval 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.

Goalkeeper error helps United to three points 

Manchester United scored a 1-0 win at Benfica in Group A after forward Marcus Rashford scored a bizarre goal which embarrassed the home team's 18-year-old goalkeeper Mile Svilar.

The result left United top of the section with a maximum nine points from three games, three ahead of second-placed Swiss side Basel who won 2-0 at CSKA Moscow.

Belgian Svilar became the youngest keeper to make his Champions League debut and after enjoying a sound opening hour, he gifted United victory with a calamitous error which highlighted his lack of experience. Rashford drove an innocuous-looking long range free kick from the left touchline straight at the youngster, who caught the ball but back-pedalled with it beyond the goalline with his arms outstretched.

Heynckes makes victorious return 

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.

Bayern are now second outright on six points from three matches, three ahead of Celtic and three behind leaders PSG. The defeat for Brendan Rodgers's team means Celtic have now failed to win any of their 11 matches in Germany. 

Attacking trio on target in PSG win

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

Kylian Mbappe, Edinson Cavani and Neymar all netted, while Angel di Maria added a fourth with a late strike, in a win that maintains the Ligue 1 side’s 100 percent record in the group stage with three wins from three.

They head the standings with nine points from second-placed Bayern Munich, who have six. Celtic are in third with a single victory to their name, while Anderlecht are still searching for their first points.

Lionel Messi joine the exclusive 100-goal club in European competitions as Barcelona moved close to qualifying for the knockout stages of Champions Leagueby thumping Olympiakos 3-1 on Wednesday. The La Liga club played almost the entire 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 Barcelona faced little problems from Olympiakos. 

Barca took the lead in the 18th minute on a rain swept evening at a sparsely attended Nou Camp when Dimitrios Nikolaou turned Gerard Deulofeu's cross into his own net.

Messi then 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, while his other three strikes in Europe came in the UEFA Super Cup.

The Argentine then carved his way through the hapless visiting defence moments later to tee up France left back Lucas Digne to score his first goal in the Champions League for Barca.

Greek defender Nikolaou put the ball in the net for the second time in the game by heading home from a corner at the other end to give Olympiakos a scantly deserved consolation goal in the 89th minute. 

Chelsea-Roma share points 

Chelsea and Roma stayed firmly on course for a place in the last 16 of the Champions League as they served up a rip-roaring 3-3 draw at Stamford Bridge. 

Edin Dzeko scored twice for Roma 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.

David Luiz put Chelsea ahead in the 11th minute and Hazard doubled the home side's advantage in the 35th.

Aleksandar Kolarov fired Roma back into contention before the interval 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.

Goalkeeper error helps United to three points 

Manchester United scored a 1-0 win at Benfica in Group A after forward Marcus Rashford scored a bizarre goal which embarrassed the home team's 18-year-old goalkeeper Mile Svilar.

The result left United top of the section with a maximum nine points from three games, three ahead of second-placed Swiss side Basel who won 2-0 at CSKA Moscow.

Belgian Svilar became the youngest keeper to make his Champions League debut and after enjoying a sound opening hour, he gifted United victory with a calamitous error which highlighted his lack of experience. Rashford drove an innocuous-looking long range free kick from the left touchline straight at the youngster, who caught the ball but back-pedalled with it beyond the goalline with his arms outstretched.

Heynckes makes victorious return 

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.

Bayern are now second outright on six points from three matches, three ahead of Celtic and three behind leaders PSG. The defeat for Brendan Rodgers's team means Celtic have now failed to win any of their 11 matches in Germany. 

Attacking trio on target in PSG win

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

Kylian Mbappe, Edinson Cavani and Neymar all netted, while Angel di Maria added a fourth with a late strike, in a win that maintains the Ligue 1 side’s 100 percent record in the group stage with three wins from three.

They head the standings with nine points from second-placed Bayern Munich, who have six. Celtic are in third with a single victory to their name, while Anderlecht are still searching for their first points.

Juve recover from bizarre own goal to win 

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. 

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.

The win left Juventus with six points from three games in Group D and Sporting with three. 

Basel score easy win against CSKA Moscow

Goals either side of halftime earned Basel a 2-0 win at CSKA Moscow on Wednesday to keep the Swiss side in second place in Champions League Group A.

Midfielder Taulant Xhaka sped past CSKA's sluggish backline and unleashed a powerful low drive that beat veteran goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev in the right corner to put Basel up in the 29th minute.

Basel thought they had scored another early in the second half when Albian Ajeti's drive beat Akinfeev, but referee Bjorn Kuipers ruled offside. Dimitri Oberlin added another for Basel in the 90th minute.

Basel climbed to second place in the group on six points, three behind leaders Manchester United. CSKA are third on three. 

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. 

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.

The win left Juventus with six points from three games in Group D and Sporting with three. 

Basel score easy win against CSKA Moscow

Goals either side of halftime earned Basel a 2-0 win at CSKA Moscow on Wednesday to keep the Swiss side in second place in Champions League Group A.

Midfielder Taulant Xhaka sped past CSKA's sluggish backline and unleashed a powerful low drive that beat veteran goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev in the right corner to put Basel up in the 29th minute.

Basel thought they had scored another early in the second half when Albian Ajeti's drive beat Akinfeev, but referee Bjorn Kuipers ruled offside. Dimitri Oberlin added another for Basel in the 90th minute.

Basel climbed to second place in the group on six points, three behind leaders Manchester United. CSKA are third on three. 

(With Reuters Inputs)