Barcelona survive scare to top group
BARCELONA scored twice in eight minutes as they came from behind to beat Borussia Monchengladbach 2-1.
Thorgen Hazard – brother of Chelsea and Belgium star Eden – scored a 34th-minute opener put the Bundesliga side on top but Arda Turan equalised before Gerard Pique scrambled home the winner after home goalkeeper Yann Sommer failed to hold Luis Suarez’s shot.
The win keeps Luis Enrique’s side top of Group C after Manchester City drew 3-3 at Celtic Park. With the Catalan giants and Pep Guardiola’s City firm favourites to make the last 16, Moenchengladbach’s defeat will give the Scottish champions belief that they can pip the Bundesliga outfit to third place and entry to the Europa League should they fail to reach the knockout stage.
Elsewhere, Theo Walcott scored twice as Arsenal secured their first win in Group A with a comfortable 2-0 victory against Basle.
Manager Arsene Wenger had spoken before the match about his desire to top the group to avoid the top seeds in the last 16 and England forward Walcott’s brace came in the first 26 minutes as Granit Xhaka’s Arsenal got the better of his brother Taulant Xhaka’s side.
Paris St Germain joined Arsenal on four points in the group after coming from behind to win 3-1 in Bulgaria.
Ludogorets took a surprise 15thminute lead through Natanael but PSG earned the three points thanks to Blaise Matuidi’s equaliser and an Edinson Cavani double.
Last year’s runners-up Atletico Madrid recorded an impressive 1-0 win at home to Bayern Munich, the team they beat in last season’s semi-finals.
Belgium international Yannick Carrasco’s first-half strike earned Diego Simeone’s side victory despite Atletico striker Antoine Griezmann missing a late penalty.
Bayern remain second in Group D after the other game between Rostov and PSV ended in a 2-2 draw.
Rostov led twice through goals from Dmitry Poloz but Davy Propper and Luuk de Jong equalised on each occasion before Propper missed the chance to win it from the penalty spot.
In Group B, Dries Mertens scored twice as Napoli romped to a 4-2 win against Benfica while Besiktas and Dynamo Kiev drew 1-1 in Turkey.