Barca get third win; Paris St Germain stunned

BARCELONA: Barcelona earned a far from convincing 2-1 win at home to a depleted Dynamo Kyiv on Wednesday as Lionel Messi scored a penalty for the third Champions League game in a row with the Spaniards maintaining their winning start to the group stage.

The Argentine, who had also scored spot-kicks in wins over Group G opponents Ferencvaros and Juventus, tucked away a penalty in the fifth minute while Gerard Pique netted in the second half, glancing in a fine cross from Ansu Fati.

Dynamo, who were missing six players due to COVID-19 positives, which also afflicted five members of staff, gave a decent account of themselves and spurned a couple of chances to equalise as well as having a goal from a corner ruled out due to the ball going out of play.

They deservedly pulled a late goal back in the 75th minute when Viktor Tsygankov slid the ball into the net, pouncing on a rebound after Barca keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen could only parry a shot from Benjamin Verbic.

The victory put Barca on the verge of a place in the knockout stages, leaving them top on nine points after three games, with Juventus second on six and Dynamo and Ferencvaros with a point each.

Barca went into the match after a disappointing 1-1 draw at Alaves, the fourth game in a row in La Liga which they had failed to win, but got off to an ideal start at an empty Camp Nou when Messi converted from the spot after being hauled down.

Chelsea overwhelm

10-man Rennes

Chelsea eased to a 3-0 win over 10-man Rennes in the Group E, thanks to two first-half penalties hammered home by striker Timo Werner and a tap-in by Tammy Abraham.

The match swung the way of the Londoners with the two penalty decisions which both went against Rennes defender Dalbert Henrique, on loan from Inter Milan.

The Brazilian was shown a second yellow card and sent off in the 40th minute, after a long VAR check, when the ball ricocheted from his calf to his arm, having earned his first caution for tripping Werner in the box after 10 minutes.

Werner converted both spot-kicks emphatically, taking the role of Chelsea's penalty-taker from Jorginho who missed two earlier this season.

"I am happy, I am happy Jorginho is cool with it. It is another point that speaks for our team, we are not selfish. We all go in one direction which is good," Werner told BT Sport.

Abraham made it 3-0 five minutes into the second half with a short-range finish after an inch-perfect cross by Reece James.

The comfortable victory left Chelsea top of Group E, ahead of Sevilla of Spain on goal difference, with three of the six games played.

It also represented a fifth clean sheet in a row for the Blues who appear to have fixed the defensive frailties that dogged them last season and in the opening games of this campaign.

Leipzig battle back to win 2-1 as PSG see red

RB Leipzig fought back to beat Paris St Germain 2-1 at home in a pulsating Group H clash that kept them on course for a last-16 spot while putting the French side, who finished the game with nine men, in a precarious position.

Angel Di Maria had given PSG an early lead, but he then missed a penalty and goals from Christopher Nkunku and Emil Forsberg turned the encounter on its head.

The outcome left Leipzig second in the group on six points from three games, the same tally as leaders Manchester United who beat them 5-0 in the previous round but suffered a shock 2-1 defeat at Istanbul Basaksehir earlier in the day.

Third-placed PSG, who beat Leipzig 3-0 in last season's one-off semi-final in August, have three points, level with bottom of the table Basaksehir.

Morata brace helps Juve to comfortable win at Ferencvaros

Alvaro Morata scored twice before two defensive mistakes helped Juventus to a 4-1 win at Ferencvaros as they bounced back from last week's defeat by Barcelona.

The Serie A side were too slick for their spirited opponents, who are back in the group stage after a 25-year absence, and cantered home at a soggy Puskas Arena to go second in Group H with six points from three games. Ferencvaros have one point.

Juve got the ideal start when defender Leonardo Bonucci threaded a pass down the right touchline to set Juan Cuadrado away and the Colombian's low cross was tapped in by Morata at the far post after seven minutes.

Despite the early setback, Ferencvaros acquitted themselves well with Tokmac Nguen and Oleksandr Zubkov both having chances but sending shots wide.

Cristiano Ronaldo was always a danger for Juve, however, and nearly added a second after combining with Morata but the ball was taken off his foot by Miha Blazic as he was about to shoot.

The Portuguese forward set up Juve's second on the hour with a low pass into the area which Morata swept home after a Weston McKennie dummy.

The Italian champions were gifted the third as goalkeeper Denes Dibusz failed to control Blazic's awkward back pass and substitute Paulo Dybala slipped the ball into the empty net in the 73rd minute.

Eight minutes later, Dibusz's attempted pass was intercepted by Dybala and Lasha Dvali turned the ball into his own net as he tried to clear.

Franck Boli pulled one back in the 90th minute, scoring at the second attempt after Wojciech Szczesny saved his first effort. Agencies

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