Reality check for Bayern

Lionel Messi fired Barcelona into the last 16 of the Champions League after a 2-0 win at Celtic as they were joined in the knockout rounds by Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.

The Argentine star returned from illness to score both goals at Celtic Park on Wednesday — the second from the penalty spot — to send the five-time European champions through as winners of Group C.

City recovered from a goal down in Germany to earn a 1-1 draw at Borussia Moenchengladbach as both sides finished with 10 men.

Raffael grabbed the opening goal for Gladbach on 23 minutes, but David Silva poked in Kevin De Bruyne’s cross just prior to the break before Lars Stindl and Fernandinho saw red in the second half.

French champions Paris Saint-Germain seized control of their own destiny in Group A with a 2-2 draw away to Arsenal.

Edinson Cavani turned in Blaise Matuidi’s cross at the far post to hand PSG an 18th-minute lead.

But the Gunners hit back on the stroke of half-time as Alexis Sanchez was brought down by Grzegorz Krychowiak and Olivier Giroud rolled home the resulting spot-kick.
Arsenal looked to be in pole position to finish top of the group when an attempted clearance from Marquinhos ricocheted off an unfortunate Marco Verratti and squirmed past Alphonse Areola for a fluke own goal.

But Lucas ensured Unai Emery’s side departed with a point as his header from Hatem Ben Arfa’s corner flicked off Alex Iwobi and flashed past David Ospina.

Both PSG and Arsenal have 11 points with one match to play, but the French outfit own the head-to-head edge on away goals after the reverse fixture at the Parc des Princes in September finished 1-1. Bayern Munich crashed to a shock 2-3 defeat in Rostov and could face a daunting draw in the next round after Atletico Madrid’s 2-0 victory over PSV Eindhoven guaranteed Diego Simeone’s men first place in Group D.

Douglas Costa rifled Bayern ahead on 35 minutes, but Rostov equalised through Sardar Azmoun on the stroke of half-time before going ahead courtesy of a Dmitri Poloz penalty.

Juan Bernat swiftly levelled for the Germans, but Ecuador international Christian Noboa fired competition debutants Rostov to a first group stage victory with the winner on 67 minutes. In Madrid, French duo Kevin Gameiro and Antoine Griezmann netted second-half goals as Atletico registered their fifth win in as many matches in the Champions League.

Besiktas launched a remarkable second-half recovery as they fought back from three goals down against Benfica to draw 3-3 in Istanbul.

Benfica appeared to be sailing through to the last 16 after cruising 3-0 ahead inside barely half an hour through goals from Goncalo Guedes, Nelson Semedo and Ljubomir Fejsa.

But the Turks pulled one back on the hour courtesy of Cenk Tosun before two goals in the final seven minutes from Ricardo Quaresma and Vincent Aboubakar revived their qualification hopes.

Napoli were held 0-0 at home by Dynamo Kiev and must take at least a point from their trip to Benfica in a fortnight.  
AFP

Results: Group A: At London: Arsenal: 2 (Giroud 45+1 penalty, Verratti 59th own goal) drew with PSG: 2 (Cavani 18th, Lucas 77th).

At Sofia: Ludogorets: 0 drew with Basel: 0.

Group B: At Istanbul: Besiktas: 3 (Tosun 58th, Quaresma 83rd penalty, Aboubakar 89th) drew with Benfica: 3 (Guedes 10th, Semedo 25th, Fejsa 31th)
At Naples: Napoli: 0 drew with Dynamo Kiev: 0.

Group C: At Glasgow: Celtic: 0 lt to Barcelona: 2 (Messi 24th, 56th penalty).
At Moenchengladbach: Borussia Moenchengladbach: 1 (Raffael 23th) drew with Manchester City: 1 (Silva 45+1).

Group D: At Rostov: Rostov: 3 (Azmoun 44th, Poloz 50th, Noboa 67th) bt Bayern Munich: 2 (Costa 35th, Bernat 52th).

At Madrid: Atletico Madrid: 2 (Gameiro 55, Griezmann 66) bt PSV: 0.