Barcelona, Atlético on brink of early Champions League exits

GENEVA (AP):

BARCELONA WERE twice dragged back from the precipice of a humiliating Champions League elimination by Robert Lewandowski’s late goals yesterday.

An instant classic at Camp Nou saw Barcelona draw 3-3 with Inter Milan and barely cling to a slim hope of advancing to the round of 16.

Atlético Madrid is also on the brink after failing to score for a third straight game.

No such worries for Bayern Munich and unheralded Club Brugge, who each advanced to the knockout stage with two rounds to spare as leaders of groups where Spanish powers are slumping in third place.

Free-scoring Napoli also progressed with a 4-2 win over Ajax to kick off a stunning evening in the Champions League that delivered 36 goals in eight games.

Mohamed Salah set a competition record with a hat-trick in six minutes, 12 seconds – as a substitute midway through the second half – in Liverpool’s 7-1 blitz at Rangers.

Though it may just have been a stay of execution for Barcelona, the five-time European champions were grateful to be alive after a thrilling final few minutes against Inter.

Barcelona trailed 2-1 in the 82nd minute and were going out until Lewandowski’s shot was deflected into the Inter net.

The Italians led again in the 89th, when Robin Gosens finished a fast break, but Lewandowski rose again two minutes into stoppage time to head another leveller.

There was still time for Inter to waste chances to win, Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen to make two more saves, and Inter coach Simone Inzaghi to be shown a red card.

Still, Inter now holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over Barcelona and will join Bayern advancing from Group C by beating overmatched Viktoria Plzeň in two weeks’ time.

Bayern had a four-goal lead after just 35 minutes at Plzeň but let its perfect defensive record slip in the second half of a 4-2 win.

Brugge goalkeeper Simon Mignolet ran his clean-sheet streak to four games in a 0-0 draw at Atlético, to move four points clear of Porto and six clear of Atlético with the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Porto’s 3-0 win at Bayer Leverkusen included two penalties scored by Iran striker Mehdi Taremi.

Tottenham leads Group D for the first time after beating Eintracht Frankfurt 3-2, with first-half goals from Son Heung-min either side of a Harry Kane penalty. Kane also missed a late penalty.

Marseille rose to second place by winning 2-0 against Sporting Lisbon, which finished the game with nine men after two red cards.

Yesterday’s Results

Ranger 1-7 Liverpool

Barcelona 3-3 Inter Milan

Tottenham 4-2 Eintracht Frankfurt

Viktoria Plzeň 2-4 Bayern

Napoli 4-2 Ajax

Atlético Madrid 0-0 Club Brugge