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Messi stars, PSG among 4 teams advancing in Champions League

Published:Wednesday | October 26, 2022 | 12:11 AM
PSG’s Lionel Messi (left) challenges for the ball with Maccabi’s Ali Mohamed during their Champions League Group H football match at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France, yesterday. AP
AP
PSG’s Lionel Messi (left) challenges for the ball with Maccabi’s Ali Mohamed during their Champions League Group H football match at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France, yesterday. AP

AP:

HIS FIRST goal was a nonchalant, outside-of-the-foot finish. His second was pretty much his trademark – fast feet outside the area and then a precise curler into the corner.

Lionel Messi kept up his stellar pre- World Cup form to help rampant Paris Saint-Germain become one of four teams to advance to the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday, along with Chelsea, Benfica and Borussia Dortmund.

That’s more than half of the round of 16 lineup confirmed now – five clubs had already gone through – and PSG will be one of the teams its rivals are looking to avoid, especially with Messi in this mood. Kylian Mbappe, too.

At opposite ends of their careers, the two superstar forwards are tasked with guiding the French champions to a first Champions League title and they both scored twice in a 7-2 thrashing of Maccabi Haifa.

VICTORY

Neymar, the other member of the team’s high-profile attacking trident, also scored in a victory that guaranteed PSG a top-two finish alongside Benfica in Group H. Both teams are on 11 points heading into the final round.

Benfica were 4-3 winners over Juventus, who have failed to reach the knockout stage for the first time since the 2013-14 season.

With perhaps the best goal of the 33 scored in the next-to-last round of group games, Kai Havertz whipped a long-range shot in off the crossbar to earn Chelsea a 2-1 win at Salzburg and a first-place finish in Group E.

It’s the 18th time in 19 group-stage campaigns that Chelsea, two-time Champions League winners, have advanced. PSG have done so for 11 straight seasons now but have yet to win European soccer’s biggest prize.

Dortmund joined Manchester City in advancing from Group G after drawing 0-0 with the English champions, who are now sure to finish in first place.

Already-qualified Real Madrid, the defending champions, lost 3-2 at Leipzig and must wait to seal top spot from Group F. Leipzig are on the brink of advancing after moving three points clear of Shakhtar Donetsk, who drew 1-1 at Celtic.