McGeady meets match in Messi

Barcelona came from behind to get their Group G campaign off to a winning start as two goals from Lionel Messi helped them beat an Aiden McGeady-inspired Spartak Moscow 3-2 at the Camp Nou.

Cristian Tello fired the hosts into the lead after just 13 minutes but Spartak were level 16 minutes before half time when Dani Alves turned Emmanuel Emenike’s cross into his own net. The home fans were stunned on the hour when Ireland’s McGeady teed up Romulo to put the visitors in front, but Messi applied the finishing touch to two pinpoint crosses by Tello and Alexis Sanchez in the final 20 minutes to secure the three points.

In Group F, last year’s finalists Bayern Munich beat Valencia 2-1. Bastian Schweinsteiger, whose spot-kick miss in the shootout allowed Chelsea to be crowned European champions, fired Bayern into the lead with a deflected shot in the 38th minute. Toni Kroos added a second on 76 minutes.