Messi equals Raul record

Lionel Messi equalled Raul’s record of 71 Champions League goals with a brace to earn Barcelona a 2-0 win over Ajax in Group F last night.

Messi equals Raul record

Jasper Cillessen’s howler gifted the opener to the Argentina star, who poked home his second in the 76th minute to move level with the record and one ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo.

The win confirmed Barca’s qualification for the last 16 along with Paris St Germain, who beat APOEL 1-0 in France, with two games to spare.

PSG caught APOEL Nicosia cold to open the scoring after just 58 seconds into their Champions League encounter in the French capital, and were glad they did as they endured growing frustration for the rest of the night.

Edinson Cavani struck seconds into the match and that was all it took to claim another three points.

Bayern Munich ensured they will finish top of Group E in the Champions League with two games to spare after a 2-0 victory over Roma.

While the Bundesliga giants were not as dominant as they were when they romped to a 7-1 win over their Italian opponents, they still did more than enough to claim the three points.

Franck Ribery opened the scoring seven minutes before half-time while Mario Gotze’s second-half strike lifted Pep Guardiola’s men to a fourth straight triumph in the group.

In Group G, Islam Slimani scored for both teams to top and tail a thrilling clash as Sporting Lisbon beat Schalke 4-2.

Slimani’s own goal gave the German visitors an early lead but goals from Mouhamadou-Naby Sarr, Jefferson and Nani turned the match around.

Denis Aogo got one back for Schalke but Slimani atoned for his earlier error by slotting in a late goal to confirm the win.

Group H saw in-form Porto seal their place in the last 16 with a 2-0 win over Group H strugglers Athletic Bilbao.

Jackson Martinez and Yacine Brahimi scored the goals.

The other game in the group saw Luiz Adriano hit a hat-trick as Shakhtar Donetsk hammered BATE Borisov 5-0.

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