Messi equals another record in Barca win, Man United sink PSG again



Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona celebrates with teammates after scoring his sides first goal during the UEFA Champions League Group G stage match between FC Barcelona and Ferencvaros Budapest at Camp Nou on October 20, 2020 in Barcelona, Spain.

Lionel Messi became the first player to score in 16 consecutive Champions League seasons as he guided 10-man Barcelona to a 5-1 victory over Hungarian side Ferencvaros in their Group G opener at Camp Nou on Tuesday.

Messi netted from the penalty spot in the first half for his 116th career goal in the competition as he handed his side the lead after he both won and converted a penalty, bringing up another milestone in his career.

Former Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs is the only other player to net in 16 Champions League seasons, though the run was not consecutive.

Manchester United got their Champions League campaign underway in emphatic style when Marcus Rashford's late goal earned them a 2-1 victory at Paris St Germain (PSG) on Tuesday, handing the French champions their first group-stage home defeat in 16 years.

Rashford netted three minutes from time, 18 months after scoring the decisive goal in a 3-1 win at PSG that sent United into the quarterfinals after a 2-0 first-leg home defeat.

"It's a different feeling from the last time we won here; it's at the start of the group stage, but we've beaten a fantastic team," said United's coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

"Last time, it was a knockout, and it was euphoric; this is sterile without the fans, but it's still excellent, and we deserved to win."

The Manchester United side went ahead in the Group H encounter with a twice-taken Bruno Fernandes first-half penalty before Anthony Martial's own goal after the break gifted PSG the equalizer, only for Rashford to wrap up the win with a precise low shot.

It was PSG's first Champions League group-stage defeat at the Parc des Princes in 25 games, having last lost 3-1 to CSKA Moscow in 2004.

Thomas Tuchel's side looked nothing like the one that reached the final of last season's competition, as they lacked energy throughout in an empty Parc des Princes.

Chelsea were frustrated by a disciplined Sevilla as their opening Group E fixture in the Champions League ended in a cagey 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.

Europa League winners Sevilla, who have been a thorn in the side of English clubs in Europe, contained Chelsea's attacks in a game of few clear chances.

"It's a positive result. I understood the need to get a result in the first game of the group," Chelsea manager Frank Lampard told reporters.

"They're a really good team; it was an interesting game, and I'm happy with the 0-0; it was a big deal to get a clean sheet."

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