Lionel Messi hit a hat-trick as Barcelona began their Champions League campaign with a 4-0 win over Ajax on Wednesday but Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea suffered a shock home defeat.
Messi took his tally to 62 Champions League goals and became the first player to score more than four Champions League hat-tricks, whilst also netting his 24th such treble for Barca.
A day after Cristiano Ronaldo hit three in Real Madrid’s 6-1 thumping of Galatasaray, Messi reminded everyone who is still the four-time reigning Ballon d’Or winner.
And typically it was a dazzling display from Messi that got the 2009 and 2011 winners off to the ideal start.
And the diminutive wizard dedicated the victory to Barca coach Gerard Martino, who will fly home to Argentina to attend his father’s funeral.
Messi’s first had an air of inevitability about it as he was first felled on the edge of the area and then stepped up to curl home a sumptuous free-kick.
And his second came in another of Messi’s classic moves as he took a pass from Sergio Busquets on the right before cutting inside onto his left foot to shoot home. Messi didn’t allow anyone else to hog the limelight for long as he fired home his third from Xavi’s pass 15 minutes from time.
In the group’s other game, AC Milan left it late before avoiding an embarrassing slip-up at the San Siro as Emilio Izaguirre’s own goal broke Celtic’s hearts, with Sulley Muntari adding a second to secure the Rossoneri a 2-0 success.
Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea were stunned in the shock result of the night as FC Basel left Stamford Bridge with a 2-1 victory in Group E.
The hosts had seemed to be heading to a routine home victory when Brazilian Oscar put them ahead after quick, slick passes from David Luiz and Frank Lampard.
But then Mohamed Salah bent the ball around Ahsley Cole and inside the post on 71 minutes before Marco Streller headed home the unexpected winner from a corner.
Schalke 04 took command of the group with three goals in the final quarter to beat Steaua Bucharest 3-0.
Japan’s Atsuto Uchida, Ghana midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng and German international Julien Draxler bagged the goals. Last season’s runners-up Borussia Dortmund had a disastrous start to their campaign as they went down 2-1 at Napoli in Group F.
Arsenal joined Napoli at the top of the group with a 2-1 win over Marseille at the Stade Velodrome.
