Messi makes history with stunning Champions League goal

Lionel Messi has scored a landmark 100th goal in European competition, netting for Barcelona against Olympiacos in the Champions League to join Cristiano Ronaldo in an exclusive club.

The Argentina star went into the match having netted 96 in the Champions League and three in the UEFA Super Cup, and he brought up his continental century with a sublime free kick at Camp Nou.

Dimitris Nikolaou, whose own-goal let Barca open the scoring, scythed Messi down on the edge of the area and Olympiacos goalkeeper Silvio Proto could not prevent him making it 2-0, parrying a curling effort into the roof of the net.

Lucas Digne soon made it three, on the end of a Messi assist, with Ernesto Valverde's men coasting despite Gerard Pique's red card shortly before half-time.

Messi scored the first of his 100 in November 2005 in a 5-0 hammering of Olympiacos' great rivals Panathinaikos, whom he has since gone on to score another three times against.

Arsenal remain his favourite prey, however, with Messi scoring nine times against Arsene Wenger's men down the years, one more than both Celtic and AC Milan.

His tally against Arsenal is tied with Ronaldo's respective haul against Bayern Munich in Europe, making them joint record-holders for goals against a single team.

Messi has, of course, scored all 97 of his Champions League goals for Barcelona, taking him five clear of Ronaldo as the player with the most goals for the same club in the competition.

Elsewhere, Manchester United battled to a 1-0 win at Benfica courtesy of a bizarre goal, which embarrassed the hosts' teenage goalkeeper Mile Svilar.

The result left United top of Group A with three straight wins, three ahead of second-placed Swiss side Basel who won 2-0 at CSKA Moscow.

Belgian 18-year-old Svilar became the youngest keeper to make his Champions League debut and gifted United victory.

Marcus Rashford drove an innocuous-looking long range free kick from the left touchline straight at the youngster, who caught the ball but back-pedalled with it beyond the goalline with his arms outstretched.

Paris Saint-Germain's attacking trio all got on the scoresheet as the French side recorded a comfortable 4-0 away victory over Anderlecht in Group B.

Kylian Mbappe, Edinson Cavani and Neymar all netted, while Angel Di Maria added a fourth with a late strike, in a win that maintains the Ligue 1 side's 100 per cent record.

Bayern Munich eased past Celtic 3-0 to hand coach Jupp Heynckes a winning return to the competition he won with them in 2013.

First-half goals from Thomas Mueller and Joshua Kimmich put them in the driving seat and Mats Hummels grabbed a third in the 51st minute to round off a dominant performance in which the 72-year-old Heynckes became the oldest coach in the competition's history.

Chelsea and Roma served up a 3-3 draw at Stamford Bridge as both clubs stayed firmly on course for a place in the last 16.

Edin Dzeko scored twice for Roma as the Italians stormed back from 2-0 down to lead 3-2 with 20 minutes remaining, only for Eden Hazard to salvage a point for Group C leaders Chelsea.

Atletico Madrid's poor start to the campaign continued as they were held to a frustrating goalless draw at Qarabag, who picked up their first point in Champions League action.

Juventus hit back to snatch a late 2-1 win at home to Sporting after gifting the Portuguese side an early lead with a bizarre own goal by Alex Sandro.

Miralem Pjanic levelled with a superb free kick in the 29th minute and, just as Sporting seemed set to frustrate the hosts, Mario Mandzukic scored the winner with a superb diving header in the 84th minute.

with agencies