The Argentine scored first and last for the Blaugrana, with Sergio Busquets scoring for the hosts before Gerard Pique conceded an own-goal on the brink of half-time in between.

Lionel Messi rocketed back into goalscoring form by firing Barcelona into the knock-out stages of the Champions League in a 3-1 win over AC Milan.

The Argentina international had not scored in three games prior to the Group H clash, but he put the Catalan giants ahead after half an hour at Camp Nou, scoring from the penalty spot after Neymar had been brought down by Ignazio Abate.

Sergio Busquets headed the home side further in front nine minutes later, when he got just enough contact on an inswinging set piece from Xavi to guide the ball home and register his second goal of the season.

Milan pulled one back a minute before the break courtesy of Gerard Pique’s own goal – with Kaka’s cross being diverted past Victor Valdes courtesy of a ricochet off the defender.

But Messi scored his second after 83 minutes, following good link-up play with Cesc Fabregas, as Barcelona moved five points clear at the top of their group and kept up their unbeaten home record.

Carles Puyol failed to make the bench for Barca, despite having featured twice since his return from a long-term knee injury, with Javier Mascherano and Pique starting in the centre of defence for the second successive game.

Massimiliano Allegri left striker Mario Balotelli on the bench, after a run of four games without a goal, while Kaka made his 90th Champions League appearance as the coach sought to avoid a fifth successive match without a win.

The home side made much of the early running, Xavi curling a free kick just wide after three minutes, before Messi was crowded out in the area as he attempted to fashion an opportunity.

Alexis then came close to nudging home Adriano’s cross after 21 minutes, but he was unable to connect at the far post.

Barca went ahead through Messi on the half-hour mark when he powered a penalty past Christian Abbiati.

Neymar was hauled down in the box by Abate as he attempted to reach a dinked Andres Iniesta throughball, with Messi keeping his cool to score his fifth goal of Barcelona’s European campaign.

Riccardo Montolivo almost levelled six minutes later, flashing an effort wide of Valdes’ right-hand post, but Barca continued to dominate and doubled their lead five minutes from the break.

Busquets glanced home a header from Xavi’s delivery to give Abbiati no chance.

Milan, though, pulled one back in the final minute of the half, when they were given a lifeline in somewhat fortuitous circumstances as Kaka’s attempted pull back clipped Pique and found its way past a wrong-footed Valdes.

Balotelli was introduced at the break and was quickly into the action, shaking off Mascherano and Adriano in the area before hitting a fierce shot that Valdes smothered.

The Italian then set up Kaka, who could only fire wide from close range, as Milan started the second half with purpose.

However, while they enjoyed plenty of possession, they failed to carve out clear-cut chances, as Barca’s defence stood firm, while Neymar and Sanchez reminded Milan of their threat on the counter.

Messi completed his double and wrapped up the match seven minutes from time, finishing neatly after a clever one-two with Fabregas to put Barca on the verge of the knockout phase.

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The striker came off the bench for the ineffectual Wayne Rooney as David Moyes’ side let the chance to take control of their Champions Leage group slip in Spain.

Manchester United were left to rue a succession of individual errors after being held 0-0 by Real Sociedad on Tuesday.

Robin van Persie missed a penalty and Marourane Fellaini was sent off as United saw their four-game winless run away from home in the Champions League continue.

The point was Real Sociedad’s first of this season’s competition and keeps their slim hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages alive given Bayer Leverkusen and Shakhtar Donetsk also drew.

United remain top of Group A with eight points, but will feel they should have taken all three with Javier Hernandez also guilty of missing an open goal.

The hosts made four changes from their 5-0 victory over Osasuna on Saturday as Markel Bergara, Alberto de la Bella, Mikel Gonzalez and Imanol Agirretxe all started having been on the bench at the weekend.

David Moyes opted to field Hernandez up front with Wayne Rooney as opposed to Van Persie, the Dutchman named among the substitutes. Hernandez was one of six changes for United from their victory over Fulham in the Premier League.

The visitors started confidently and pressed Sociedad high up the pitch, creating the first chance of the match in the 10th minute.

Shinji Kagawa released Patrice Evra down the left-hand side, the Frenchman found Rooney inside the penalty area and he flicked the ball back to the Japan international to fire a deflected shot wide.

It took the best part of half an hour for Sociedad to create an opening that came after David Zurutuza broke down the right.

The midfielder pulled his cross back to Agirretxe on the penalty spot, but he skewed his effort well wide of David de Gea’s goal.

United should have taken the lead early in the second half, but Hernandez was guilty of missing an open goal in the 50th minute.

Kagawa shifted the ball past Carlos Martinez and delivered a low cross into the unmarked Mexican, but he ballooned his effort over the bar from six yards.

The visitors’ frustration continued just after the hour as Van Persie – introduced in place of Rooney – struck the post with his first touch after an excellent cross from fellow substitute Ashley Young.

The Netherlands international striker was given another opportunity to score four minutes later after Bergara was adjudged to have pulled back Young inside the penalty area.

Van Persie’s spot-kick beat Claudio Bravo but struck the post and was cleared to safety by the Sociedad defence.

Fellaini spoiled United’s night with his late dismissal after a second yellow card following a challenge on Zurutuza.

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The striker came off the bench to ensure that Pep Guardiola’s men are guaranteed to qualify from the group stage, while equalling Barcelona’s win record.

Bayern Munich struggled to a slender 1-0 win over Viktoria Plzen to qualify for the last 16 and equal Barcelona’s record of Champions League wins in a row on Tuesday.
Pep Guardiola went into the game lamenting his side’s recent struggles to dominate teams, and they once again failed to blow away the Czech champions, despite enjoying 72 per cent possession and raining 14 shots at goal.

Plzen goalkeeper Matus Kozacik was in supreme form, while Bayern’s own patience in front of goal was often their own downfall.

Second-half substitute Mario Mandzukic netted just six minutes after coming on to secure the points, heading Philipp Lahm’s cross past Kozacik.

The hosts were unchanged from their 6-1 crushing of Jablonec last weekend, but Guardiola shuffled his pack after Saturday’s struggle to beat Hoffenheim, making four changes and including Diego Contento, a left-back by trade, in the heart of defence.

The 23-year-old immediately looked shaky in his converted position as he appeared to haul Stanislav Tecl down in the penalty area, but referee Antonio Mateu‎ was unmoved.

Bayern quickly asserted their dominance as Plzen goalkeeper Kozacik was twice called into action from distance by David Alaba, while Bastian Schweinsteiger rattled the post from Mario Gotze’s cut-back.

Guardiola’s side poured forward, but were not creating clear-cut chances as the Czechs stood resolute at the back and almost grabbed a shock lead. Milan Petrzela squirmed clear, but his left-footed shot sailed over the crossbar as Bayern’s first-half frustrations went on until the half-time whistle

Bayern came out for the second half with renewed vigour and Lahm was denied his first Champions League goal just four minutes after the break as he prodded past Kozacik, but Marian Cisovsky slid across to deny the Bavarians’ captain.

Daniel Van Buyten flicked a header wide from a corner, with Thomas Muller just missing out on a tap-in at the far post and Franck Ribery was denied one-on-one by the inspired Kozacik as Bayern turned the screw.

With Bayern still unable to break the deadlock, Guardiola introduced Mandzukic and Javi Martinez for Muller and Schweinsteiger, and the changes had the desired effect within six minutes of being made.

Lahm pulled out to the right and swung a deep cross to the back post that Mandzukic planted across goal and past the despairing dive of Kozacik.

Tecl brought Manuel Neuer into action with a low drive before missing Petrzela’s cross by inches as Plzen hit back in the hunt for an equaliser.

Bayern should have settled the game late on as Gotze rounded Kozacik, but he took the ball too far and Mandzukic could not convert his cross, but it mattered for little as the holders sealed their progression from Group D.

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Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale had put the visitors in front after Arturo Vidal’s first-half penalty but the Spanish striker sealed a share of the spoils.

Fernando Llorente was the hero for Juventus as he earned a point for the Italian champions in a thrilling 2-2 draw with Real Madrid on Tuesday.

Arturo Vidal had put the hosts in front with a fierce penalty late in the first half, only for Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale to turn the match around at the hour mark.

However, Llorente’s header was enough to seal a share of the spoils in a thriller at Juventus Stadium and keep the Bianconeri’s hopes of the next round alive.

The result means Real will qualify for the knockout stages barring a freak set of results, as third-placed Copenhagen are six points behind with a vastly inferior goal difference. Juventus are now bottom of the group, but only one point behind Copenhagen and Galatasaray.

Giorgio Chiellini was suspended for the hosts after being sent off in the return fixture, so Leonardo Bonucci deputised from the start for the home side.

Real named the now familiar front three of Karim Benzema, Ronaldo and Bale, while Raphael Varane partnered Pepe in the centre of defence.

The visitors made the brighter start, but Juventus grew into the game and were twice thwarted by the returning Iker Casillas.

First he made a superb reflex save to beat away Marcelo’s inadvertent deflection in the 17th minute, before denying Llorente at point-blank range with his right foot.

However, there was nothing the goalkeeper could do to prevent the opener three minutes before the break as Madrid conceded their fifth penalty in three matches.

Varane was penalised for catching Paul Pogba’s trailing leg and the resulting spot-kick was dispatched high into the goal by Vidal.

Real pressed much higher up the pitch in the second half and were rewarded with an equaliser in the 52nd minute.

Martin Caceres’ slack backpass was deflected into the path of Benzema and his throughball was collected by Ronaldo, who applied a cool finish beyond Gianluigi Buffon.

Real nearly punished Juventus further four minutes later when Xabi Alonso’s thunderous half-volley cannoned back off the crossbar.

After surviving that scare, the hosts nearly retook the lead when Claudio Marchisio was twice denied, first by Casillas and then by Pepe’s goal-line block.

Marchisio’s misfortune appeared more significant as Real moved in front on the hour mark, Ronaldo collecting Marcelo’s pass with a sublime touch and finding Bale, who drove at the Juve defence and found the bottom-right corner with a drilled left-footed shot.

Yet Juventus were back level six minutes later, Caceres atoning for his earlier error with a teasing cross that Llorente stooped low to head home.

The home fans almost had the chance to celebrate a winner, but were once again frustrated by Casillas as he kept out Tevez’s long-distance effort.

The result leaves Ancelotti’s side on the brink of the last 16, while Juventus face a battle to reach the knockout phase.

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Manuel Pellegrini guided his team to the knockout stages for the first time with two games to space thanks to Bayern Munich beating Viktoria Plzen in the group’s other game.

Alvaro Negredo scored a hat-trick as Manchester City beat CSKA Moscow 5-2 to reach the last 16 of the Champions League.

Argentina striker Sergio Aguero scored twice in the first half to become City’s all-time leading scorer in European football and put them on course to qualify from Group D.

Aguero took his tally to nine goals in his last six games in the process and he then set up Negredo for a third goal before Seydou Doumbia pulled one back just before the break.

Negredo added a fourth goal early in the second half before Doumbia added his second of the night from the penalty spot.

Negredo then completed his hat-trick in stoppage time as City qualified for the knockout stages, courtesy of their head-to-head record against the Russians.

City thrashed Norwich 7-0 in the Premier League on Saturday, so it was no surprise that Manuel Pellegrini named an unchanged side – the first time he has done so as City boss – with Costel Pantilimon again preferred to under-fire England goalkeeper Joe Hart.

CSKA headed into the match having won their last three domestic games following their defeat to City last month and they were also unchanged.

The pre-match talk was dominated by the alleged racial abuse suffered by City midfielder Yaya Toure in the first meeting between the sides last month that resulted in Uefa deciding to close part of CSKA’s Arena Khimki for their clash with Bayern Munich.

But City were focused on the task of qualifying and they were in front after just three minutes, when Zoran Tosic upended David Silva and Aguero’s spot-kick evaded the outstretched arm of goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev diving to his left.

Aguero then doubled City’s lead when he sublimely turned his marker inside the area before dispatching a measured right-foot strike into the bottom-left corner of Akinfeev’s goal after just 21 minutes.

The lively Argentinian then turned provider on the half-hour mark when he took a pass from Negredo in his stride and then picked out the Spain striker at the back post for a simple tap-in.

But it was CSKA who had the final say in the first half when Pontus Wernbloom slipped the ball through for Doumbia and the striker rounded Pantilimon before pulling a goal back in stoppage time.

Any hopes of a CSKA comeback were dashed six minutes into the second half, though, when Toure picked out Samir Nasri with an incisive pass and the midfielder set up Negredo for another simple finish.

Doumba was a real handful and he scored his second of the night from the spot after Gael Clichy was adjudged to have fouled him to make it eight goals in his last 10 games.

But Negredo had the final say as he headed home at the back post to cap a memorable night for City.

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