World Soccer

Lluis Gene (AFP/Getty Images)

FC Barcelona rallied twice to beat Celtic 3-2 in the first leg of the second round of the Champions League on Wednesday, and defending champion AC Milan held Arsenal to a 0-0 draw.

Lionel Messi scored two goals for Barcelona, with Thierry Henry adding the other in Glasgow.

Manchester United needed a late goal from Carlos Tevez for a 1-1 draw at Lyon, and Fenerbahce beat Sevilla 3-2 with a late goal from Semih Senturk.

Celtic, which won all three of its home games in the group stage, went ahead twice against Barcelona, but the visitors took the lead for good in the 79th minute when Messi took advantage of a poor Celtic clearance.

Celtic striker Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink scored in the 16th minute with a diving header to give the hosts the lead, but Messi scored his first goal two minutes later.

Barry Robson put Celtic ahead again in the 38th with a goal in his Champions League debut. Henry then tied it in the 52nd by curling the ball into the net from a tight angle after being fed the ball by Ronaldinho.

Barcelona started three of its so-called “Fantastic Four”—Messi, Henry and Ronaldinho. Samuel Eto’o replaced Ronaldinho in the 73rd.

Emmanuel Adebayor hit the crossbar in injury time for Arsenal, but the Milan defense was able to keep the hosts out of the net at Emirates Stadium.

The visitors resolutely defended against Arsenal, which was rebounding from Saturday’s 4-0 loss to Manchester United in the fifth round of the FA Cup.

Adebayor had Arsenal’s best chances—he had the ball in the net in the 53rd but it was called offside before his header in injury time. Emmanuel Eboue, Eduardo da Silva and Cesc Fabregas also had attempts on goal.

In Lyon, the hosts went ahead in the 55th minute when Karim Benzema found space to turn on the edge of the penalty area and hit a powerful shot into the bottom-right corner.

Tevez, a second-half substitute, scored an 87th-minute tying goal by poking the ball in from close range.

Tevez’s goal will provide a big boost for United when they return to Manchester to play the second leg on March 4.

Photo source | Fixtures

Champions League second round first leg results on Wednesday (20/2): At Glasgow Celtic (SCO) 2 (Vennegoor of Hesselink 16, Robson 38) Barcelona (ESP) 3 (Messi 18, 79, Henry 52)

At Istanbul Fenerbahce (TUR) 3 (Kezman 17, Lugano 57, Senturk 87) Sevilla (ESP) 2 (Edu Dracena 23-og, Escude 66)

At London Arsenal (ENG) 0 AC Milan (ITA) 0

At Lyon, France Lyon (FRA) 1 (Benzema 54) Manchester United (ENG) 1 (Tevez 87)

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