Sport

Roma hold Barcelona after Suarez opens scoring

Barcelona's Luis Suarez celebrates with his team-mate Ivan Rakitic after scoring against Roma during Wednesday night's Champions League Group E clash<br />Picture: AP
Barcelona's Luis Suarez celebrates with his team-mate Ivan Rakitic after scoring against Roma during Wednesday night's Champions League Group E clash
Picture: AP
Barcelona's Luis Suarez celebrates with his team-mate Ivan Rakitic after scoring against Roma during Wednesday night's Champions League Group E clash
Picture: AP

BARCELONA were held to a 1-1 draw at Roma as they got their Champions League defence under way on Wednesday night.

Luis Suarez gave Barca a 21st-minute lead in the Group E contest, but Roma equalised 10 minutes later with a wonder goal from defender Alessandro Florenzi. Florenzi drilled a right-footed shot from just over the halfway line and the ball cannoned into the back of the net off a post.

Elsewhere in the group, Hakan Calhanoglu scored a brace either side of Javier Hernandez's first goal for Bayer Leverkusen as the German side saw off BATE Borisov 4-1 at home. Leverkusen took the lead in the fourth minute through a delightful Admir Mehmedi effort, only for their Belarusian opponents to draw level nine minutes later via Nemanja Milunovic's deflected header.

The hosts went back in front two minutes into the second half when Calhanoglu's shot diverted in off Dzyanis Palyakow. Hernandez, signed last month from Manchester United, then marked his first Leverkusen start with a tidy right-footed finish in the 59th minute, before Calhanoglu converted a 75th-minute penalty.

Thomas Muller's scoring hot-streak continued as he netted a brace to steer Bayern Munich to a 3-0 win at Olympiacos in Group F. Muller put the Bayern ahead in the 52nd minute with a lofted effort from outside the box which looked as if it had been intended as a cross.

Substitute Mario Gotze then lashed in with a minute of normal time remaining, before Muller converted a penalty in stoppage time to take his tally for the season to eight Bayern goals and 11 overall, including those scored for Germany.

Dynamo Kiev substitute Vitaliy Buyalskyi struck a late equaliser to rescue a point for his side as their Group G opener at home against Porto ended 2-2. The 29-year-old fired home in the 89th minute after Vincent Aboubakar's double had cancelled out Oleg Gusev's opener for the Russians.

In Group H, Zenit St Petersburg won 3-2 at Valencia, Hulk striking twice to give the visitors a 2-0 half-time lead, Joao Cancelo's deflected shot and an Andre Gomes effort drawing things level, and Axel Witsel then notching the winner.

The group also saw nine-man Gent fight back to clinch a point as their first-ever Champions League group match ended 1-1 at home against Lyon. The Belgians, who had Brecht Dejaegere and Thomas Foket both sent off, fell behind to Christophe Jallet's header but hit back through Danijel Milicevic's super strike.

Gent goalkeeper Matz Sels then saved the day for the hosts in the 88th minute when he denied Alexandre Lacazette from the penalty spot.