FC Barcelona moved to the verge of a place in the next round of the Champions League with a big win over FC Basel yesterday, and Chelsea and Inter Milan also look set to be there after narrow victories.
Bojan Krkic scored twice to lead Barcelona to a 5-0 win in Switzerland and Chelsea captain John Terry scored late to give Chelsea a 1-0 win over AS Roma. Inter beat Anorthosis Famagusta 1-0 to take control of its group, while PSV Eindhoven, Bordeaux and Sporting Lisbon also won.
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Lionel Messi (C) shoots at Barcelona's Champions League match against FC Basel yesterday. Barcelona won 5-0.
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Barcelona's win made it the only team in the 32-club competition to have a perfect record through three matches after Liverpool and Atletico Madrid lost their 100 percent streaks with a 1-1 draw in Spain, where Simao Sabrosa equalized for the home side with seven minutes remaining.
Barcelona, which won the last of its two titles in 2006, needed two very late goals to beat Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1 in its last Champions League match but had no such problems yesterday and took the lead after just four minutes.
Lionel Messi scored first when he collected a chip over the defense from Daniel Alves and side-footed the ball past goalkeeper Franco Costanzo. Barcelona got another in the 15th when Sergi Busquets scored from a pass by Xavi Hernandez, and Krkic scored seven minutes later with a low shot from the edge of the area.
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Players of Barcelona celebrate their victory against FC Basel yesterday.
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Even with star striker Samuel Eto'o on the substitutes' bench, Barcelona totally dominated and created three chances to make it 4-0 before the first half hour was over. Alves sent a shot over the bar following a well-worked move from a free kick, Krkic had a shot blocked and Alves's effort from the rebound was saved by Costanzo.
Krkic extended his team's lead just a minute into the second half, rounding off a speedy counterattack with a low shot, and Xavi Hernandez made it 5-0 in the 48th with a strike from the edge of the area.
Krkic almost got his hat trick in the 55th with a lob onto the roof of the net and Barcelona, which was already on course for its biggest ever away win in the Champions League, then taunted its Swiss opponent further by bringing on France striker Thierry Henry.
"There are no easy games," Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said. "Only when we give the maximum are victories like this possible."
Barcelona has nine points in Group C, three more than Sporting Lisbon, which won at Shakhtar 1-0 through a 76th-minute goal by Liedson. Basel was stranded in last place without a single point.
