Barcelona shocked by PSG in CL

Spanish side loses its first game of the season; Bayern Munich scrape past CSKA Moscow; Man City held by Roma.

PSG were without their star strike Zlatan Ibrahimovic [REUTERS]

Paris St Germain made light of the absent Zlatan Ibrahimovic and a sub-standard start to the season to claim a 3-2 Champions League victory over Barcelona.

Barca had not conceded a goal this season but David Luiz, Marco Verrati and Blaise Matuidi all punctured their defence to give the French champions three points.

PSG lead Group F with four points, with Barca on three and Ajax Amsterdam third two points after drawing 1-1 with APOEL.

“There is a lot of satisfaction because we were going through a rough patch,” PSG coach Laurent Blanc said. “Even if some players played a great match, what I keep in mind is the collective performance of the team.”

Elsewhere, Bayern Munich carved out a 1-0 win at CSKA Moscow thanks to Thomas Mueller’s first-half penalty in the strangely muted atmosphere of a cold, damp and deserted Khimki Arena.

The Group E match was played in front of an empty house after a ban from European football’s governing body UEFA was imposed for the racist behaviour of CSKA’s fans.

Nemanja Matic’s header ended Sporting’s proud four-year unbeaten home run in Europe as Chelsea seized control of Champions League Group G with a 1-0 victory in Lisbon.

Booed by the home fans throughout, Matic, who used to play for Sporting’s bitter rivals Benfica, nodded in Cesc Fabregas’s inswinging free kick at the back post after 34 minutes.

Results:

CSKA 0 – 1 Bayern Munich

Man City 1 – 1 Roma

Apoel Nic 1 – 1 Ajax

PSG 3 – 2 Barcelona

Schalke 1 – 1 NK Maribor

Sporting 0 – 1 Chelsea

BATE Bor 2 – 1 Ath Bilbao

Shakt Donsk 2 – 2 FC Porto

Source: Reuters