Champions League PIX: Barca rally to down Gladbach; Atletico end Bayern's run

Photos from the Champions League matches played across Europe on Wednesday

Barcelona battled back from a goal down and scored twice in the second half to overcome hosts Borussia Moenchengladbach 2-1 in their Champions League Group C match on Wednesday despite the absence of the injured Lionel Messi.

Second-half goals from substitute Arda Turan and Gerard Pique gave the Spaniards their second win in two group matches to top the standings, after their opening 7-0 demolition of Celtic.

The hard-working Germans had taken a surprising lead, scoring against the run of play, with Thorgan Hazard slotting in to complete a quick break in the 34th minute.

"We took a deserved victory and this was a reward for the effort made by the entire team," Barcelona coach Luis Enrique said.

"We dominated the first half and created several chances. We did not carve out as many chances after the break but overall it was a deserved win."

Barcelona, who had Argentine Messi missing with a groin injury, are now on six points after their second group win.

The hosts, who managed just one shot on target have zero, after their second loss in the group ended an 11-match winning streak at home in all competitions.

Enrique started with Andres Iniesta, Javier Mascherano, Jordi Alba and Ivan Rakitic.

Despite the absence of Messi it was the Spaniards who stamped their authority on the game early on and carved out the first chance with Neymar's shot from inside the box saved by keeper Yann Sommer after seven minutes.

Luis Suarez should have put them ahead three minutes later when he pounced on a defensive error but he saw his powerful left-footed shot sail narrowly wide.

The Uruguayan was also the recipient of a brilliant defence-splitting pass from Neymar but instead of rifling home he tried a cutback to Alcacer that was cleared.

Gladbach gradually grew in confidence and scored when forward Raffael, back from injury, gained possession in midfield and launched a quick break with Hazard tapping in from a Mahmoud Dahoud pass.

The Brazilian's injury in the 48th minute and his substitution, however, took out most of their pace.

The introduction of Turan on the hour brought instant results for the Spaniards, with the Turk picking up a Neymar assist in the 65th and drilling the ball into the roof of the net from a tight angle.

Pique then pounced on a weak clearance by Sommer to tap in the loose ball and hand Barcelona a hard-fought victory.

Carrasco strike helps Atletico to halt Bayern's perfect run

Bayern Munich's perfect start to the season under coach Carlo Ancelotti came to an end as Jannick Carrasco's first-half goal gave Atletico Madrid a 1-0 home victory in their Champions League Group D game on Wednesday.

Bayern were aiming to make it nine wins in a row in all competitions, but were derailed when Atletico struck in the 35th minute for the only goal of the game.

"Today I liked everything," Atletico coach Diego Simeone told a news conference.

"We pressed them well, when we sat back and set up for the counter we did it well. We were intense for the 90 minutes against a very hard side and it is one of the best achievements since I've been here at Atletico."

The result put Atletico top of the group on six points from two games, three clear of Bayern in second. PSV Eindhoven and Rostov, who drew 2-2 in Russia, are level on one point.

Ancelotti was disappointed but remained upbeat.

"Losing is always sad," the Italian said.

"You never want to lose. We are at the start of the season. We still have the chance to top the group and we will need to beat Atletico in the return game to do so." 

Atletico, who beat Bayern in the semi-finals of last season's competition, seized the initiative when Xabi Alonso gave away the ball in midfield, allowing the Spaniards to counter.

Antoine Griezmann sent Carrasco through on goal and the Belgian winger struck a low, left-footed shot past helpless Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and in off the post.

Atletico could have made it 2-0 with six minutes remaining but Griezmann drove his penalty against the crossbar, after Arturo Vidal had fouled Filipe Luis in the area.

Fernando Torres was dangerous with his close-range header from a corner striking the post.

He was influential in Atletico's goal, pressuring Alonso to give up possession which allowed Griezmann to break and tee up Carrasco.

Early in the second half, Ancelotti brought on Arjen Robben, Mats Hummels and Joshua Kimmich.

Atletico maintained control and Carrasco nearly scored his second but Neuer kept out his curled shot.

Griezmann could have killed off the game from the penalty spot but his miss proved academic as Atletico withstood Bayern's late pressure and claimed all three points.

Guardiola's perfect record falls in thrilling Celtic draw

Pep Guardiola witnessed the end to his perfect record with Manchester City as his Premier League leaders had to come from behind three times to earn a 3-3 draw at Celtic in a dazzling Champions League Group C encounter on Wednesday.

Guardiola's men were taken aback by the fevered atmosphere at Celtic Park as they were denied an 11th straight win which would have equalled Tottenham Hotspur's 1960-61 landmark as the best start to a season by any English club.

The inspired Scottish champions sniffed a sensation after Moussa Dembele scored at the start of each half and when Raheem Sterling netted a first-half own goal.

Yet City simply refused to be subdued, responding with strikes from Fernandinho, the excellent Sterling and Nolito and coming close to a late winner before settling for the point that moves them into second place in the group on four points behind Barcelona.

A well-aimed free kick from Scott Sinclair found James Forrest at the back post and his volley across goal was met by an Erik Sviatchenko header that brushed off the chest of Dembele, who actually looked offside.

City did well to regain a modicum of composure amid Celtic's whirlwind start, Fernandinho controlling a mis-hit Aleksandar Kolarov shot before firing in an 11th-minute equaliser.

Celtic could not be subdued, though, with teenage defender Kieran Tierney powering down the left flank in the 20th minute and unleashing a shot that deflected off a despairing Sterling's boot past Claudio Bravo.

The exceptional Sterling soon made up for his misfortune by producing an exquisite piece of trickery in the box before poking home his fifth goal of the season.

Dembele was even quicker to strike after the break, hooking the ball expertly into the net after just 70 seconds following sloppy defensive work from Kolarov yet a typically intricate move from City saw Nolito slot home a 55th-minute equaliser.

City belatedly began to take control and, with his goal under siege, it needed a magnificent save from Craig Gordon off a deflected Ilkay Gundogan shot to protect the point Brendan Rodgers's men so richly deserved.

Dazzling Arsenal raise Wenger's England stock

Arsenal players provided manager Arsene Wenger the perfect showreel in a classy 2-0 defeat of FC Basel to move joint top of Champions League Group A on Wednesday.

Theo Walcott scored twice before the break as the hosts tore Basel apart.

Walcott combined superbly with Alexis Sanchez for both goals -- the first a header from the Chilean's cross after six minutes and the second a precise shot after a slick one-two with the south American wizard left Basel's defence standing.

Had it not been for Basel keeper Tomas Vaclik, a rampant Arsenal could have been six up before halftime.

Wenger was lucid on his side's form.

"The only regret was that we did not score enough tonight considering what we created. Overall, some excellent football," Wenger said.

"The first half was top quality."

They have now gone eight matches unbeaten since losing to Liverpool on the opening day of the season and against Basel continued where they left off in a 3-0 rout of Chelsea at the weekend courtesy of another first-half onslaught.

Walcott and Sanchez were irresistible but Arsenal's threat came from all angles with Mesut Ozil tormenting and full backs Nacho Monreal and Hector Bellerin marauding forward.

Swiss Granit Xhaka overshadowed his brother Taulant who, like his teammates, could not stem the flow of Arsenal attacks.

Vaclik denied Sanchez with an outstretched arm after he had been played in by Ozil while Bellerin and Alex Iwobi also should have extended the lead.

Basel threatened a couple of times after the break with Birkir Bjarnason, one of Iceland's Euro 2016 heroes, curling a shot that Arsenal keeper David Ospina clawed over the bar.

Cavani double allows PSG to sink Ludogorets

Edinson Cavani scored twice in the second half to give Paris St Germain a 3-1 Champions League Group A win over resilient Ludogorets on Wednesday.

PSG deserved victory after dominating throughout with Cavani running the show.

The result put PSG top of the group with four points from two games, ahead of Arsenal on goal difference after the English side secured a 2-0 home win over FC Basel.

Ludogorets’s Brazilian left back Natanael opened the scoring with a stunning free kick in the 16th minute but the visitors soon seized the initiative, enjoying more of the possession and levelled the score four minutes before the interval.

Blaise Matuidi latched on to Marco Verratti's through ball to race clear and gave keeper Vladislav Stoyanov no chance with a precise left-foot shot, scoring his first goal of the season.

The visitors dominated after the break and Cavani, who also scored in PSG's 1-1 draw against Arsenal in their opening match, netted two times in the space of four minutes.

The Uruguayan striker made it 2-1 with a firm header from Angel Di Maria’s clever assist from free kick and added another one from close range only a minute after PSG keeper Alphonse Areola saved Cosmin Moti’s penalty.

Napoli thump Benfica

Napoli produced a rousing display to beat last season's quarter-finalists Benfica 4-2 in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Midfielder Marek Hamsik headed Napoli in front after 21 minutes before a devastating spell of three goals in eight minutes early in the second half left the Portuguese champions reeling.

Dries Mertens curled in a free kick in the 51st minute, Arkadiusz Milik swept home a penalty and Mertens struck again just before the hour.

Benfica enjoyed a late flurry with Goncalo Guedes and Eduardo Salvio making the scoreline more respectable but were unable to prevent their first defeat of the season.

Napoli, unbeaten in all competitions this season, have six points from their two games in Group B while Besiktas have two and Benfica and Dinamo Kiev one apiece.

In the group's other game, Portugal forward Ricardo Quaresma scored from a free kick to give Besiktas a first-half lead in Istanbul but Kiev forced a 1-1 draw when substitute Viktor Tsygankov scored midway though the second half.