07-29-2019, 12:45 AM
ROME -- Chelsea made a losing start to Champions League for the first time as Basel came from behind to win 2-1 in London and add to the difficulties of the "Special One" during his Stamford Bridge homecoming. Last seasons runner-up Borussia Dortmund also had a bad night, losing 2-1 at Napoli with both coach Juergen Klopp and goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller being sent off. Seven-time champion AC Milan struggled, too, before two late goals gave the injury-hit Rossoneri a 2-0 victory at home to Celtic. Meanwhile, Theo Walcott and Aaron Ramsey scored as Arsenal opened its 16th straight campaign in the top European competition with a 2-1 win at Marseille to join Napoli atop Group F. Elsewhere, it was: Atletico Madrid 3, Zenit St. Petersburg 1; Schalke 3, Steaua Bucharest 0; and Austria Vienna 0, Porto 1. At the Camp Nou, Messi scored his 60th, 61st and 62nd career goals in his 80th Champions League match. "Barcelona is full of individual talents," Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino said. "Today we can talk about Messi and Valdes, another day Xavi or Neymar. It is normal that one of them rises to the occasion." Messi, the four-time FIFA world player of the year, opened the scoring in the 22nd minute after he was fouled on the edge of Ajaxs area, then stepped up to fire in a perfect-placed free kick. The Argentina forward doubled the hosts advantage in the 55th by hitting on the break when Ajax was caught looking for the equalizer. Neymar, on his European debut, set up Gerard Pique to add Barcelonas third goal in the 69th before Messi completed his hat trick in the 75th. Messis treble leaves him nine goals short of Raul Gonzalezs all-time record of 71. Barcelona and Milan top Group H, although the Rossoneri didnt take the lead until eight minutes from time with an own goal before Sulley Muntari sealed the result two minutes later. In London, boos rang out at the final whistle after Marco Streller clinched Basels first-ever win in England in the 82nd minute by flicking a header past goalkeeper Petr Cech after seizing on slack defending. "I am responsible for everything," Mourinho said. "Especially after a bad result. In the good moments I want everyone to shine, in the bad moments I want everyone to keep calm." Although Oscar lit up a drab start by putting Chelsea in front before halftime, Mohamed Salah began the Swiss sides comeback in the 71st by bending in an equalizer before Streller ensured that Chelseas worst start to a season in the decade under Roman Abramovichs ownership was prolonged. Basel and Schalke share the Group E lead. In Italy, prized signing Gonzalo Higuain put Napoli ahead 29 minutes in on a rainy night at San Paolo stadium by heading home a cross from Camilo Zuniga, after which Klopp was sent off for protesting. Higuain was also at the centre of the action when Weidenfeller was shown a red card for using his hands outside his area to deny the striker in first-half added time. Zuniga scored an own goal for Dortmund in the 87th with a poorly intercepted cross. Napoli and Arsenal meet next in Group F. Akiem Hicks Bears Jersey .com) - The New York Jets have named Mike Maccagnan their new general manager. Akiem Hicks Womens Jersey . According to various reports, the striker is about to sign a five-and-a-half year extension with Manchester United worth a reported 300,000 pounds a week that would see him at Old Trafford until 2019. http://www.chicagobearfootballauthentic....rs-jersey/. 1 goaltender tonight when they conclude a four-game road trip versus the Winnipeg Jets. David Montgomery Jersey . -- Top-ranked Stacy Lewis birdied the last three holes and five of the final six Thursday for an 8-under 64 and a share of the lead with Mi Jung Hur in the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic. Dick Butkus Bears Jersey . The Pope greeted Klose at his general audience Wednesday and the pair had a long chat. Klose is German like the pope, although he was born in Poland. In Sundays derby, Lazio took the lead in the seventh minute after Maarten Stekelenburg brought down Klose, resulting in the Roma goalkeeper being sent off and a penalty that Hernanes converted.The Toronto Blue Jays kick off a nine-game road trip Friday in Baltimore as they open a weekend series with the Orioles at Camden Yards. Right-hander Dustin McGowan gets the nod for the visiting Blue Jays and will look to rebound from a rough first assignment against the New York Yankees last Friday. In that outing, McGowan was tagged for four runs on eight hits in 2 2/3 innings of a 7-3 loss. That start was McGowans first in almost three years after spending last season in the bullpen and the previous one recovering from surgery. The rust was evident, as he worked up too much of a sweat in the bullpen prior to the game and tipped his pitches a few times. "Hes better than that and hell get better than that," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. For Baltimore, right-hander Chris Tillman appears to have picked up right where he left off last year when he went 16-7 with a 3.71 ERA and earned his first All-Star nod. Tillman has allowed only one earned run in each of his first two starts and went 8 1/3 innings at Detroit in his last outing. His teammates are starting to look at Tillman as the true ace of the staff. "Hes definitely working his way up to that status," right fielder Nick Markakis said. "Hes learning how to pitch, hes learning how to attack tthe zone, hes got confidence on the mound.dddddddddddd And when you got confidence and talent, it takes you a long way." Orioles third baseman Jonathan Schoop spoiled Masahiro Tanakas first home start for the Yankees with a three-run homer in the second inning on Wednesday as Baltimore went on to earn a 5-4 win and a series victory. The Os broke a 3-3 tie with two runs in the ninth off reliever Shawn Kelley. With an off day Thursday, they are hoping to get shortstop J.J. Hardy back into the lineup after missing five of the last six games with recurring back spasms. The plan was for Hardy to test out his back at the ballpark on Thursday and see how it responds. "Well see how it feels. Hopefully Ill be able to do everything and should be good to go," Hardy said. "I feel good about it." Toronto missed out on a series sweep over Houston on Thursday as it fell, 6-4. R.A. Dickey, who effectively switched spots with McGowan in the rotation, served up a pair of costly home runs after not allowing any in his first two starts. Last year, he gave up the second-most home runs in the majors. Dickey went on to yield five runs in seven innings against the Astros. Baltimore won last years season series with the Blue Jays by a slim 10-9 margin. ' ' '