
Audio By Carbonatix
Lionel Messi missed out on a chance to match Gerd Mueller's record of 85 goals in a calendar year as he was injured during Barcelona's draw with Benfica.Messi, who hurt his left knee in a collision with Benfica keeper Artur, was taken off 30 minutes after coming on as a second-half substitute.Benfica knew a win would see them finish second behind Barca in Group G.But the Portuguese side missed several early chances and the 0-0 draw meant Celtic qualified instead.Messi, who has scored 84 goals so far in 2012, had been left on the bench by Barca, who were already guaranteed to go through as group winners.The 25-year-old Argentina international has four matches left this year to overhaul Mueller's tally - La Liga games against Real Betis, Atletico Madrid and Real Valladolid, and a Copa del Rey tie with Cordoba.FC Barcelona's official Twitter account tweeted after the Benfica game: "Messi has a bruise on the outside of his left knee. He'll undergo further tests to determine the exact extent of the injury."Elsewhere, Galatasaray pipped CFR Cluj to second place behind Manchester United in Group H after a dramatic late win over Braga.The Turkish side, who trailed to Mossoro's first-half goal, levelled through Burak Yilmaz's header and triumphed when Aydin Yilmaz tapped home after Quim failed to hold on to a shot.That meant they finished above Cluj on the head-to-head rule, leaving the Romanian side to settle for a Europa League spot.Juventus edged a tight game against Shakhtar Donetsk to join the Ukrainians in qualifying from Group E.The Italian side, who needed a point to finish above Chelsea, scored the only goal of the game when Stephan Lichtsteiner's cross went in off Shakhtar defender Olexander Kucher.Juventus go through as group winners, while Donetsk finish second above the Blues because of their head-to-head record - they scored more goals at Stamford Bridge than the London club managed at the Donbass Arena.Bayern Munich and Valencia were already sure of their progress from Group F before the final round of matches and both teams rounded off their group campaign with wins.The German side thrashed BATE Borisov 4-1 to ensure they went through as group winners, while Valencia beat Lille 1-0 in France. BATE already knew they would finish third.
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Tags:
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Latest Stories
-
Nandom Community Bank records GH₵81.8m asset growth as stakeholders rally for urgent recapitalisation
8 minutes -
GIZ, Guinness Ghana sign MoU to boost sorghum output, target 30,000 farmers, 150 jobs in northern Ghana
17 minutes -
Partey, Inaki Williams start as Queiroz makes four changes for England clash
41 minutes -
LUV FACT-CHECK: NPP did not demand retraction from Kennedy Agyapong over Afari Hospital criticism
45 minutes -
80 children, 1 room: Bugbelle gets room for hope
48 minutes -
VRA warns public over recruitment scam, says it does not charge fees
50 minutes -
Accra dons national colours as fans rally behind Black Stars ahead of England clash
1 hour -
UMB rallies support for Black Stars with Kumasi float as part of 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign
1 hour -
Three former Hohoe E.P. SHS students arrested over the destruction of school property
2 hours -
Minority cry foul over exclusion from “Welfare” talks with President Mahama
2 hours -
Sales is not pressure: Your hardest-working salesperson may be costing you the most deals
2 hours -
Family raises safety concerns after Adwoa Safo’s brother granted bail
2 hours -
StanChart hosts inaugural digital assets summit in Accra
2 hours -
GMTF deepens strategic partnership with Multimedia Group to expand public awareness
3 hours -
Ghana to host Africa Monologue Challenge Season 3 as event celebrates continental creative integration
3 hours