Salah scores fastest Champions League hat-trick as Inter hold Barca

Mohamed Salah scored the fastest hat-trick in the Champions League as Liverpool hammered Rangers 7-1 on Wednesday night, while Barcelona slipped closer to a second straight group-stage exit despite Robert Lewandowski’s double in a thrilling 3-3 draw with Inter Milan.

Bayern Munich, Napoli, and Club Brugge – for the first time since the inaugural group stage in 1991-92 – all booked places in the last 16.

Barcelona needed a victory at Camp Nou to keep their fate in their own hands and Ousmane Dembele’s goal after a cleverly-worked short corner gave the hosts a half-time lead.

But Inter turned the match on its head early in the second half, as Gerard Pique left a cross into the box and Nicolo Barella stole in unmarked to equalise.

Lautaro Martinez took advantage of more weak defending to put the Italians in front just after the hour mark, drilling in a low strike which went in off both posts.

Lewandowski equalised with eight minutes remaining as his deflected effort wrong-footed goalkeeper Andre Onana, but Inter substitute Robin Gosens looked to have knocked out the five-time champions with his 89th-minute effort.

Polish star Lewandowski’s towering header in injury time gave Barca four minutes to find a winner, but it was Gosens who almost won it for Inter only to be denied by Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

La Liga leaders Barca now trail second-placed Inter by three points in Group C, but with a stronger head-to-head record, Simone Inzaghi’s side will qualify with Bayern if they beat pointless Viktoria Plzen at home in two weeks.

“We had an enormous opportunity and we didn’t take it. We made errors that at this level, you cannot make,” Barcelona defender, Eric Garcia, said.

Bayern reached the knockout phase for the 15th consecutive season with a 4-2 victory at Plzen.

The German champions romped into a 4-0 half-time advantage through goals from Sadio Mane and Thomas Mueller and Leon Goretzka’s brace.

Adam Vlkanova and Jan Kliment gave the home fans two goals to cheer, but the Czechs bowed out of the competition.

Liverpool arrived at Ibrox under pressure after a weekend loss to Arsenal saw Jurgen Klopp’s men slip to 10th in the Premier League table.

Rangers stunned their visitors in the 17th minute as Scott Arfield slotted in before Roberto Firmino levelled.

The Scots caved in the second half, though, as Firmino’s second and Darwin Nunez’s first Champions League goal for Liverpool put the game to bed for last season’s losing finalists.

Salah came off the bench and wasted no time in scoring a six-minute treble, breaking Bafetimbi Gomis’ record from 2011.

Harvey Elliott wrapped up a 7-1 victory late on as Liverpool moved within a point of the next round.

“From the outside everyone expected us to win but we take it a game at a time. We know we’re in a tough period,” Virgil van Dijk said.

Earlier, Group A leaders Napoli progressed as they extended their unbeaten start to the season with a 4-2 home victory over Ajax.

Hirving Lozano and Giacomo Raspadori scored inside the first 16 minutes as the hosts made a flying start against opponents they thrashed 6-1 last week.

Davy Klaassen and Steven Bergwijn both netted for Ajax in the second period, but further Napoli goals from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Victor Osimhen made it four wins from four for the Serie A pace-setters.

Ajax will have to beat Liverpool next time out in Amsterdam to keep their hopes of going through alive.

The Star

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