Champions League Group D wrap: Barca seal top spot, Rubin stay alive

Barcelona sealed top spot in Champions League Group D with an easy win in Greece while Rubin Kazan kept their last 16 hopes alive.

Pep Guardiola’s side had few problems dealing with Panathinaikos as they eased to a 3-0 win at the Olympic Stadium in Athens, leaving the Greek side winless in the group stage this campaign.

Pedro opened the scoring for the visitors after 27 minutes, slotting a low shot across Panathinaikos goalkeeper Alexandros Tsorvas.

It remained 1-0 until after half-time, when Argentine playmaker Lionel Messi doubled Barcelona’s advantage.

Defender Adriano cut the ball back from the left flank and Messi timed his run perfectly to flick the ball past Tsorvas and score his fifth goal of the competition.

Pedro sealed the win with his second goal seven minutes later, sweeping the ball home after being picked out in the box by an Andres Iniesta pass.

Barca move to 11 points with the win, four points clear of Copenhagen in second, and will now turn their attentions to the Clasico against Real Madrid on Monday.

Rubin Kazan kept their hopes of reaching the last 16 alive with a 1-0 win at home against Copenhagen.

Anything but a win would have sent Rubin out of the competition, but the narrow victory draws them within one point of Copenhagen in the Group D standings with one match remaining.

Captain Cristian Noboa was the hero for the hosts, scoring from the penalty spot in first-half injury time to give his team all three points.

It was a tense opening in Kazan with Danish champions Copenhagen knowing a draw would be enough to see them through to the next round.

Sergey Kornilenko went close with an effort from 25 yards, before the decisive moment of the match came on the stroke of half-time when Copenhagen winger Jesper Gronkjaer handled Noboa’s in-swinging free kick in the box.

Noboa made no mistake from the spot, blasting his penalty into the roof of the net to give Copenhagen goalkeeper John Wiland no chance.

Despite the loss, Copenhagen remain favourites to qualify, with Rubin needing to beat Barcelona at the Camp Nou in a fortnight in order to usurp the Danes in the standings.