Barcelona's Lionel Messi speaks during a news conference at Nou Camp Stadium in Barcelona Thursday. Messi was injured during their Champions League Group G soccer match against Benfica at the Nou Camp Stadium in Barcelona. — Reuters LONDON – Less than seven months after celebrating a first Champions League triumph to satisfy owner Roman Abramovich's thirst for continental dominance, Chelsea became European chumps Wednesday despite a rip-roaring but irrelevant finale. A 6-1 rout of Nordsjaelland at Stamford Bridge handed beleaguered interim manager Rafael Benitez some respite but it came with the unwanted distinction of becoming the first Champions League holder to exit at the group stage. Chelsea's victory, its first since the Spaniard replaced the sacked Roberto Di Matteo a fortnight ago, mattered little with Juventus reaching the last 16, thanks to a 1-0 win in Ukraine over Shakhtar Donetsk. A second-half own goal was enough for the Italians to secure top spot in Group E and progress alongside Shakhtar. Chelsea, which needed to win and hope Juventus lost, heads into the Europa League with the West London aristocrats unlikely to be celebrating Thursday night football that Europe's second-tier competition will bring in the new year. Galatasaray and Celtic claimed the other two knockout stage places decided in the final round of group matches and there were injury concerns for Barcelona after Argentine World Player of the Year Lionel Messi suffered a bruised knee. Juventus ended Shakhtar's unbeaten home run stretching to 16 games in all competitions with Olexandr Kucher, trying to stop Sebastian Giovinco meeting a cross from Stephan Lichtsteiner, putting through his own net for the only goal on 56 minutes. Celtic struck a blow for Scottish football by reaching the last 16 for the first time since the 2007-08 season thanks to a 2-1 home victory over Spartak Moscow which secured runner-up spot behind Barcelona in Group G. Kris Commons won it for Celtic with an 81st-minute penalty after Spartak's Ari had cancelled out Gary Hooper's opener. Benfica, which began the night level on points with Celtic, could not find the breakthrough it needed in a 0-0 draw away against below-strength Barcelona, which will be more worried about Messi's injury. Messi, a second-half substitute, collapsed to the ground clutching the back of the knee after colliding with Benfica goalkeeper Artur and looked to be in severe discomfort as he was taken from the pitch. Second-half goals from Burak Yilmaz and Aydin Yilmaz helped Galatasaray come from behind to win 2-1 at Braga and go through as Group H runners-up behind Premier League leaders Manchester United. The Turkish side denied Romania's CFR Cluj, whose consolation for an upset 1-0 victory over former champion United at Old Trafford, was a Europa League place. Brazilian Luis Alberto's fine 55th-minute strike won it for Cluj against a United side featuring wholesale changes. Last season's beaten finalists Bayern Munich finished top of Group F after a 4-1 rout of BATE Borisov, ending level on points with Valencia but with a better head-to-head record against the Spaniards who beat Lille 1-0 in France. Swiss international Xherdan Shaqiri scored one and set up another for Bayern, who exacted revenge for a shock defeat in the reverse fixture in Belarus. — Reuters
