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Agence France-Presse

Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernandez insisted he hasn’t been frustrated by his lack of opportunities under new boss Luis Enrique after starting for the first time this season in a much-changed side in a 1-0 victory over APOEL Nicosia on Wednesday.
Gerard Pique’s first-half header was enough to hand the Catalans an unconvincing winning start to their Champions League campaign against the Cypriot champions.
Xavi started alongside youngsters Sergi Samper and Sergi Roberto in midfield as Enrique made nine changes in all from the side that started Saturday’s 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao.

“I am happy. When my turn to play comes I will try to be useful,” said the 34-year-old, who moved level with Real Madrid legend Raul for the all-time record of Champions League appearances with 142.
Despite the presence of Lionel Messi and Neymar in attack, Barca struggled to create clear-cut chances against the mass ranks of the APOEL defence and Xavi admitted the lack of fluidity in the final third.
“We struggled. We tried to move the ball quickly and we didn’t manage to do it,” he added. “It is true we dominated. We tried through the middle and wide, but they defended very well.

The narrow victory was enough to take Barca to the top of Group F as French champions Paris Saint-Germain were held 1-1 in Amsterdam by Ajax.
PSG wasted a host of chances when they were 1-0 up – Edinson Cavani’s 28th goal in his 50th appearance for the French champions giving them the lead – and paid the price when Danish international Lasse Schoene levelled with a delightful free-kick.
“I think that above all it was a good spectacle,” said PSG coach Laurent Blanc.
“It’s true that we were disrupted by Ajax in the second half, by a very good Ajax team. They came looking for us and used the ball well – I think it’s the first time, certainly in the group stage, that we have had less possession than our opponents.
However, he added: “We are disappointed because we didn’t come here just to get a draw.”

Two other games ended in draws – Athletic Bilbao’s first game at this stage in 16 years saw them hold Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk 0-0 in Group H.
Former Manchester United winger Nani got on the scoresheet for Sporting Lisbon but Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho will have not seen anything to fear too much from his group rivals as Slovenian champions Maribor fought back to grab a 1-1 draw.

Both AS Roma and Porto bucked the trend of low scoring games by thrashing CSKA Moscow and Belarus outfit BATE Borisov 5-1 and 6-0 respectively, with the Portuguese side’s Algerian winger Yacine Brahimi producing the scoring performance of the evening with a hat-trick.
The 24-year-old’s second was the pick of them as he collected the ball on the halfway line and ran through to slot the ball home.
“When you take three points at the start of a six-game mini-championship  like the Champions League (group stage), it’s an important step,” said Roma boss Rudi Garcia.

“I don’t think the scoreline truly reflects how good a side CSKA are. But  we’ve started well and I hope we can continue.”
At least two CSKA fans were rushed to hospital, one with suspected stab wounds following  clashes between supporters.



Champions League round-up: Gerard Pique hands Barca unconvincing 1-0 win over Cypriot minnows

Gerard Pique celebrates Barca's winner. Photo: EPA

Barca's Catalunya separatist supporters wave "Esteladas" (Catalan separatist flags) at the Camp Nou and the Scottish Saltire ahead of today's vote on Scottish independence. Photo: Reuters

CSKA Moscow's supporters clash with stewards and policemen in Rome. Photo: Reuters

CSKA Moscow's Ahmed Musa scores past AS Roma's goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis. Photo: Reuters

Porto's Bruno Martins fights for the ball with BATE Borisov's Vitali Rodionov. Photo: Reuters

AS Roma's Francesco Totti fights for the ball with CSKA Moscow goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev. Photo: Reuters

Shaktar Donetsk goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov with Athletic Bilbao's Aritz Aduriz. Photo: Reuters

Champions League round-up: Gerard Pique hands Barca unconvincing 1-0 win over Cypriot minnows

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}PSG frustrate by Ajax while Roma and Porto rack up the goals

PSG frustrate by Ajax while Roma and Porto rack up the goals