Lionel Messi takes centre stage in 7-1 annihilation of Maccabi Haifa, PSG among 4 teams in last 16 of UCL

His first goal was a nchalant, outside-of--foot finish. His second was pretty much his tremark — fast feet outside area and n a precise curler into corner.

Lionel Messi kept up his stellar pre- World Cup form to help rampant Paris Saint-Germain become one of four teams to vance to last 16 of Champions League on Tuesday, along with Chelsea, Benfica and Borussia Dortmund.

That’s more than half of round of 16 lineup confirmed w — five clubs h alrey gone through — and PSG will be one of teams its rivals are looking to avoid, especially with Messi in this mood. Kylian Mbappe, too.

At opposite ends of ir careers, two superstar forwards are tasked with guiding French champions to a first Champions League title and y both scored twice in a 7-2 thrashing of Maccabi Haifa.

Neymar, or member of team’s high-profile attacking trident, also scored in a victory that guaranteed PSG a top-two finish alongside Benfica in Group H. Both teams are on 11 points heing into final round.

Benfica was a 4-3 winner over Juventus, which has failed to reach kckout st for first time since 2013-14 season.

With perhaps best goal of 33 scored in next-to-last round of group games, Kai Havertz whipped a long-range shot in off crossbar to earn Chelsea a 2-1 win at Salzburg and a first-place finish in Group E.

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It’s 18th time in 19 group-st campaigns that Chelsea, a two-time Champions League winner, has vanced. PSG has done so for 11 straight seasons w but has yet to win European soccer’s biggest prize.

Dortmund joined Manchester City in vancing from Group G after drawing 0-0 with English champions, who are w sure to finish in first place.

Alrey-qualified Real Mrid, defending champion, lost 3-2 at Leipzig and must wait to seal top spot on Group F. Leipzig is on brink of vancing after moving three points clear of Shakhtar Donetsk, which drew 1-1 at Celtic.

MAGICAL MESSI

Messi is certainly in his best form since joining Qatari-backed PSG and might t be too far from his Barcelona prime, a month before he attempts to win World Cup for first time with Argentina.

It’s 11 goals in his last nine games for club and country, and 129 career goals in Champions League — 11 behind his great rival Cristia Ronaldo, who isn’t playing in competition this season at Manchester United.

Messi, who also set up two goals against Maccabi, set PSG on its way with a casual finish with outside of his left foot from a standing start. Mbappe curled home from a similar position for second goal and me decoy run that allowed Messi to play in Neymar for third goal.

Messi ded his second before halftime when he ran toward area, checked back onto his left foot inside a would-be tackler, and found bottom corner from 20 meters.

crowd inside Parc des Princes was lapping it up and re were furr goals from Mbappe, and Carlos Soler, as well as an own-goal, after break.

PSG conceded two goals from set pieces to blot its performance.

JUVE TURMOIL

Juventus’ earliest Champions League exit in nearly a dece came a day after Italian team learned that club president Andrea Agnelli, vice president Pavel Nedved and CEO Maurizio Arrivabene are among 15 people placed under investigation for alleged false accounting and irregularities in player transfers.

One of few remaining clubs clinging onto idea of a European Super League, Juventus faces a struggle to return to Champions League next season after a slow start to Serie A.

y sure couldn’t keep up with Benfica, for whom António Silva, João Mário and Rafa Silva scored in a wild first half. Silva ded a second after halftime.

Late goals from Arkiusz Milik and Weston McKennie proved in vain for Juventus, which has lost four of its five group games.

HAALAND’S RETURN

Erling Haaland didn’t enjoy his return to former club Dortmund.

striker was replaced by Man City manr Pep Guardiola at halftime, perhaps with an eye to future Premier League games and with team alrey through to last 16. Guardiola also said Haaland h been struggling with a fever.

City winger Riy Mahrez h a penalty saved in second half — he also failed from spot against FC Copenhn two weeks ago — as Dortmund claimed point it needed to vance.

Sevilla beat Copenhn 3-0 and will drop into Europa League qualifiers as a third-place finisher.

MILAN’S CHANCE

While Chelsea is through with a game to spare, AC Milan still has work to do in group.

seven-time European champion beat Dinamo Zagreb 4-0 away to jump into second, a point above Salzburg. teams meet next week and Milan needs to avoid defeat to return to Champions League’s kckout st for first time in nine years.

Matteo Gabbia, Rafael Leão — with a fine solo goal — and a penalty by Olivier Giroud put Milan 3-0 ahe before Dinamo midfielder Robert Ljubičić scored an own-goal.

MRID LOSES

Real Mrid fielded a weakened team — star striker Karim Benzema and Luka Modric were among those missing — and fell to its first loss of season in all competitions.

Josko Gvardiol and Christopher Nkunku scored for Leipzig before Vinícius Júnior reduced deficit with an instinctive heer.

Substitute Timo Werner restored two-goal cushion for Leipzig, which conceded again when Rodrygo converted a penalty in stopp time.