Football: Barcelona banished from Europe

A humiliating 4-0 home defeat by Dynamo Kiev at the Nou Camp last night meant that Barcelona cannot now qualify from Group C of the Champions' League. A first-half hat-trick by Andrei Shevchenko left Dynamo Kiev as the clear favourites to win the group.

The result, which came only four days after Barcelona had beaten their main rivals, Real Madrid, left the Spanish League leaders and the 1992 European champions with just one point from four games.

Shevchenko exploited mistakes at the back to head the first two goals and converted a penalty after being brought down to put the Ukrainians 3-0 up at the break. Sergi was sent off for hand-ball a minute into the second half and Sergei Rebrov added Dynamo's fourth after 75 minutes.

Last season's runners-up in the European Cup, Juventus, nearly let slip a three-goal lead before seeing off Kosice 3-2 in their Group B match in Turin.

Juve were cruising midway through the second half after goals by Alessandro Del Piero - his 17th in Europe - Daniel Fonseca and Nicola Amoruso, but had to defend desperately as the Slovaks struck twice through Ruslan Ljubarski and an own goal from Ciro Ferrara.

IFK Gothenburg claimed their first Champions' League points with a 2- 1 home win over Besiktas, of Turkey, in a game that saw both teams' goalkeepers sent off. Besiktas's Croatian international Marijan Mrmic was dismissed for a foul in the 69th minute. Thomas Ravelli, the world's most capped keeper, received a second yellow card, for arguing, six minutes later.