Nine-man Juventus crash out of Europe

Barcelona blasted five goals past hapless Besiktas last night but still slipped out of the Champions' League. The Catalan giants will have to settle for a place in the Uefa Cup - but Juventus do not have even that consolation.

Barcelona blasted five goals past hapless Besiktas last night but still slipped out of the Champions' League. The Catalan giants will have to settle for a place in the Uefa Cup - but Juventus do not have even that consolation.

Panathinaikos beat Juventus 3-1 in Athens last night after the Italians were reduced to nine men for the second successive European match. The Dutch goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar was sent off in the 55th minute for bringing down Nikos Liberopoulos in the penalty area and Darko Kovacevic, the former Sheffield Wednesday striker, was dismissed after picking up a second yellow card in the 72nd minute.

The defeat meant Juventus finished bottom of Group E and out of European competition. Paulo Sousa, from a freekick, Angelos Basinas, from the penalty spot after Van der Sar's dismissal, and Krzysztof Watrzycha scored the Greek side's goals, with Filippo Inzaghi replying for Juventus.

Barcelona crashed out of the Champions' League at the opening group stage for the third time in four seasons despite their 5-0 victory over the Turks. Leeds United's 1-1 draw in Milan condemned the Catalans, who beat Leeds 4-0 in their opening game, to third place in Group H.

"I am very disappointed in the Italians," Barcelona's president, Joan Gaspart, said. "They went round saying they would beat Leeds, that their honour was at stake - and then they can only draw."