ROME: Alessandro Florenzi scored an extraordinary goal from a seemingly impossible position on the right touchline around 40 metres from goal to give AS Roma a 1-1 draw against Barcelona in the Champions League yesterday.

Florenzi raced down the touchline and was just inside the Barcelona half when he spotted Marc-Andre ter Stegen off his line and unleashed a looping effort which flew over the Barca goalkeeper’s head and into the net off the far post.

Ter Stegen ran back desperately then appeared to stop thinking that the ball would go out only to see it land in the goal in the 31st minute of the Group E game.

Luis Suarez had given Barcelona the lead 10 minutes earlier as they began the defence of their title.

As expected Barcelona whose coach Luis Enrique was returning to the club he coached for one season dominated possession and the Roma crowd was often strangely silent as the visitors stroked the ball around in midfield.

Lionel Messi and Suarez both had early chances before Barcelona prised open the Roma defence in the 21st minute.

Jeremy Mathieu floated a long ball over the defence which set Ivan Rakitic clear on the right and the Croat’s cross was headed in by Suarez at point-blank range.

Barcelona were threatening to over-run the hosts when Roma right-back Florenzi brought the house down with his spectacular effort.

Barcelona also had the better of the second half although with Neymar failing to spark they created few real chances until Messi hit the bar with 12 minutes left.

Meanwhile Chelsea forgot their Premier League woes and got their Champions League campaign off to a flying start with a 4-0 thrashing of Israeli champions Maccabi Tel Aviv in their opening Group G match at Stamford Bridge.

Despite Eden Hazard blazing an early penalty high over the bar Chelsea scored twice in the first half with Willian finding the net with a 30-metre free kick after 15 minutes and Oscar scoring from their second penalty with the last kick of the opening 45 minutes.

Diego Costa who replaced Willian after the Brazilian was injured after 20 minutes brilliantly volleyed in Chelsea’s third after 58 minutes with Cesc Fabregas finishing off a breakaway for the fourth after 78.

In Zagreb Croatian title winners Dinamo Zagreb made a dream start to their Champions League campaign after a goal in each half gave them a 2-1 home win over 10-man Arsenal in their Group F match. An Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain own goal followed by a Junior Fernandes header put Dinamo in the driving seat before Theo Walcott pulled one back for the Premier League side who had striker Olivier Giroud sent off in the first half.

Having failed to advance past the group stage of Europe’s elite club competition in their previous four attempts Dinamo produced a morale-boosting performance in the Maksimir stadium.

Organised defending aided by a packed midfield frustrated a disjointed Arsenal and the home side always looked dangerous on the break with Algeria striker El Hilal Arabi Soudani at the heart of all their moves. AGENCIES