Champions League

Lionel Messi and Pedro struck in each half to give holders Barcelona a 2-0 win over Dynamo Kiev in their Champions League Group F match yesterday.

In Florence, Stevan Jovetic struck twice to help Fiorentina sweep aside Liverpool 2-0 in Group E for the most impressive result of the night.

Barca's Zlatan Ibrahimovic caused the Dynamo defence some early problems but it was Messi who opened the scoring in the 25th minute when he cut in from the right and struck a low shot that had enough power to beat Olexandr Shovkovskiy.

The Argentina forward had several chances to double Barca's lead before Pedro picked up Ibrahimovic's pass in the 76th minute and sent a precise shot into the bottom left corner.

The result puts Barca top of Group F on four points from two matches after Inter were held to a 1-1 draw at Rubin Kazan earlier in the day. It was Champions League debutants Rubin Kazan's first point in Europe's premier club competition.

Rubin's Argentine forward Alejandro Dominguez stunned the Italian champions with a great solo goal in the 11th minute.

Dejan Stankovic equalised 16 minutes later when he was left unmarked to head in Maicon's cross at the far post.

Inter, who had Mario Balotelli sent off on the hour for a second yellow card, were lucky to escape Kazan with a point after the Russians missed a host of chances late in the game.

Inter coach Jose Mourinho said: "Given the circumstances of the game, it is a point gained.

"Our opponents started better, they pressed and had their fans urging them on as it was their home debut."

The draw extended Inter's winless streak in the Champions League to seven matches following their 0-0 stalemate with Barcelona two weeks ago.

Jovetic ran the show in the opening half in Florence. The in-form Montenegro forward ran unopposed on to Cristiano Zanetti's defence-splitting pass and coolly slotted the ball home to open the scoring in the 28th minute.

He doubled the advantage nine minutes later by directing Juan Vargas's diagonal thunderbolt into the net before his side rode out some intense pressure in the second half to claim a memorable victory.

The Italians, who lost their opener 1-0 at Lyon, have three points, as do Liverpool after they beat Hungarian champions Debrecen by the same margin two weeks ago.

Yesterday, Lyon ruthlessly crushed Debrecen 4-0 to maintain their winning start.

Lyon took an early lead when Kim Kallstrom volleyed the ball into the right side of the net from just outside the penalty area following Miralem Pjanic's corner after three minutes.

Debrecen were rattled again on 13 minutes when Bosnian Pjanic curled in a delightful free-kick and 11 minutes later he crossed for Sidney Govou's header to make it 3-0.

It took 34 minutes for the Champions League newcomers to threaten the opposition when Peter Czvitkovics shot from outside the box, forcing Hugo Lloris into a good save.

Bafetimbi Gomis scored Lyon's fourth with a brilliant lob six minutes after the break.

Arsenal leave it late

Robin van Persie and Andrei Arshavin struck late on to give Arsenal a 2-0 victory over Olympiakos Piraeus in Group H after some heroics by visiting keeper Antonis Nikopolidis.

Dutchman Van Persie, who for most of the night was locked in a personal duel with the grey-haired keeper, finally broke the deadlock with 12 minutes to go, converting a low cross from Eduardo.

Arshavin then put a realistic gloss on the scoreline with a tap-in second despite appearing to be slightly offside as Arsenal moved clear at the top of the group.

Defeat for Olympiakos means they have now lost all nine of their matches away to English clubs in Europe.

In Group G, Sevilla crushed Rangers with an emphatic 4-1 win at Ibrox with all their four goals coming in a devastating second-half display.

Sevilla took the lead with a cleverly worked free-kick on 50 minutes as Lolo switched the ball crossfield to the unmarked Navas and his teasing cross was met by Konko who headed home.

Adriano then swept in an easy second goal from 10 metres after a low cross by Luis Fabiano fractured Rangers defence on 64 minutes.

Luis Fabiano headed home Fredric Kanoute's cross to make it 3-0 on 72 minutes and just two minutes later Kanoute tapped in the fourth as Sevilla made it two wins from two.

Rangers grabbed a late goal from substitute Nacho Novo but only have one point from two encounters.

From the same group, Unirea Urziceni held Stuttgart to a 1-1 draw.

Serdar Tasci fired Stuttgart ahead after five minutes but the Romanian champions equalised three minutes after half-time when midfielder Dacian Varga curled a shot past keeper Jens Lehmann.

Stuttgart, playing in their 150th European game, have now won only one of their last eight Champions League away games.