Kljestan scores for Anderlecht in Champions League loss

Dean Mouhtaropoulos

The U.S. national team midfielder notched his first goal in Europe's elite competition, but it wasn't enough as the Belgian champions fell 3-1 to Olympiakos.

There were few bright spots for Anderlecht on Tuesday as the club ended its European run with a 3-1 loss to Olympiakos, but Sacha Kljestan did walk away from the contest with his first Champions League goal under his belt.

The U.S. national team midfielder tied the contest with a 39th-minute strike, tapping into an open net after being fed by  Guillaume Gillet, who was put in on goal by Honduran international and former D.C. United midfielder Andy Najar.

Anderlecht surrended a pair of second-half goals, however, ultimately ending the match with eight men after a trio of red cards and finishing the group stage with an 0-5-1 record.

Kljestan, who remains a borderline player in U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann's squad, surely helped his case during the Champions League campaign, starting five of Anderlecht's six matches. He did receive a red card against Paris Saint-Germain on Nov. 5, forcing him to sit out the subsequent match against Benfica.