Holders Barcelona safely made it through to the second round of
the UEFA Champions League, as Chelsea won and Liverpool lost to
Galatasaray.
In the other key games on the night, Roma beat Valencia to join
the Spaniards in the knockout stage, while Spartak Moscow pipped
Sporting Lisbon to a place in the UEFA Cup.
In Group A, Barcelona needed a win to advance and the defending
champions made sure of it against Werder Bremen, going 2-0 up
inside 20 minutes at Camp Nou.
Ronaldinho showed great ingenuity by threading his free-kick
under the wall on 13 minutes befire Eidur Gudjohnsen slamming the
ball home from close range six minutes later, with Bremen having to
settle for the UEFA Cup in the spring.
Andrei Shevchenko scored his first Champions League goal for
Chelsea, showing his clinical finishing skills on 27 minutes with a
right footed goal against Levski Sofia.
A second goal arrived for The Blues on 83 minutes when
substitute Shaun Wright-Phillips, perhaps soon leaving Stamford
Bridge, scored his first competitive goal for the club with a low
shot into the far corner.
Robbie Fowler had earlier achieved the same feat with Liverpool,
bundling the ball home on 22 minutes against Galatasaray in Group
C.
Within two minutes the Turks were level as Necati Ates latched
onto a poor Xabi Alonso pass for an easy finish. Four minutes
later, Okan Buruk volleyed home from the edge of the area.
Galatasaray kept on pressing and scored a deserved third goal
when Sasa Ilic guided the ball home on 79 minutes.
Fowler showed his predatory instincts to head home his second
goal in the last minute, although it could not prevent a defeat in
Liverpool's closing group game. This mattered little since
Liverpool have already qualified.
Bordeaux, without a Champions League away win since 1999,
convincingly romped to a three-goal lead by half-time at PSV
Eindhoven.
Julien Faubert put the French club in front on seven minutes and
Stephane Dalmat scored a delightful second on 25 minutes.
Former Nottingham Forest striker Jean-Claude Darcheville made it
3-0 on 36 minutes, taking his time before slotting home a scruffy
effort.
With three minutes left, Alex drilled in a consolation for PSV
from the edge of the area, although the result mattered little in
terms of the group's outcome with PSV already through and Bordeaux
in the Uefa Cup.
After a dour first half at the Allianz Arena in Group B, Roy
Makaay put Bayern Munich ahead against Internazionale on 62 minutes
with a well-taken goal.
Patrick Vieira pummeled home an equaliser in injury-time for
Inter, with the 1-1 draw meaning Bayern take top spot with the
Italians claiming the runners-up berth.
Spartak got off to a dream start in Portugal, with Roman
Pavluchenko's overhead kick giving the visitors the lead on eight
minutes against Sporting Lisbon.
Maxim Kalinichenko added a second goal on 16 minutes before
Carlos Bueno's header put Lisbon back in the game on 31
minutes.
Spartak made certain of beating Sporting to the UEFA Cup place
when Denis Boyarintsev scored a third goal a minute from time
An injury-hit Valencia side fell behind to Roma after 13 minutes
when Christian Panucci scored with a simple header at the back
post. This was the only noteworthy action of the game as the two
clubs advanced from Group D.
Francelino Matuzalem put Shakhtar Donetsk in front in Greece on
27 minutes, but Olympiakos levelled on 54 minutes through the
highly-rated Nery Alberto Castillo.
Shakhtar had Razvan Rat sent off late on for a second yellow
card as the Ukrainians took a spot in the Uefa Cup.
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(CRI via Sky Sports December 6, 2006)
