Kansas City Wizards - Chivas USA: Head To Head Preview

On Form

Kansas City Wizards, by Isabel Navarro: The playoff chase is on and the Wizards are doing everything possible to stay in it. Last week they walked away with a point against Philadelphia Union. One of the team's key players was goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen. Nielsen is playing on another level, as he literally kept the team in the game. Nielsen earned his sixth NAPA save of the week award for a save he made during the game. Another Wizards player that is on point is veteran midfielder Davy Arnaud. The captain is a reliable player that is always alert and ready to pick up the slack; he scored the goal for the Wizards against the Union.

Chivas USA, by Manuel Carrera: Alan Gordon’s Player of the Week performance against New England may be the jump start that the Goats needed after losing two of their last three, as they cling to their very slim playoff aspirations. The Gordon and Braun tandem is an absolute nightmare for squads when the Chivas USA midfield provides enough service, due to their unrelenting work rate and defensive aggressiveness in the final third of the pitch. Sal Zizzo is also regaining fitness as he looks to regain the pre-injury form that landed him at Hannover.

Tactics

Wizards: Coach Peter Vermes has a talented team, including some very skilled strikers. The combination of Kamara and Birahim Diop has proven to be a successful formula. Kei Kamara was not present at the Philadelphia game due to international duty. Now that Kamara is back it is logical for Diop to remain a starter and Teal Bunbury to go back to the bench.

Chivas USA: A more traditional 4-4-2 from the Goats will start the match with Gordon and Braun covering large expanses of the pitch and alternating positions will help keep the Wizards on their heels, with Rodolfo Espinoza and Paulo Nagamura providing the service. Whether the tactic continues to function for the Goats will be determined by how well their back line can hold off the Kansas City attack and provide cover for the midfield.

Intangibles

Wizards: There are eight games left in the regular season, meaning that there are 24 points up for grabs. Kansas City is desperate to make it to the playoffs. They have proved in their last few games that they have the talent to make it. Other teams might have crumbled against the pressure but the Wizards seem to be able to handle it pretty well.

Chivas USA: A backs to the wall mentality coupled with an emotional win against their sister club will give the squad a boost in confidence as it attempts to defy all odds and make it out of the Western Conference cellar and into the playoffs.

Outcome

Wizards: The Wizards are ready to battle it out for a spot in the playoffs, and they have the amazing Nielsen who is looking for another shutout. Kansas City 1-0.

Chivas USA: Chivas USA 2-1 Kansas City: The Goats have not lost at home since June and have plenty of motivation, but the result will hinge on who scores first. The Goats have struggled when playing from behind, and an early Kansas City goal can derail any hope of a Chivas USA appearance in the playoffs early.

goal.com

United and Barcelona have points to prove

FC Barcelona and Manchester United FC are among those seeking domestic pick-me-ups after disappointing results last week, while in the Eredivisie in-form AFC Ajax meet Feyenoord.

Following disappointing results last weekend, FC Barcelona and Manchester United FC are looking to reassert their domestic prowess after midweek UEFA Champions League exertions. Elsewhere, the Ruhr Valley derby takes centre stage in Germany and two of France's heavyweights are seeking to emerge from their Ligue 1 slumbers. You can follow the scores from all the European leagues live in our MatchCentre.

England: Manchester United FC v Liverpool FC (Sunday, 13.30)
Having let slip a two-goal lead at Everton FC and then failed to find a way past a resilient Rangers FC team, midfielder Darren Fletcher is hoping United can rediscover their "killer instinct" against arch-rivals Liverpool. "There has been nothing wrong with our overall performances," insisted the Scotland captain. "We are playing some good stuff at times. What we are missing just now is the killer instinct." Liverpool have also struggled to string results together, but after winning 4-1 against FC Steaua Bucureşti they will be hoping for better at Old Trafford.

Germany: FC Schalke 04 v BV Borussia Dortmund (Sunday, 17.30)
Schalke approach the Ruhr Valley derby without a point from three Bundesliga matches while their opponents are in somewhat buoyant mood after successive victories. Though Dortmund fans have been quick to gloat about the situation, Schalke coach Felix Magath views the fixture as the ideal one to kick-start their season. "This is the best match for us at the moment," he said. "We have to win the derby against Dortmund, no matter what. It's immaterial what has gone before, be it three wins or three defeats in a row."

Spain: Club Atlético de Madrid vs FC Barcelona (Sunday, 19.00)
Atlético welcome Barcelona in the somewhat unusual position of being above the Azulgrana at the Liga summit. The visitors banished memories of a shock home loss to Hercules CF last Saturday with a 5-1 defeat of Panathinaikos FC in the UEFA Champions League, but will no doubt be keen to avenge the 2-1 reverse at the Vicente Calderón last term − their sole Liga setback in 2009/10. "It's an important match," said Barça midfielder Javier Mascherano. "They're very difficult opponents who are full of confidence after winning silverware and leading the Liga."

France: FC Girondins de Bordeaux v Olympique Lyonnais (Sunday, 21.00)
A home triumph over Schalke on Tuesday has boosted Lyon's morale after Les Gones collected only five points from their opening five Ligue 1 games. Bordeaux, however, are also suffering domestically – they sit two places lower in 18th, and have yet to win either of their two home games this term. "It's not that bad to have a tough trip after Schalke," said Lyon coach Claude Puel. "We need to succeed in such games to make strides."

Netherlands: Feyenoord v AFC Ajax (Sunday, 12.30)
The duo are meeting for the 55th time in Rotterdam, where second-placed Ajax will seek to extend their winning run to five Eredivisie matches and keep pace with PSV Eindhoven. Feyenoord are six points adrift though coach Mario Been fancies his chances given Ajax's midweek exertions against Real Madrid CF and the partisan crowd that will be in attendance. "Although most players can cope with that, they will still feel it in their legs," said Been. "We have the support of a full De Kuip stadium. Everyone will be behind us."

Denmark: FC København v Brøndby IF (Sunday, 18.00)
Much of the talk in the build-up to the 'New Firm' encounter between the unbeaten Super League leaders and third-placed Brøndby has focused on the impending duel between in-form FCK striker Dame N'Doye and the visitors' defender Max von Schlebrügge. N'Doye added to his six goals in eight league games with a headed winner at home to FC Rubin Kazan on Tuesday as Ståle Solbakken's team made a successful return to Europe's premier club competition. "I'm sure Max can match N'Doye in the air," said Brøndby coach Henrik Jensen. "He is also fast enough to follow him."

uefa.com

Gerard Houllier confirms Owen interest

New Aston Villa manager Gerard Houllier has confirmed his interest in working with Michael Owen again.

Houllier, who will officially begin work at Villa Park next week, has been linked with a swoop for Owen after sealing his own switch back to England.

Houllier worked with Owen for six-years during their time together at Liverpool and the new Villa chief has not dismissed the chances of a reunion.

"He has always been in my thoughts," Houllier Canal+.

"I like him (Owen), as a player and a man."

Houllier also dismissed suggestions that Owen, 30, was no longer capable of producing goals at Premier League level.

"I went to Liverpool on September 4 for Jamie Carragher's testimonial, and I saw Michael play a half of football," he said.

"He still has the legs for it."

Houllier's comments come on the same day as Owen revealed that he could be growing increasingly discontented with life on the bench at Manchester United.

"You can only do your best and prepare and train well, so that you are ready when the manager calls on you," said Owen.

"After that, it's up to the manager who he chooses.

"It sounds easy, but probably the most difficult thing is not playing for a couple of weeks and then all of a sudden getting called up and being mentally and physically right to perform well.

"At the end of the season, I'll look and think, 'Was I happy with the amount of games I was available for?', 'Did I score enough goals in the games when I played?' and 'Did I play well enough in those games?'

"You look at highlights of the season, did we win anything, things like that. But I wouldn't put any goal or appearance totals out there because, at a club like this, you never know when the manager is going to use you."

football365.com

Ferguson : Valencia may return by February

Sir Alex Ferguson today revealed that Antonio Valencia could be back in action by the end of February.

The Manchester United winger was stretchered off on Tuesday during United's UEFA Champions League 0-0 draw with Rangers after suffering an horrific injury following an innocuous incident involving Kirk Broadfoot. Initially, Ferguson said Valencia would miss the remainder of the campaign.

However, it now appears the damage is not quite as bad as the United boss feared. "You can never be 100 per cent accurate in these situations and it is a bad injury, but we are looking at the end of February, which is better than we thought on Tuesday," said the United boss.

Valencia had an operation on Wednesday evening to put his left ankle back into place after it was fractured and dislocated. Ferguson revealed the Ecuador star had also suffered some ligament damage.

"The operation has been successful and the break was clean, which was the major concern for us at the time," he said. "He is a strong boy, who is very positive about it. Being positive helps you in these situations, so we are very hopeful we will get him back then."

fifa.com

Bundesliga : Week 4 Preview

It's rivalry weekend in the Bundesliga as two of the premier derbies in Germany take place in the fourth round. The next nail-biting, white knuckling weekend of German football is headlined by two of the local derby matches. St. Pauli and Hamburg meet in the Hamburg derby, while Schalke hosts Dortmund in the Rhine River Derby. Some of the heavyweights in German football will continue to look to turn their season around, as Stuttgart and Wolfsburg look to pick up their first points of the season. Hoffenheim and Mainz will also have the opportunity to keep their perfect records intact in the fourth round of the German Bundesliga.

Game of the Week:
Schalke 04 vs. Borussia Dortmund (September 19, 11:30 am EST)
Ah, the Rhine River Derby! What a matchup it will be! So much anticipation! So much excitement! There's just a touch of sarcasm there, but for good reasons of course. This version of the Rhine River Derby will be the 77th contested, and there will be plenty at stake. At the same time though, there are a couple of caveats that will take away from the derby match. Firstly, Schalke are in dire straits at the moment. There are troubles on the field, where they have not won a game this season, and troubles off the pitch as well, with manager Felix Magath taking much of the heat. Think: Bob Bradley, only the fans' opinion matters. Magath can't take another loss, surely. If so, he'll be the most successful person to fail a majestic ship since Captain Edward Smith ran the Titanic straight into an iceberg all those years back. In addition to the game on the pitch potentially failing to live up to the hype, the stands will also be noticeably quiet. Dortmund's fans have boycotted the match, angered by the increase in ticket prices that would make it difficult for younger fans to get in to the game (sounds something like Michael Jackson would say). Should the plan go through, the away section of the stadium will be empty, which will take away from what tends to be a fantastic derby.

Young: Houllier Will Bring Success To Aston Villa

Aston Villa winger Ashley Young is looking forward to working with new boss Gerard Houllier, insisting that the Frenchman can guide the club to silverware this season.

The former Liverpool boss was handed the opportunity following the departure of Martin O'Neill, who left the club following a disagreement with owner Randy Lerner.

Houllier, for his part, is still sorting out his ties with the French Football Federation, and is not expected to take charge of the team before the game against Bolton Wanderers on Saturday.

Now the former Watford winger insists that the players are all looking forward to working with the ex-Olympique Lyonnais boss.

"You look at his history and how well he has done as a manager and he can only bring success here," Young said, according to The Mirror.

"Moving the club forward is what we want and we can’t wait to work with the boss.

"Last year, we suffered ­disappointment in both cups, but ­fingers-crossed it will be different this time. We want to win trophies at Villa."

PSV Eindoven 1-1 UC Sampdoria (VIDEO)

Balázs Dzsudzsák scored a last-minute equaliser to earn PSV Eindhoven a 1-1 draw with UC Sampdoria in their opening UEFA Europa League Group I encounter.

Fabrizio Cacciatore broke the deadlock for the visitors midway through the first half with a fine header, leaving PSV playing catch-up. The Dutch side created some decent opportunities after the break, with Ibrahim Afellay rattling a post from distance, but it looked as if all three points were heading to Genoa until Dzsudzsák struck with seconds of normal time remaining.

Both teams struggled to establish a rhythm during a subdued early phase, yet PSV were given a rude awakening when the Italian outfit took the lead after 25 minutes. Vladimir Koman whipped in a cross from the right and Cacciatore rose unmarked to nod firmly past Andreas Isaksson. Fred Rutten's charges upped the tempo but failed to seriously menace Gianluca Curci's goal before the interval.

Soon after the restart PSV threatened twice in the space of a minute. First Marcus Berg's header was deflected behind via Curci's thigh, and from the resulting corner Wilfred Bouma nodded just wide. Afellay's low shot from inside the box flew narrowly past the upright after 56 minutes, followed by long-range efforts from Dzsudzsák and Jeremain Lens which Curci parried.

Afellay came even closer after 70 minutes, his drive from 20 metres cannoning off the post with Curci beaten. The keeper, wearing No85, then had to dive low to his right to keep out a Dzsudzsák strike. Yet just when it seemed like all the home team's efforts had been in vain, the Hungarian international pounced on a loose ball on the edge of the area to fire in a deserved equaliser.

Debreceni VSC 0-5 FC Metalist Kharkiv

FC Metalist Kharkiv showed poise and invention as they dismantled ten-man Debreceni VSC in UEFA Europa League Group I, though late goals from Edmar, Fininho and Serhiy Valyayev did their luckless hosts little justice.

Myron Markevich's side created a stir in reaching the 2008/09 UEFA Cup round of 16, and played some stylish stuff once more in Budapest. Edmar would have struggled to miss from Taison's cross after 24 minutes, but there was no doubting the artistry that underpinned their second goal, although Péter Kabát's dismissal before the break gave the home team cause to throw in the towel.

Debrecen looked a handy outfit early on, yet came unstuck as Taison was allowed to spin in from the right, darting a ball across Mindaugas Malinauskas's goal which fellow Brazilian Edmar bundled in at the far post. The Hungarian champions almost equalised immediately, as Metalist keeper Vladimir Dišljenković could only block Péter Czvitkovics's shot, with striker Kabát conspiring to send the rebound against the post.

That proved a costly piece of bad luck. Metalist made it 2-0, with Cleiton Xavier picking up the return ball after a back-heeled lay-off to Andriy Vorobey, switching the ball from right foot to left, and squeezing an elegant finish through two defenders past Debrecen's Lithuanian keeper. The combination of that strike and Kabát's red card for a foul on Milan Obradović effectively ended the contest by half-time.

To their credit, Debrecen made an effort to dig themselves out of a deep hole at the interval, bringing on forward Adamo Coulibaly and midfielder Luis Ramos, but Metalist produced a daunting finale. Edmar turned in Cleiton Xavier's corner with an audacious back-heeled volley, Fininho rifled in number four from distance, and Valyayev strolled through to make it 5-0 at the death.

Getafe CF 2-1 Odense BK

Substitute Pedro Ríos struck a stunning free-kick nine minutes from time as Getafe CF brushed off a dismal first-half display to beat Odense BK 2-1.

Coach Míchel had it all to do when his players traipsed off at the interval moments after Hans Henrik Andreasen had capped a miserable opening period for Getafe by scoring for OB with a deflected free-kick. Yet whatever he said during his 15 minutes had the desired effect. Within six minutes of the restart Javier Arizmendi equalised, paving the way for Ríos's decisive cameo.

Getafe came into the Group H opener on the back of a rousing 4-0 triumph over Levante UD, but there was little uplifting about their first-half showing at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez. An early injury to captain Jaime Gavilán hardly helped their flow, but the easy start to Los Azulones's UEFA Europa League campaign many predicted never materialised: it was 35 minutes before Adrián Colunga forced a save from Roy Carroll.

Instead it was OB who went into the recess in front after Andreasen's driven set piece deflected off the wall on to Arizmendi and into the net. The timing could have deflated an already flat Getafe but Míchel's men emerged from the interval renewed. Carroll did brilliantly to adjust and block Javier Casquero's diverted effort with his feet, but with the Danish outfit pinned inside their own box, he could do nothing when Arizmendi rose to nod in after Cata Díaz headed Mané's ball back across goal.

And still the blue shirts surged forward. Had Colunga been at his best the match would have been out of sight. Instead it was left to Ríos who, eight minutes after coming on, curled an unstoppable effort into the top right corner of Carroll's net.

VfB Stuttgart 3-0 BSC Young Boys

VfB Stuttgart got the better of BSC Young Boys on Matchday 1 as their superior fire power dispatched last season's Swiss Super League runners-up.

Stuttgart coach Christian Gross often had the beating of Young Boys when in charge of domestic rivals FC Basel 1893, and his winning touch did not desert him in UEFA Europa League Group H. His team scored first through Cacau's penalty midway through the opening period before doubling their advantage close to the hour when Christian Gentner struck in style. Serdar Tasci capped the night's work by poking home a stoppage-time corner.

Cacau, the German club's captain and creator-in-chief, took on the mantle of goalscorer to convert a 23rd-minute spot kick awarded after Alain Nef fouled Pavel Pogrebnyak. If the penalty went too close to goalkeeper Marco Wölfli for comfort, Cacau deserved his luck: his clever play had sent Pogrebnyak through in the first place.

Xavier Hochstrasser's long-range attempt and Moreno Costanzo's free-kick that narrowly eluded team-mate Ammar Jemal at the back post were reminders of the threat posed by Vladimir Petković's visitors, refugees from the UEFA Champions League play-offs.

However, Pogrebnyak should have made it two after racing on to Cacau's flick, and Stuttgart's triumph was sealed on 59 minutes. After YB forward Henri Bienvenu was denied a strike on goal by limpet-like defending from Stuttgart's Arthur Boka, the Bundesliga side broke immediately. Cacau angled a pass towards the left of the penalty area which invited Gentner to take a touch and smash into the roof of the net.

Mauro Camoranesi brushed a post, Daniel Didavi rifled a shot across the face of Wölfli's goal and Martin Harnik's attempt whistled wide. For Young Boys, Nef's speculative strike elicited a flying stop from Sven Ulreich. But Stuttgart remained the more incisive outfit and, for all Wölfli's best efforts, Tasci applied the coup de grace.

AEK Athens FC 3-1 HNK Hajduk Split

AEK Athens FC made an impressive start to their Group G campaign with a 3-1 success against HNK Hajduk Split.

Dušan Bajević's men were given the perfect platform when Rafik Djebbour confidently fired AEK into an early lead but their fortunes took a turn for the worse as Senijad Ibričić equalised from the penalty spot and Djebbour spurned a spot kick of his own. The home side's blushes were spared when Nikos Liberopoulos poked in after 65 minutes and Nacho Scocco (89) sealed victory.

Djebbour was in the thick of it from the off, fizzing in a shot from the edge of the area that Hajduk goalkeeper Danijel Subašić pushed over. He found the target after 12 minutes, though, when Hrvoje Vejić slipped as he reacted to Scocco's pass and the striker committed the keeper before sweeping into the roof of the net from close range.

Hajduk should have levelled soon after but Anas Sharbini was denied by Giannis Arabatzis and Ivan Strinić sliced the follow-up wide. The incident was a prelude to a host of half-chances for the visitors from Croatia and it was no surprise when they levelled on 29 minutes, Ibričić nonchalantly clipping in a penalty after an offence by Papa Bouba Diop.

Any fears of a quieter second period were dismissed inside 30 seconds when Jurica Buljat felled Djebbour in the area, but Subašić made a flying save to repel the Algerian's penalty and maintain parity. Marin Ljubičić cleared off the line to deny Traianos Dellas a headed goal before the Athenians finally made their second-half supremacy count.

Liberopoulos restored AEK's advantage, prodding in after Subašić failed to hold Scocco's drive. Scocco was not to be denied, though, breaking the offside trap to wrap up the points a minute from time.

RSC Anderlecht 1-3 FC Zenit St. Petersburg

Aleksandr Kerzhakov's first-half hat-trick earned FC Zenit St. Petersburg the points in Brussels as they kicked off UEFA Europa League Group G in commanding style against RSC Anderlecht.

The Belgian champions went into the match unbeaten since March – save for their UEFA Champions League play-off exit to FK Partizan on penalties – but that run looked in danger as early as the eighth minute when Kerzhakov headed in powerfully. The Russian international striker left it in tatters with two more efforts prior to the break, before Roland Juhász reduced the deficit.

It was clear from the start that Ariël Jacobs's men would not have everything their own way and their first defensive lapse proved costly. No one seemed aware to the danger as Sergei Semak broke down the right and Kerzhakov was left free to nod in the makeshift full-back's cross.

Zenit's No11 then forced Silvio Proto into a smart save, before his second goal on 33 minutes as the visitors sliced their way through once again. Served by Roman Shirokov on the edge of the area, Kerzhakov held off Nemanja Rnić and slotted triumphantly inside the near post.

Anderlecht still posed a threat, but Kerzhakov's finishing was on a higher plane and the 27-year-old claimed his third by curling high into the far corner from the left after substitute Viktor Fayzulin had dummied Danko Lazović's low cross.

Heads bowed at the interval, the home side nonetheless rallied after it, and following chances for Matías Suárez, Olivier Deschacht and Jan Polák, Juhász finally registered from substitute Jonathan Legear's corner. That restored belief, though it took Proto's fine stop from Lazović to keep things interesting.

They could have been a whole lot more intriguing had Anderlecht made their late pressure count. Instead, they will need to bounce back at HNK Hajduk Split on 30 September, when Zenit host AEK Athens FC.

FC Porto 3-0 SK Rapid Wien (VIDEO)

FC Porto sent out a warning to their Group L rivals by easing to a 3-0 victory against SK Rapid Wien at the Estádio do Dragão.

Having only had Rolando's 26th-minute opener to show for their first-half efforts, Porto upped the tempo after the break and deservedly doubled their lead through Falcao's instinctive finish in the 65th. Two became three, and in some style, 12 minutes later when Rúben Micael drilled one in from outside the box to leave the Portuguese club at the section summit.

Rolando's goal was the obvious highlight of an opening 45 minutes lacking clear-cut chances. Jorge Fucile got the move going by dinking a pass into the box which Maicon inadvertently skewed to Cristián Rodríguez when attempting a volley. The No10 somehow wriggled through two defenders close to the penalty spot and the ball ran loose to Rolando who turned the it in with the outside of his boot as Raimund Hedl dived at his feet.

The second was also a tidy finish as Falcao beat Hedl with a side-footed shot after the goalkeeper had kept out Maicon's header from Hulk's corner. However, it was Rúben Micael who really got the Dragão crowd roaring when he latched on to Cristián Rodríguez's cushioned pass and fizzed the ball into the top corner from outside the box.

Substitute Fernando Belluschi almost scored a stunner of his own soon after, although this time the bar came to Rapid's rescue.

Beşiktaş JK 1-0 PFC CSKA Sofia

Beşiktaş JK left it late to secure a 1-0 victory in their UEFA Europa League Group L opener against PFC CSKA Sofia.

Play-off defeats for Galatasaray AŞ and Fenerbahçe SK left Beşiktaş as the competition's only Turkish representatives and Bernd Schuster's side looked to be feeling such a burden for much of a cagey fixture. The former Real Madrid CF coach breathed a sigh of relief in the final minute, though, when former Santiago Bernabéu charge Guti laid on Fabian Ernst for a late winner.

By comparison, an opening period lacking in inspiration was lit up just once, again by Ernst, who provided a welcome moment of incision just seven minutes in with a pass which left Filip Hološko running away from goal despite its admirable deftness. It mattered not, however, for the Slovak striker pirouetted into space with one touch and fired only centimetres over with his next.

For all his influence, Ernst nearly cost his side on the hour. The German midfielder's lackadaisical clearance allowed Cillian Sheridan to steal in unnoticed and turn Marquinhos's free-kick narrowly over. That chance served to spur Schuster's side into action, Rodrigo Tabata providing the long-awaited thrust into the penalty area only for his deliberate shot to be denied by the fingertips of Raïs M'Bolhi.

The French goalkeeper was again on hand to smother Roberto Hilbert's looping volley moments later but was thereafter untroubled; a scarcity of movement, a reluctance to gamble and a lack of creative spark ensuring the score remained goalless – until Ernst rose to meet Guti's floated free-kick with impeccable timing.

Liverpool 4-1 FC Steaua Bucureşti (VIDEO)

Liverpool FC made a winning start to their Group K campaign by overcoming FC Steaua Bucureşti through second-half goals from David Ngog (2) and Lucas.

When Joe Cole struck after 27 seconds, Liverpool's fans might have anticipated a comfortable evening but Cristian Tănase equalised after 13 minutes and with opportunities scarce, it took Ngog's spot-kick to restore their lead soon after the restart. Lucas and Ngog added a touch of gloss with two late goals, securing a fifth straight win in the UEFA Europa League for Anfield manager Roy Hodgson, the man who led Fulham FC to the final last season.

Cole had been sent off on his Anfield debut and missed a penalty here against Trabzonspor but he made an immediate impact with his first Liverpool goal. It followed a mistake by Octavian Obrudan who played a weak back-pass that Cole capitalised on with a low finish past Ciprian Tătăruşanu. Steaua, like Liverpool, scored with their first shot on target through skipper Tănase. Collecting Gerardo Alves's forward pass, Bogdan Stancu threaded the ball on to Tănase who, breaking between two Liverpool defenders, chipped deftly beyond Pepe Reina.

Although Steaua lost full-back Ifeanyi Emeghara to injury, Bănel Nicoliţă replacing him, the visitors were largely untroubled until half-time by a Liverpool side featuring eight changes from their last Premier League outing. Hodgson left out Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres altogether, no doubt mindful of Sunday's trip to Manchester United FC.

There were 25,605 inside Anfield and the mood was subdued but Liverpool silenced the small band of Steaua fans in the 55th minute. Gerardo Alves was penalised for holding Sotiris Kyrgiakos and Ngog tucked away the spot-kick. Tănase curled wide after sidestepping Kyrgiakos and that was as good as it got for Steaua as substitute Lucas thrashed home Liverpool's third from 20 metres before Ngog, his persistence taking him past two yellow shirts, drilled in a fourth in added time for his fifth goal in the competition.

SSC Napoli 0-0 FC Utrecht

SSC Napoli drew for the third match in succession after being held by FC Utrecht in UEFA Europa League Group K.

Having taken two points from their first two matches of the Serie A campaign, Walter Mazzarri's men were forced to settle for another draw on the European stage. Chances were few and far between in Naples, with perhaps the best falling to Ricky van Wolfswinkel just before half-time for a Utrecht side now without a goal in three matches.

Walter Gargano was first to try his luck in a half which never threatened to come to the boil, firing in a shot from outside the area which forced Michel Vorm into a full-stretch save. Utrecht responded with Edouard Duplan bursting to the byline and when his cross was cleared to the edge of the area, Tim Cornelisse drove in a low shot which Morgan De Sanctis beat out.

Utrecht fashioned the best opening of the night 11 minutes before the break, when only the spin of the ball prevented the Eredivise team from taking the lead. Dries Mertens' cross from the left bisected De Sanctis and Salvatore Aronica affording Van Wolfswinkel, steaming in around the back, enough space to direct a header on goal which drifted agonisingly wide of the far post.

Ezequiel Lavezzi headed Juan Camilo Zúñiga's cross wide on 66 minutes in a rare scare for the visitors, before the Argentinian international tested Vorm with a low drive. Van Wolfswinkel could have done better than side foot Mertens' cut-back over soon after, though the hosts could have won it themselves late on when Lavezzi's low centre missed everybody on its way across goal.

Sevilla FC 0-1 Paris Saint-Germain FC (VIDEO)

Paris Saint-Germain FC's UEFA Europa League Group J hopes were given a huge lift after Nenê's second-half strike secured a famous 1-0 victory at Sevilla FC.

With 15 minutes to go, the Ligue 1 side made the breakthrough. Clément Chantôme's low pass from a central position found Péguy Luyindula who in turn released Nenê on the left. The Brazilian forward's shot flew past Sevilla goalkeeper Andrés Palop via a touch from Martín Cáceres.

Seeking a European fillip following their UEFA Champions League play-off defeat by SC Braga, Sevilla made a bright start against the French Cup winners. Alexis sought to mark his debut for the Andalusians with a goal yet PSG keeper Apoula Édel held on to the defender's downward shot in the sixth minute.

PSG grew in confidence as the opening half progressed and coach Antoine Kombouaré cut a disappointed figure when his team failed to convert one of a series of good chances. The sprightly Nenê did well to cut a pass back across Palop's goal, but Chantôme blasted over with the net at his mercy.

Luyindula then poked Mevlüt Erdinç through after a penetrating run, yet with Palop advancing the Turkish international raked his effort wide. The keeper's good work continued as he beat out a lifted Erdinç attempt that capped a wonderful move for the side that won the 1996 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.

Sevilla appeared to find more of a cutting edge after half-time with the introduction of Frédéric Kanouté and Diego Perotti, though the Ligue 1 club remained a constant menace on the break. So while Sevillla dominated possession, it was to be PSG who scooped the points, as Nenê applied the finishing touch to one of a number of dangerous counterattacks.

Karpaty Lviv 3-4 Borussia Dortmund (VIDEO)

Two goals in the last three minutes gave BV Borussia Dortmund an incredible win at FC Karpaty Lviv, who had earlier come from two down to lead their Bundesliga guests.

The visitors raced into an early advantage in Ukraine, Nuri Şahin converting a penalty and Mario Götze finishing a delightful one-two with Lucas Barrios. Karpaty responded through Oleg Golodyuk and Mykhaylo Kopolovets before Denys Kozhanov completed the fightback in the 78th minute. However, Barrios equalised and then Götze struck deep into added time to earn his team a scarcely believable opening Group J victory.

Dortmund, competing in their first European group stage since the 2002/03 UEFA Champions League, forged ahead on 12 minutes. Barrios was the instigator, bursting into the box and committing Andriy Tlumak into bringing him down. Şahin slammed in the spot kick. Jürgen Klopp's side doubled their lead when Götze fed Barrios, who reversed the ball back into the 18-year-old's path for a simple finish.

However, Karpaty, all industry and effort, seemed unperturbed and a minute before the interval they were back in contention. Sergei Zenjov beat goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller to the ball and flicked back for Khudobyak to squeeze in from a tight angle.

The impetus was now with the Ukrainian team and when Kopolovets caught centre-back Mats Hummels in possession in the 52nd minute, the Karpaty forward had the simple task of placing his shot beyond Weidenfeller. The contest was beautifully poised before a mad minute appeared to settle its outcome.

First Tlumak tipped Şahin's free-kick onto the bar before Barrios hit the same spot with a header. The keeper then turned provider, launching the ball forward for Kozhanov to chase, the playmaker sliding under Weidenfeller to put Karpaty in front. Then the severe sting in the tail for the home side, first Barrios finishing a great individual effort before Götze completed the second sensational comeback.

FC Lausanne-Sport 0-3 PFC CSKA Moskva

Two fine headers and a well-executed penalty gave PFC CSKA Moskva a 3-0 Group F win at FC Lausanne-Sport as the 2005 UEFA Cup winners started their bid for success in the 2010/11 UEFA Europa League.

Vágner Love's diving effort broke the deadlock in the first half, with Sergei Ignashevich exploiting space in the Swiss side's box to make it 2-0 after the break. Love then made it 3-0 with a penalty ten minutes from the end as CSKA did their bit for Muscovite civic pride, Lausanne having eliminated FC Lokomotiv Moskva in the UEFA Europa League play-offs.

The opener came after masterful teamwork from CSKA, with Love feeding the ball to Deividas Šemberas who picked out Mark González on the left wing. The Chilean international then outpaced the Lausanne defence, with his cross eluding the isolated Anthony Favre and allowing Love to head home.

Rodrigo Tosi could have levelled shortly afterwards, narrowly missing with his header, and the Brazilian was to continue to trouble Igor Akinfeev in the CSKA net, drawing a fine save out of the Russia goalkeeper with a 25-metre shot three minutes before the break. Akinfeev needed to showcase his skills once more to deny the same player in the second half.

For all of their possession, CSKA did not create too many first-half chances, though Mark González and Alan Dzagoev both tested Favre. Lausanne started to dictate the pace of the game after the interval but were undone on 68 minutes, with Zoran Tošić's free-kick picking out the unmarked Ignashevich to score.

Ten minutes from time, Lausanne's fate was sealed. Michel Avanzini brought down Pavel Mamaev in the box and, from the resulting penalty, Love beat Favre again.

AC Sparta Praha 3-2 US Città di Palermo (VIDEO)

AC Sparta Praha started their UEFA Europa League Group F campaign in impressive fashion with a deserved triumph against US Città di Palermo.

Wilfried Bony put Sparta ahead on 17 minutes and though Massimo Maccarone equalised before the break, the lively Jiří Kladrubský restored the hosts' lead midway through the second half. Václav Kadlec increased the advantage soon after, rendering Abel Hernández's cheeky late effort no more than a consolation.

A vibrant Sparta team signalled their intent inside two minutes when Kladrubský let fly from 25 metres, forcing Italy goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu into a diving save to his right. Kladrubský was enjoying himself and after firing wide on the quarter-hour mark he delivered a cross to the back post which Bony headed back across goal into the far corner.

A shoot-on-sight policy was clearly in operation for Sparta, who threatened from range again moments later when Kadlec pressed Sirigu into action. Two efforts from Maccarone excepted, little had been seen of Palermo as an attacking force yet the Rosanero were on level terms seven minutes before half-time.

In keeping with what had gone before, Javier Pastore unleashed a shot which Jaromír Blažek could only parry into the path of Maccarone, who tucked away the rebound. The tricky Pastore then slipped in Hernández to poke wide on the hour before rattling the crossbar with a dipping attempt.

If Palermo were beginning to gain the upper hand, they found themselves behind once more on 68 minutes, the unmarked Kladrubský heading in Manuel Pamić's left-wing cross. With the Serie A side shocked, Sparta netted a third through 18-year-old Kadlec, who outmuscled Kamil Glik and Fabio Liverani at the near post and turned the ball in from close range. Hernández gave Delio Rossi's team hope by flicking in Federico Balzaretti's low ball but Sparta comfortably held out.

FC Dynamo Kyiv 2-2 FC BATE Borisov

Pavel Nekhaychik struck a fine second-half equaliser as FC BATE Borisov held injury-depleted FC Dynamo Kyiv to a 2-2 draw in Group E.

The Belarusian visitors had enjoyed a dream start when Vitali Rodionov broke the deadlock after three minutes, but by half-time they were heading for defeat. Dynamo's Oleh Gusev had missed two good chances and Artem Milevskiy a spot kick when the latter equalised just after the half-hour, before the excellent Roman Eremenko gave the hosts a deserved lead. BATE refused to lie down, Nekhaychik's crisp drive soon after the restart ultimately earning a share of the UEFA Europa League spoils.

It did not look like being Dynamo's night from the moment Rodionov showed Leandro Almeida a clean pair of heels and made it 1-0 with the outside of his boot. The mood among home fans in the Ukrainian capital was hardly raised by the sight of Gusev turning Eremenko's cross over the bar via his knee when it seemed easier to score. The midfielder swiftly made amends by winning a penalty on 13 minutes, only for goalkeeper Sergei Veremko to guess right and keep out Milevskiy's effort.

There was nothing Veremko could do next time skipper Milevskiy came calling, the striker brilliantly cushioning Eremenko's through ball, rounding the custodian and passing in. BATE were spurred into action, Renan Bressan rattling the upright with a cross-cum-shot, yet when Eremenko capped a fine first-half performance with a goal after Edgar Olekhnovich was caught in possession, the game looked to be up.

Viktor Goncharenko's men are made of sterner stuff, and nine minutes after the restart Nekhaychik stepped inside Betão's weak challenge and fired into the far corner. Try as they might – Eremenko, Milevskiy and Andriy Yarmolenko all went close – Dynamo could not break through a third time.

AZ Alkmaar 2-1 FC Sheriff

Kew Jaliens' late header proved decisive as AZ Alkmaar edged FC Sheriff 2-1 in an entertaining Group E opener the Netherlands.

Johann Gudmundsson put the hosts ahead on 14 minutes, but the visitors always posed a threat and were rewarded when Héctor Moreno fired into his own net midway through the second half. Both sides pressed for victory but it was AZ who prevailed thanks to Jaliens' 83rd-minute winner.

Sheriff needed resilience having failed to win in their last eight European away games, but the manner of the first AZ goal demonstrated why Andrei Sosnitski's side have been so ineffective on their travels. There was little danger when Vladimir Branković passed back to Vladislav Stoyanov but the goalkeeper could only present Gudmundsson with the opener when trying to return the ball to his left-back.

However, the Yellow and Blacks' response was admirable with the equaliser almost instant through André Diedhiou's snap shot while AZ custodian Joey Didulica was also up to the task, keeping out Jymmy França's header following a Benjamin Balima cross. Erik Falkenburg was at the heart of AZ's better moments, flicking on to the roof of the net after a flowing move involving Stijn Schaars and Maarten Martens.

Falkenburg called Stoyanov into action after the restart while França's poked effort dropped onto the roof of net as both sides continued to create chances. Jonathas volleyed just wide from 30 metres with a sensational effort but AZ's failure to prise the second goal was exploited when Baco Nikolić's cross was deflected into his own net by Moreno after 68 minutes.

José Nadson nearly responded in kind with an inadvertent header before Sheriff's best chance to complete the turnaround arrived via Florent Rouamba's drive that Didulica did well to tip over. That intervention proved telling as Jaliens escaped to head in Martens corner and settle the contest.

Club Brugge KV 1-1 PAOK FC

Club Brugge KV and PAOK FC drew 1-1 in the Group D curtain-raiser at the Jan Breydelstadion.

The UEFA Europa League points look destined to stay in Bruges after Dorge Kouemaha's 61st-minute opener. That though was discounting the intervention of Stylianos Malezas in an increasingly lively game, the PAOK defender levelling with a header 12 minutes from time.

The early dominance had been Club Brugge's and forward Ivan Perišić swung in a cross that flew over visiting goalkeeper Dario Kresic and against the angle of post and crossbar. PAOK came into the match as the first half wore on, however, with Dimitris Salpingidis slaloming his way into the home area.

Shortly before half-time, though, the Greek side had a narrow escape as Kouemaha beat Kresic to a corner but only succeeded in heading over. Kouemaha, Brugge's Cameroonian striker, went even closer moments after the restart, nodding Perišić's cross centimetres wide.

Adrie Koster's men were turning up the pressure, and it told on the hour. Vadis Odjidja broke through midfield, Nabil Dirar continued the forward momentum and centred perfectly from the left for Kouemaha to slot in. The goal stirred opponents who, in the play-offs, eliminated Fenerbahçe SK in Istanbul. Yet for all their renewed vigour, Pavlos Dermitzakis's charges were fortunate not to concede again. Kresic saved from Wilfried Dalmat. Then Vladimir Ivić cleared Ryan Donk's attempt away from the goal line.

It was from a set piece at the other end that the equaliser came: Malezas flicking Vieirinha's corner beyond the grasp of goalkeeper Stijn Stijnen. Ronald Vargas almost restored the home advantage yet his free-kick found the side netting. Equally, Stijnen twice came to Brugge's rescue with stops from Vieirinha and Giorgos Fotakis.

PAOK's next assignment is against NK Dinamo Zagreb on 30 September in Thessaloniki, while the Belgian club travel to Villarreal CF.

NK Dinamo Zagreb 2-0 Villarreal CF (VIDEO)

NK Dinamo Zagreb got off to a winning start in UEFA Europa League Group D thanks to a 2-0 victory against Villarreal CF in the Croatian capital.

Ante Rukavinagave gave Dinamo the early lead they craved and the visitors never fully recovered. Marcos Senna's second-half dismissal made their task all the more difficult, and Sammir added a deserved and inevitable second to fill Vahid Halilhodžić's side with optimism ahead of a Matchday 2 trip to PAOK FC.

Defeated in their previous four UEFA Europa League and UEFA Cup group stage home games, Dinamo evidently required a fillip to settle any nerves. Rukavina provided it on 18 minutes, racing on to Sammir's cute inside pass before leaving Gonzalo in his wake and finishing low into the corner.

It was a welcome moment of composure to punctuate an untidy opening period. The Yellow Submarine threatened only from safe distance from Dinamo's point of view, Jefferson Montero's shot whistling wide and Senna's effort merely warming the palms of Ivan Kelava. Although Juan Carlos Garrido's team showed far more positive intentions after the break, it was Sammir's invention that again caught the eye. The Brazilian's cross-shot called for the intervention of Kelava on the hour.

While Villarreal fought back – Montero again chancing his arm to no avail – at the other end only Gonzalo's last-gasp clearance prevented Dinamo's Luis Ibáñez from putting the finishing touch to fine build-up play from Ivan Tomečak. If Senna's sending-off dented hopes of a comeback, Sammir hammered the final nail in the coffin when he profited from Leandro Cufré's buccaneering run to score first time with a coolness lacking in Villarreal's performance.

PFC Levski Sofia 3-2 KAA Gent

Serginho Greene headed in Joãozinho's 84th-minute cross to hand PFC Levski Sofia an opening-night UEFA Europa League victory, but they twice trailed KAA Gent in this Group C tie.

The Dutchman flashed his effort past Bojan Jorgačević after outpacing his marker to deny the group stage debutants a point, with the Bulgarian side having marginally shaded the later stages of a back-and-forth fixture in Sofia.

Levski looked to be in charge midway through the first half, with Daniel Mladenov and Garra Dembélé testing Jorgačević's nerves. However, it was Randall Azofeifa who opened the scoring against the run of play, trying his luck from 35 metres with a low drive that skidded into the net off Georgi Petkov's left-hand post.

The Costa Rican was barely a metre wide with a near identical effort a few minutes later, but Levski's redemption came with another bolt from the blue, Joãozinho sending a dipping shot over Jorgačević as Yasen Petrov's men poured forward.

The tide turned again just after the restart, Marko Šuler turning in Stijn De Smet's shot when a poorly defended corner was fended into his path. However, it was all square again on the hour, with Dembélé wrong-footing Jorgačević to slip a trundling effort past him from a tight angle after racing through on the right.

Jorgačević looked to have salvaged a point for Gent as he denied Dembélé ten minutes from the end, but Greene – a summer signing from Vitesse – had the final word.

LOSC Lille Métropole 1-2 Sporting Clube de Portugal

First-half goals from Simon Vukčević and Hélder Postiga ensured Sporting Clube de Portugal opened Group C with a fine victory away to LOSC Lille Métropole.

The 2004/05 UEFA Cup finalists were at their clinical best in the opening period, storming into a two-goal lead through Vukčević on 11 minutes and Postiga's precise header before the break. Although Les Dogues improved dramatically, pulling one back through Pierre-Alain Frau, they had left themselves with too much work to do.

Seeking a first-ever win on French soil, the visitors enjoyed the perfect start. Abel led a rapid counterattack up the right, and after his cross had been helped on by André Santos, Vukčević slotted in at the far post. The Ligue 1 outfit were unbeaten in their last eight European home games yet struggled to come to terms with Sporting's early passing. Paulo Sérgio's charges looked dangerous every time they ventured up the right, Vukčević and Abel doubling up to give Jerry Vandam a torrid time.

In the 34th minute, Lille's 21-year-old full-back could not prevent Abel teasing over a fine cross that was nodded emphatically into the top corner by Postiga. Lille boss Rudi Garcia reacted by sending on Emerson and Eden Hazard for Vandam and Stéphane Dumont, and immediately the hosts improved, Mathieu Debuchy forcing Tiago into his first save on 44 minutes with a stinging drive.

They continued to press after the break, and halved the deficit through Frau before the hour, the forward stroking home after Tiago had spilled Hazard's left-footed strike. The Belgian substitute gave Garcia's team fresh impetus, but after he teed up Ludovic Obraniak in the 76th minute, the midfielder's low shot was deflected narrowly wide. Lille threw everything they had at the Portuguese club in the dying moments but could not find a way through.

Bayer 04 Leverkusen 4-0 Rosenborg BK

Patrick Helmes scored a hat-trick as Bayer 04 Leverkusen began Group B with an impressive 4-0 victory against Rosenborg BK.

The 26-year-old kicked off the night by registering the opening goal of the UEFA Europa League group stage in the fourth minute, and completed his hat-trick with quick-fire strikes either side of the hour. Stefan Reinartz netted the other, a lovely finish from outside the area, to leave the German club top of the nascent standings.

Helmes's opener owed itself to the vision of Sami Hyypiä and the verve of Sidney Sam. The Finn picked out the winger on the right flank with a long diagonal pass from inside his half which Sam read perfectly, giving him the space he needed to break clear of Mikael Dorsin and charge into the box before rolling the ball to Helmes who poked it into the net unopposed.

Goalkeeper René Adler had to be at his best to prevent Steffen Iversen from equalising on the quarter-hour, diving at full stretch to palm away a close-range shot from the veteran forward, while Nicolai Jørgensen failed to beat Daniel Örlund at the other end with efforts in quick succession with either foot.

The second goal crucially went the way of Leverkusen seven minutes before the interval. Sam was involved again, playing a one-two with Eren Derdiyok to work an opening for a shot which was well blocked. The ball fell for Reinartz just outside the area and the holding midfielder almost passed it into the top corner: a delightful finish.

Adler and Örlund did well with respective stops from Derdiyok and Rade Prica at the start of the second half, but the Rosenborg No1 was exposed by Helmes's second as the frontman shot inside the near post from an acute angle when the visitors were perhaps expecting a cross. His third, a header from Daniel Schwaab's long pass over Mattias Bjärsmyr three minutes later, capped a memorable night for the No9 and Jupp Heynckes's men.

Aris Thessaloniki FC 1-0 Club Atlético de Madrid

Club Atlético de Madrid made a stuttering start to their UEFA Europa League defence with a 1-0 loss to Aris Thessaloniki FC.

The Greek side may have won, but it was a Spanish player who made the difference at the Kleanthis Vikelidis Stadium, Javito's superb strike just before the hour earning Aris the points. It maintains Aris's proud record of never having lost at home in Europe – a run now up to 22 games – and gives them an early advantage in Group B.

In a tetchy first half punctuated by bookings, neither team looked like breaking the deadlock with the hosts coming closest from the odd set piece. Diego Forlán scored Atlético's winning goal in the final, but he was rarely involved, firing wide from long range in the 23rd minute.

Following the lethargy of the opening period, the tempo could only increase and Aris's Ricardo Faty was the first to up the ante, letting fly to get David de Gea scrambling across his goal. Atlético were looking a distinctly more potent proposition too, but in the 59th minute they were behind. Javito gambled on Carlos Ruiz's flick and, running on to the ball at an angle, the 26-year-old took it on his chest before hitting a searing left-footed shot across De Gea and into the corner.

Ten minutes later it could have been two as home captain Sergio Koke hit the post following a mistake from De Gea and Ruiz's follow-up was blocked. Atlético only began to apply serious pressure late on and substitute Diego passed up their best two chances to grab a point – a stooping header beaten away by goalkeeper Michalis Sifakis before he nodded over 60 seconds later.

FC Salzburg 0-2 Manchester City FC

Goals in either half from David Silva and Jô ensured Manchester City FC took all three points in their opening UEFA Europa League encounter at FC Salzburg.

Silva's opener was his first for the English club, who were matched in the large part by the Austrian titleholders until Jô doubled the advantage in the second half. The victory means Roberto Mancini's side take an early lead in the Group A table after Juventus, their next opponents, were held at home by KKS Lech Poznań in the section's other fixture.

City just about edged the early exchanges and duly took an eighth-minute lead when Jô laid Wayne Bridge's low cross back to Silva. The Spain winger did the rest, beating Gerhard Tremmel with a confident low finish. Salzburg responded with some promising passing moves, though it took until the 31st minute to conjure their first strike on target, captain Ibrahim Sekagya almost catching out Joe Hart with a volley that bounced off the turf and looped onto the bar.

At the other end Carlos Tévez tested Tremmel at his near post, before teeing up Silva for what should have been a simple finish shortly before half-time, but his strike was expertly repelled by Tremmel. After the restart it was clear Salzburg sensed they could salvage something from the match, Nikola Pokrivač shaving the upright with a stinging drive following an indirect free-kick.

However, those hopes were dashed just after the hour when Tévez's shot was parried by Tremmel, Jô sweeping in for a simple second for City. The home side almost got themselves back into the match immediately afterwards, but Franz Schiemer failed to get a touch on Jakob Jantscher's driven cross from the left.

Juventus 3-3 KKS Lech Poznań (VIDEO)

Artjoms Rudņevs completed a hat-trick in added time to earn KKS Lech Poznań a deserved UEFA Europa League Group A point at Juventus.

Two Gieorgio Chiellini goals and a spectacular Alessandro Del Piero strike looked to have earned La Vecchia Signora a dramatic comeback win after falling behind to Rudņevs' first-half double. However, the Lech striker had the last laugh, levelling in spectacular fashion as the final whistle beckoned.

Though the hosts started brightly, Del Piero forcing a save from Krzysztof Kotorowski with a clever flick, Juventus were caught cold when Felipe Melo fouled Sławomir Peszko and Rudņevs converted the 14th-minute penalty. The Bianconeri tried to force a way back, Vincenzo Iaquinta muscling his way past his markers to test Kotorowski and Davide Lanzafame rifling two efforts wide, but the visitors doubled their lead on the half-hour following a break down the left.

Semir Štilić picked out Rudņevs, whose attempt was blocked by Chiellini, and, after Sergei Krivets teed up Štilić, Rudņevs thumped in the rebound. If the Juve No3 failed to prevent the second goal he did at least manage to reduce its significance, scoring in added time at the end of the first period with a diving header after Kotorowski failed to deal with Del Piero's free-kick. Four minutes after the break he struck again, poking another delivery from the Bianconeri captain into the net.

Chiellini might have had a hat-trick himself had he reacted in time to another Del Piero set piece, while the glory seemed destined to go to the latter, who had powered a left-footed shot into the top corner on 68 minutes. Rudņevs, who appeared to have missed his big chance with eight minutes left when he headed Jakub Wilk's centre over, was not done yet, though, and silenced the home supporters with a ferocious strike of his own in the second minute of added time.

Carlos Tevez Tips Juventus To Win Europa League Group

Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez believes Juventus are favourites to win their Europa League Group A.

Both sides are in action tonight with City playing Salzburg, and the Italians hosting Polish side Lech Poznan.

And Tevez believes Juventus will be the team to beat in the competition this term.

"For me Juventus are the group favourites. They are a big oppenent and for this reason we cannot miss a beat," Tevez told Huerte Sport.

Tuttosport claims the Bianconeri will make several changes for the game against Poznan. Most notably Alex Manninger will replace Marco Storari in goal.

MSK Zilina 1-4 Chelsea

Chelsea took their Premier League form into Europe’s top club competition as they comfortably saw off MSK Zilina with a 4-0 win on Wednesday as they fly back to London with a very welcome three points to kick off their road to Wembley, with Nicolas Anelka assisting one and scoring two in a dazzling display.

Michael Essien opened the scoring after just 13 minutes as he ran onto a Nicolas Anelka cut-back, then the striker popped up with two of his own, the first a smart finish after Florent Malouda lifted the ball over the Zilina defense, and the Frenchman slotted home the rebound from a John Terry header that hit the bar to put the Premier League leaders 3-0 up inside the first half an hour, with Daniel Sturridge adding a fourth two minutes into the second half.

Captain John Terry started Wednesday’s game despite Carlo Ancelotti casting doubts over his appearance after picking up a knock at the weekend with full-back Yuri Zhirkov also starting from the off for his first appearance this season, just days after his outspoken frustration at failing to force himself into the first-team at Chelsea, with Daniel Sturridge also part of six changes from those who prevailed 3-1 at West Ham.

Champions League newcomers Zilina started the brightest with all of the early pressure in the opening minutes but Chelsea did not take long to settle and were soon 1-0 up.

Yossi Benayoun released Nicolas Anelka down the left flank with a perfect through ball and the Frenchman’s pull back eluded Florent Malouda but was met by the onrushing Michael Essien to slot home sweetly for his third goal in two games.

The Slovakians were not deterred though and former Chelsea youth player Momodou Ceesay delivered a nice cross for Babatounde Bello to rise high and head the ball towards Petr Cech’s goal but a lack of power made it an easy save for the Czech international.

But as many in the Premier League have found so far this season, a team must take their chances against Chelsea, otherwise they will be punished. And punished Zilina were.

This time the provider turned scorer as Malouda produced a fantastic over-the-top pass to leave the Slovak defense static and Nicolas Anelka drove into the penalty and finished very well across the keeper into the far corner to put his side 2-0 midway through the first-half.

And then four minutes later and Nicolas Anelka got his second and Chelsea’s third. John Terry this time rose high to head a whipped Malouda corner onto the bar and Anelka found himself in the right place at the right time and he simply slotted home from 3 yards out with the goalkeeper stranded.

But credit must still go to Zilina as, despite being stunned by the four-minute double Anelka salvo they kept their heads up. First Admir Vladavic forced Cech into a decent save low down to his left to push a shot past the post, and from the resulting corner the same player headed just wide to remind Ancelotti and his players that it wasn’t game over just yet.

But if there were any lingering nerves for the Italian, his team duly put them to bed as soon as possible as just two minutes into the second half, another fantastic pass from Benayoun found Daniel Sturridge, who rounded the keeper and found the back of the empty net for a goal on his Champions League debut and to firmly put the game beyond Zilina.

Yet again though, that did not deter the team from Slovakia as after a couple of hopeful efforts from Admir Vladavic, they got themselves of the scoresheet, albeit in fortunate fashion. Petr Cech failed completely when attempting to handle a cross from the right flank and they ball ricochets off Alex and then Branislav Ivanovic and trickles towards the unguarded goal-line before Tomas Oravec stole in to claim a goal for himself and his club’s first ever in the Champions League.

Straight from the resulting kick-off and Zilina could have had a second as a wonderful break-away was only wasted by a poor cross into the Chelsea area by Vladavic. A few minutes later and Zilina again had a decent sniff at goal, but Lubomir Guldan could only steer his header wide.

The game petered out in the closing stages of the match, with the Slovak fans still in full voice, with the only real moment of note was 17-year-old Chelsea youngster Joshua McEachran coming on for the final 10 minutes for his debut, and in doing so becoming the first ever player born after the creation of the competition to feature in it, and he helped his side stroll comfortably to the win and a warning shot to others in the competition.

Klose's late intervention rouses Bayern

Miroslav Klose came off the bench for FC Bayern München to turn a frustrating evening into a 2-0 victory against AS Roma and told UEFA.com: "It's important to bring something fresh."

Miroslav Klose told UEFA.com that FC Bayern München had no one to blame but themselves for a nervous opening night in UEFA Champions League Group E after last season's runners-up left it late to clinch victory against AS Roma.

The Germany forward watched anxiously from the bench as the Bundesliga champions struggled to unlock the visitors' watertight backline on a tense evening in Bavaria. But Klose emerged on to the pitch with 23 minutes left to help inspire a late Bayern charge that brought them a 2-0 win.

"It's important to bring something fresh to the team when you come off the bench," said Klose, who found the net seven minutes from time, just four minutes after a sublime Thomas Müller strike had broken the deadlock. ""We managed to create chances after we made the changes, and Roma were very tired". You could see that, and luckily we were able to exploit the opportunities we created.

"We let the ball do the running, passed it round well, and made few mistakes in our approach play," Klose added. "We only have ourselves to blame for not getting an end product out of it for so long, and perhaps we should have shot more from distance."

Goalscoring chances were a rare commodity for much of the evening for Bayern as they continually failed to foil Roma's plans to frustrate them with visiting goalkeeper Júlio Sérgio proving a resolute last bastion when the home side did pierce the Giallorossi defence. Goalkeeper Jörg Butt was also called into action as the visitors' counter-attacked effectively with Marco Borriello particularly menacing, but the momentum tilted Bayern's way after Klose's introduction.

The 32-year-old saw a firm header beat Júlio Sérgio but shave the outside of a post before Müller's sweetly-struck shot curled beyond the Brazilian goalkeeper as Bayern's perseverance finally bore fruit. Though Borriello passed up a gilt-edged opportunity to level almost immediately, Klose ended any ambitions of a Roma revival when he touched in Holger Badstuber's wickedly-delivered free-kick.

"It was important to start with a win, especially given that we were playing at home," said Klose, whose team makes the short trip to Switzerland to face FC Basel 1893 in a fortnight. "We've got a lot of hard work ahead of us, and anything remains possible in this group, but I think that we have the quality to be able to finish in top spot."

Barcelona 5-1 Panathinaikos

Lionel Messi once again showed his class to lead Barcelona the way in their Champions League opener against Panathinaikos. The Greek side opener the score via Sidney Govou after a quick counter attack, but Messi restored parity only minutes later. David Villa then gifted the Catalans the lead after a corner kick before Messi doubled his personal tally minutes before the break. Messi missed a spot kick in the second half, but Pedro did find the net to make it 4-1 for Barca. Brazil international Daniel Alves made things even worse for Pana in stoppage time.

The home side started the match brilliantly and created several chances to open the score in the opening minutes of the game. However, Alexandros Tzorvos pulled off an excellent save to deny Messi after his subtle header.

Minutes later, Xavi failed to find the net from five yards out after a brilliant pass from Andres Iniesta. The Spain international got all the time and space he needed to tap home from close range, but Tzorvas again made a good save to keep the score at 0-0 early on

The Greek champions then opened the score from out of nowhere. Djibril Cisse found Sidney Govou with an intelligent backheel and the former Lyon star found the net on pretty much the first occasion Panathinaikos left their own half.

Barcelona weren't impressed too much though and restored parity within 60 seconds. Xavi set up Messi with a superb through pass and the Argentina star beat Tzorvas with a lobbed attempt. The Spanish giants grabbed the lead around the hour mark. Sergio Busquets headed a corner in the path of David Villa and the prolific striker had no problems finding the net from close range.

Messi continued to cause the Panathinaikos defense all kinds of trouble and almost doubled his personal tally minutes before the break when he hit the crossbar with a left footed strike. Messi did get his brace minutes later though. The Argentinian wizard started a combination with Pedro and calmly fired home after getting the ball back.

The away side continued to focus on defending in the second half and only looked dangerous once or twice when Sebastian Leto got involved. Barca on the other hand got some good chances to score a fourth goal, with Messi getting the best chance from the spot in the 57th minute. However, Tzorvas saved his weak shot with ease.

The Blaugranas did score one more goal though. Bojan Krkic played a delightful through ball for Messi near the byline on the left side of the penalty box, the Argentinian shot from a really tight angle, the ball cannoned off the right post, then rebounded off the left post, and then Pedro converted from close range. Daniel Alves poured even more salt in Panathinaikos' wounds with a goal well into stoppage time.

Barcelona sit atop of the table in group D following their home win against Panathinaikos, while the Greek side are the group's number last. The Catalans travel to Russia in two weeks time for the match against Rubin Kazan, while Panathinaikos host Copenhagen on 29 September.

Domestically, Barcelona meet Atletico Madrid at the weekend in their third league match of the season. Panathinaikos await an away game against Kavala on Saturday evening.

Get well soon, Antonio

Antonio Valencia underwent surgery on a fracture and dislocation of his left ankle on Wednesday, the start of the long road to recovery from the horrific injury he suffered against Rangers at Old Trafford.

But team-mate Darren Fletcher says Valencia has the character, determination and mental aptitude to overcome the injury and battle his way back to the standards he reached in an excellent debut campaign for the Reds.

"It was a really bad injury," admitted Fletcher, on the field when Gers defender Kirk Broadfoot's innocuous-looking challenge led to Antonio being stretchered off the field with an injury Sir Alex Ferguson likened to the leg-break Alan Smith suffered at Anfield in 2006.

Flecher added: "He’s a good lad and a strong character. Having just got back from injury at the end of last season, it’s a real blow for him. But he has real determination about him and he works hard. He’ll be back, I’m sure. He’s a top player. He’s been great since he came from Wigan.

"He had a great first season and he was looking to push on this year. That’s why the injury’s a blow. But he has a long future at United and I’m sure he’ll be back as soon as possible."

Valencia's injury capped what was a hugely frustrating night for the Reds all round. But Fletcher says Rangers deserve credit for their defensive organised and dogged resolution not to allow United to break them down.

"I don’t think many teams have played with three centre-halves before," he said. "I think that was the difference. Usually when you play against teams who get men behind the ball they have the extra man in midfield, but Rangers had it in defence and they proved difficult to break down."

Real Madrid 2-0 Ajax

After two unconvincing outings in La Liga, Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid finally stepped up a gear with a much improved performance to beat Ajax 2-0 in their opening Champions League Group G encounter.

Los Merengues peppered the visiting goal with 35 shots, 15 of which were on target, but needed two Gonzalo Higuain strikes to seal the three points.

It was no surprise to see Madrid push forward early on and dominate proceedings. A nice exchange of passes between Cristiano Ronaldo and Mesut Oezil teed up Sami Khedira for the first crack on goal, but the German’s shot from 20 yards was easily gathered by Martin Stekelenburg.

Gonzalo Higuain then rippled the net on 12 minutes when he brought down Xabi Alonso’s long ball expertly, but his stinging low drive only smacked the side netting.

To the other end, Miralem Sulejmani caused the first real panic at the Santiago Bernabeu when his powerful shot from angle just flashed wide. The home fans thought there was reason to celebrate on 17 minutes when Higuain easily glided past Eyong Enoh and Toby Alderweireld but his curling effort on the edge of the box cannoned off the crossbar.

Stekelenburg then had to fumble to pluck the ball off Ronaldo’s feet when the Portuguese went on a mazy run, before the Dutch international goalkeeper comfortably saved Angel Di Maria’s shot from distance.

The Argentine winger had another effort saved after a lovely one-two with Oezil, before Ronaldo went on another marauding charge towards goal which ended with a low shot just bending around the post after taking a deflection.

Madrid felt they should have been awarded a penalty on 27 minutes when Di Maria collected Oezil’s backheel pass and burst into the box before being taken down by Stekelenburg, but the referee wasn’t interested in the appeals.

Madrid’s persistence finally paid off right on the half-hour mark when Xabi Alonso’s corner was bundled over the line by Higuain. And it should’ve been 2-0 just three minutes later when Higuain miscued a squared pass from Marcelo right in front of goal. The loose ball trickled to Di Maria, who could only curl it over the bar.

Los Blancos maintained their momentum until the end of the half, with Di Maria testing Stekelenburg again with a blistering half volley.

The Spanish giants picked up where they left off in the second half and in a space of seven minutes, Ronaldo, Oezil, Di Maria and Higuain all had chances to bury the game and the critics. Stekelenburg made brilliant saves to deny the former three while ‘El Pipa’ blazed his volley over from five yards out.

Ajax had their best look-in to restore parity right on the hour mark with a freekick 20 yards out, but Alderweireld drills his effort under the wall but well wide.

Another free-flowing passing move between Oezil and Di Maria teed up a gorgeous chance for Ronaldo on the edge of the area, but the Portuguese dragged his tame shot wide.

But it was game over on 73 minutes when Higuain got his second of the night. Oezil’s initial shot was blocked by Stekelenburg, but the German playmaker floated the rebound into the middle for ‘El Pipa’ to cushion a volley into the open net.

The game suddenly came to live after that with a series of glorious chances in quick succession. Higuain came within inches of a hat-trick when he ran onto Ronaldo’s return pass but pulled his shot across goal wide. Ajax had their best chance of a consolation shortly after when Urby Emanuelson’s speculative chip from distance rattled the crossbar before Casillas blocked Sulejmani’s rebound with the most casual of one-handed parries.

Ronaldo then saw a low piledriver tipped around the post by Stekelenburg and he continued in desperation to score his first competitive goal of the season rattling in at least three further shots at goal, all of which flew wide. Two minutes from time, CR7 missed a sitter right infront of an open goal after being teed up nicely by a Higuain pull-back.

That was the last of the of the chances as Real Madrid please the Bernabeu faithful with a dominant 2-0 win.