Chelsea and Liverpool made winning starts to their UEFA Champions League campaigns, while CFR Cluj stunned Roma.
English duo enjoy winning starts as Roma are stunned at home
Chelsea and Liverpool made winning starts to their Champions League campaigns, while CFR Cluj stunned Roma.
Luiz Felipe Scolari's bow in Europe's leading club competition proved to be a comfortable affair as they brushed aside Bordeaux 4-0 at Stamford Bridge.
As so often in the past, Steven Gerrard was Liverpool's hero as he scored twice to help Rafa Benitez's side come from behind to triumph in Marseille.
Romanian newcomers CFR Cluj produced the result of the night to overcome European regulars Roma at the Stadio Olimpico.
Jose Mourinho enjoyed success with Inter Milan away to Panathinaikos, while Werder Bremen were held at home by Anorthosis Famagusta.
Barcelona defeated Sporting at Camp Nou, Shakhtar Donetsk saw off Basle in Switzerland and Atletico Madrid cruised to victory away to PSV Eindhoven.
Inspirational
Liverpool again had inspirational skipper Gerrard to thank as they hit back to defeat
Marseille 2-1 at the Stade Velodrome in their Group D opener.
The home side took the lead against the run of play with Benoit Cheyrou lifted the ball over the advancing defence for Lorik Cana to run onto and slot calmly beyond Jose Reina in the 23rd minute.
But the Reds levelled immediately with a goal of the highest quality from England ace Gerrard.
Fernando Torres won possession on the halfway line and raced towards goal before feeding Dirk Kuyt on the right, he cut it back to Gerrard who wrapped his foot around the ball and whipped a curling effort over the stranded Steve Mandanda and into the far top corner of the net.
And the visitors were in front soon after, with Gerrard scoring from the penalty spot after Ryan Babel was felled by Ronald Zubar.
Chelsea opened their Group A account in the best possible style with Frank Lampard inspiring them to a 4-0 victory over
Bordeaux.
The Blues took a deserved lead with just 14 minutes on the clock when Jose Bosingwa delivered a superb ball into the box and Lampard headed home after being left in acres of space.
And the French side were guilty of more poor marking on the half-hour as the diminutive Joe Cole got away from his marker to glance home Lampard's corner at the near post.
The Blues added a flowing third with Lampard's clever back heel releasing Florent Malouda to fire across Ulrich Rame.
And with almost the last kick of the game Nicolas Anelka added a fourth, tapping home after Juliano Belletti's powerful strike was tipped onto the bar.
Roma rocked
In Group A's other game,
Roma were stunned by
CFR Cluj, who were in the third tier of Romanian football in 2002, with the visitors triumphing 2-1 in the Eternal City.
Roma broke the deadlock early in the first half when Daniele De Rossi's dangerous ball into the box was headed home by Christian Panucci from close range.
But Cluj battled back and restored parity in the 27th minute when Juan Culio found the bottom corner with a left foot shot from outside the box.
And Culio stunned the Stadio Olimpico into silence four minutes after the break when he volleyed Maurizio Trombetta's side ahead after Marco Cassetti's weak header.
Atletico Madrid look to be Liverpool's main threat in Group D after they cruised to a 3-0 victory away to
PSV Eindhoven.
Sergio Aguero opened the scoring with the first goal of the group stage after just nine minutes when he slotted home from close range following good work from Maniche and Luis Garcia.
And Aguero continued his prolific form in front of goal by adding a second before the interval, lashing home after Florent Sinama-Pongolle's cross.
Maniche then put the result beyond doubt when he added a third nine minutes into the second half after Luis Garcia's through ball.
Mourinho joy
Mourinho enjoyed his return to Champions League action with his
Inter Milan side triumphing 2-0 away to
Panathinaikos in Group B.
Mourinho's charges seized the initiative in the 27th minute after Zlatan Ibrahimovic burst into the area and set up Mancini for a routine close-range finish.
And the Sweden international was the creator once again in the closing stages as he set up Adriano for the second goal.
The other match in Group B was a goalless draw between
Werder Bremen and
Anorthosis Famagusta.
Group C favourites
Barcelona made a winning start to their campaign as they saw off
Sporting 3-1 at Camp Nou.
Barca named an awesome front three of Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry and Samuel Eto'o, but it was centre-back Rafael Marquez who opened the scoring, heading home after Xavi's cross for his first Champions League goal.
Eto'o then added a second on the hour mark when he slotted home from the penalty spot after he had been brought down by Abel in the box.
Antonio Tonel reduced the deficit 17 minutes from time when he headed home Miguel Veloso's free-kick, but Xavi put the result beyond doubt three minutes from time.
The other fixture in Group C saw
Shakhtar Donetsk secure a deserved three points from their trip to Switzerland to tackle
Basle.
The visitors took the lead in the 25th minute when Fernandinho's stunning long-range free-kick curled beyond helpless goalkeeper Franco Constanzo.
On the stroke of half-time Shakhtar doubled their lead as Jadson's wicked curling free-kick from the left corner of the box beat everyone and skipped viciously off the turf to evade Costanzo.
Basle grabbed a consolation goal in the dying seconds as David Abraham sneaked in at the far post to stab home Carlitos' deep cross.
