Champions League Review: Liverpool revived their hopes of reaching the Champions League last 16 with a record 8-0 drubbing of Besiktas while Rosenborg beat Valencia 2-0 to hand Ronald Koeman a disappointing start at the Mestalla last night.
Liverpool's best performance of a patchy season in their Group A
match at Anfield provided a record-breaking Champions League
scoreline, beating 7-0 wins by Arsenal over Slavia Prague last
month and Juventus against Olympiakos Piraeus in December 2003.
Chelsea stayed on course to reach the knockout stages after a
0-0 draw at Schalke 04 in Group B while AC Milan's Filippo Inzaghi
equalled Gerd Muller's all-time record of 62 goals in European club
football in their 3-0 win at Shakhtar Donetsk.
Celtic also remained in the hunt in Group D with a 1-0 win
over Benfica after 21-year-old midfielder Aiden McGeady rifled in a
deflected long-range winner on the stroke of halftime.
The result left Gordon Strachan's side third on six points,
three ahead of Benfica and level with second-placed Shakhtar.
Inzaghi, who was a 63rd minute substitute in Ukraine, fired
Milan ahead three minutes later and put his name in the history
books with an injury-time goal after Kaka steered in the second.
The win over Shakhtar left European champions Milan top of
the group on nine points and with a chance to seal a berth in the
last 16 when they visit Benfica on November 28th.
Liverpool's win was a breakthrough for manager Rafa Benitez,
who came under strong pressure after a 2-1 loss at Besiktas a
fortnight ago left his side staring at early elimination.
It was a different story last night though as Yossi Benayoun
grabbed a hat-trick, Ryan Babel and Peter Crouch scored two goals
each and Steven Gerrard added another to give Liverpool their first
win in the group.
The 2005 champions have reignited their campaign and moved up
a place to third on four points, one more than Besiktas.
Porto, who won Europe's premier club competition in 2004,
leapt into the driving seat in Group A with eight points after a
2-1 home win over Olympique Marseille that left the French side in
second place on seven points after four matches.
Moroccan striker Tarik Sektioui sent Porto on their way with
a dazzling solo run from the halfway line and Lisandro Lopez headed
the winner off the underside of the bar after Mamadou Niang had
equalised with a diving header.
Chelsea's seven-game winning streak under Avram Grant ended
in Gelsenkirchen but the stalemate left them a point ahead of
Rosenborg, who registered their second 2-0 win over Valencia in as
many weeks thanks to a Steffen Iversen double.
The former Tottenham Hotspur striker gave the Norwegian side
a 31st minute lead with a low shot that went in off the post and
sealed the win shortly before the hour when he was left unmarked at
the far post to nod the ball home.
Chelsea (8 points) visit Rosenborg (7) later this month while
Schalke (4) are at bottom side Valencia (3) as the battle for the
top two qualifying spots and a consolation UEFA Cup berth for the
third-placed team intensifies.
Of greater concern is Chelsea keeper Petr Cech, who faces a race to be fit for Sunday's Barclays Premier League clash with Everton, after being forced off injured. The Czech international injured his calf in the later stages of the first half and was replaced by Carlo Cudicini at the interval.
Chelsea coach Avram Grant was unsure how long Cech might be out of action but the goalkeeper limped away from the Veltins-Arena on crutches.
Grant said: "He could not continue in the second half. How bad the injury is we need to wait and see. It is w calf injury and I asked the doctor if he could continue and he couldn't. But Carlo Cudicini came on and played well."
Real Madrid lead Group C on eight points after a goalless draw
at Olympiakos Piraeus, who have five points along with Lazio
following a 2-1 home win over Werder Bremen.
Olympiakos goalkeeper Antonios Nikopolidis produced a string
of fine saves to keep the Greeks in the hunt while a Tommaso Rocchi
brace gave Lazio a 2-0 lead at the Olympic Stadium in Rome before
Diego pulled one back with a late penalty.
Champions League Results
Group A
FC Porto 2-1 Marseille
Liverpool 8-0 Besiktas
Group B
Schalke 04 0-0 Chelsea
Valencia 0-2 Rosenborg
Group C
Lazio 2-1 Werder Bremen
Olympiakos 0-0 Real Madrid
Group D
Celtic 1-0 Benfica
Shakhtar Donetsk 0-3 AC Milan
