LONDON, 30 September 2004 — Chelsea and Barcelona continued their good starts in this season’s Champions League with competent home wins yesterday while Adriano netted his third goal of the tournament as Inter Milan registered an easy win away to Anderlecht.
Barcelona maintained their 100 percent start in Group F with a 3-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk at the Nou Camp to move top on six points, level with AC Milan, victors over Celtic.
Portugal midfielder Deco made it 1-0 for Barca on the quarter-hour mark when he fired home from the right-hand edge of the area. A second-half Ronaldinho penalty and a late effort from Samuel Eto’o completed the scoring.
Celtic looked to have kept their chances of progressing from Group F alive when Martin O’Neill’s side came from a goal down to level 1-1 away to AC Milan before conceding two late goals to go down 3-1.
Ukraine international Andriy Shevchenko gave the Serie A side the lead after eight minutes to celebrate his 28th birthday in style but Stanislav Varga equalized for the Scottish champions with a powerful header 16 minutes from time.
However, substitute Filippo Inzaghi, making his first appearance in nearly six months, made it 2-1 two minutes from time with Andrea Pirlo completing the scoring in injury time.
In Group H, defending champions Porto went down 3-1 to Chelsea, now managed by former coach Jose Mourinho.
A deft chip from Damien Duff found Eidur Gudjohnsen in space in the area and the Iceland striker’s cross was volleyed home by Champions League debutant Alexsei Smertin to give the big-spending Londoners the lead on seven minutes.
Duff was also the provider for the second goal, when Didier Drogba headed home the Irish international’s free-kick five minutes after the restart.
Substitute Benni McCarthy pulled one back for Porto on 67 minutes but John Terry restored Chelsea’s two-goal cushion three minutes later.
Earlier in the other group game, substitute Sergey Semak was the hero for CSKA Moscow as the Russian side overcame Paris Saint Germain 2-0 in Moscow.
Simak was only on the field six minutes when he latched on to a cross from Brazilian Vagner Love to head home the opening goal of the game on 64 minutes before also earning his side a penalty 13 minutes later which was dispatched by Love.
Inter Milan top Group G with six points thanks to an impressive 3- 1 defeat of Belgian side Anderlecht. On nine minutes, Brazilian Adriano crossed for Obafemi Martins to show why many believe he should start ahead of the injured Christian Vieri as the 19-year-old was on hand to score with a tap-in.
Adriano scored his third Champions League goal of the campaign to make it 2-0 on 52 minutes while Dejan Stankovich completed Inter’s scoring with a blistering shot from 25 metres three minutes later.
Walter Baseggio got a consolation goal for Anderlecht with virtually the last kick of the game. Rodriguez Vicente gave Spanish Primera Liga leaders Valencia the perfect start away to German champions Werder Bremen in the other Group G game when after only two minutes he latched on to a pass from Amedeo Carboni before beating goalkeeper Andreas Reinke at the near post.
However, Stefan Klose equalized for Bremen on the hour mark and Greek international Angelos Charisteas completed the comeback on 84 minutes, slotting home Ivan Klasnich’s cross to make it 2-1.
In Group E, Arsenal could only manage a hard-fought 1-1 draw away to Norwegian side Rosenborg Trondheim. Freddie Ljunberg put the English champions in front after only six minutes when the Norwegians failed to clear a Thierry Henry corner but Roar Strand equalised for Rosenborg early in the second half with a strike from just inside the area.
PSV Eindhoven needed a goal ten minutes from time from Vennegor of Hesselink to overcome Panathinaikos in the other group game. The result leaves Arsenal top on four points followed by the Greek club and PSV level on three with Rosenborg on one point.
