First qualifying round

Lenkoran (Azerbaijan) v Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia)
APOEL (Cyprus) v BATE (Belarus)
Sheriff (Moldova) v Ranger's (Andorra)
Hafnarfjordur ((Iceland) v HB (Faroe Islands)
TNS (Wales) v Ventspils (Latvia)
Pobeda (FYR Macedonia) v Levadia (Estonia)
Olimpi (Georgia) v Astana (Kazakhstan)
Zeta (Montenegro) v Kaunas (Lithuania)
Tampere (Finland) v Murata (San Marino)
Dudelange (luxembourg) v Zilina (Slovakia)
Linfield (N Ireland) v Elfsborg (Sweden)
Derry (N Ireland) v Pyunik (Armenia)
Marsaxlokk (Malta) v Sarajevo (Bosnia)
Domzale (Slovenia) v Tirana (Albania)

First qualifying round ties to be played on July 17/18 and 24/25.

Second qualifying round

Derry/Pyunik v Shakhtar Donestsk (Ukraine)
Crvena Zvezda (Serbia) v Pobeda/Levadia
Rangers v Zeta/Kaunas
Debrecen (Hungary) v Linfield/Elfsborg
Zaglebia (Poland) v Steaua Bucharest (Romania)
Genk (Belgium) v Marsaxlokk/Sarajevo
TNS/Ventspils v Salzburg (Austria)
Olimpi/Astana v Rosenborg (Norway)
Hafnarfjordur/HB v APOEL/BATE
Kobenhavn (Denmark) v Beitar Jerusalem (Israel)
Dudelange/Zilina v Slavia Prague (Czech Rep)
Tampere/Murata v Levski (Bulgaria)
Domzale/Tirana v Lenkoran/Dinamo Zagreb
Besiktas (Turkey) v Sheriff/Ranger's

Second qualifying round ties will be played on July 31/August 1, and August 7/8.

AC Milan 2 - 1 Liverpool
In a rematch of the 2005 final, AC Milan turned the tables on Liverpool to win the 2007 Champions League. Liverpool controlled most of the possession in the first half, but AC Milan scored against the run of play just before the half time whistle. Andrea Pirlo's free kick was inadvertently deflected by Pippo Inzaghi into the Liverpool net as keeper Pepe Reina was wrong-footed. Liverpool pressed for the tying goal in the second half, but could not find a finishing touch. In the 82nd minute, Milan's Kaka played a through ball to Inzaghi who rolled the ball under a diving Reina and into the goal for a 2-1 lead.

Pippo Inzaghi scores his second goal to put Milan up 2-0.

Liverpool didn't give up, though, and were rewarded with a goal in the 89th minute. A corner kick from Harry Kewell was flicked on by Daniel Agger, and Dirk Kuyt headed in at the back post. But time ran out on Liverpool's comeback this time as AC Milan held on for a 2-1 win.

Liverpool 1 - 1 (4-1 penalty kicks) Chelsea
Liverpool advanced to the Champions League final after a 4-1 win on penalty kicks. The Reds trailed Chelsea 0-1 after the first leg, but a first half goal from Daniel Agger made it 1-1 on aggregate. Neither team could score the decisive goal during 90 minutes and 30 minutes of extra time, and Liverpool prevailed on penalty kicks. Zenden, Alonso, Gerrard, and Kuyt made their spot kicks for Liverpool, while Robben and Geremi had their shots saved by Pepe Reina. Liverpool are in the final for the second time in three years, and both times they eliminated Chelsea in the semi-final round.

AC Milan 3 - 0 (5-3 on aggregate) Manchester United
So much for a Chelsea vs Man United cup final. A day after Liverpool ended Chelsea's Champions League campaign, AC Milan dumped Man United out of the cup. Trailing 2-3 from the first leg at Old Trafford, Milan stormed to the lead courtesy of another goal from Kaka in the 11th minute. Clarence Seedorf put Milan ahead on aggregate in the 30th minute, and substitute Alberto Gilardino sealed the win with a late goal, running onto the ball in acres of space and beating Edwin van der Saar with a well-placed shot into the corner. Late in the match, AC Milan played the ball out of bounds so that Kaka could get treatment for an apparent injury. According to football customs, Man United should have returned to ball to Milan following their throw-in. But that didn't happen, and it prompted an angry response from Milan's players, especially Gennaro Gattuso who was booked for his protests. In any event, Milan's win sets up a rematch of the 2005 Champions League final against Liverpool.

Roma 2 - 1 Manchester United
It was a tough day for United. Paul Scholes was sent off in the first half after picking up two yellow cards, Roma won the first leg 2-1, and United fans were clubbed by Italian police after they clashed with the Roma fans in the Olympic stadium in Rome. Wayne Rooney's second half goal, however, does give United hope heading into the second round. With the all-important away goal, Man United can now advance to the semis with a 1-0 win in the second leg at Old Trafford. Any two-goal win will obviously see them through as well. Unfortunately, the football was overshadowed by the crowd violence and the police reaction.

Chelsea 1 - 1 Valencia
Chelsea fell behind on the half hour mark when Valencia's David Silva unleashed an unstoppable strike from the left wing. The shot curled past a diving Petr Cech to give the visitors a surprise lead. Chelsea nearly scored when Salomon Kalou collected the ball in the area after Andriy Shevchencko was brought down, but Kalou's shot hit the cross bar. In the second half, Chelsea used the direct approach to tie the game. Ricardo Carvalho's long ball bounced in the box, and Didier Drogba headed the ball over the keeper and into the net. Not the most artistic goal, but it still counts. It's all to play for in the second leg, but give Valencia a slight advantage because they have an away goal in hand. Chelsea must score to have a chance, but a win or a two-goal draw or better will see Chelsea through to the semi-finals.

PSV Eindhoven 0 - 3 Liverpool
With goals from Gerrard, Riise, and Crouch, Liverpool took command of this cup tie with a big win in Holland. Barring a total collapse in the second leg, the Reds will cruise to the semis.

AC Milan 2 - 2 Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich twice came from a goal down to secure an important draw at the San Siro. Daniel van Buyten scored both goals. With 2 away goals to their credit, Bayern can advance to the semis with a win, or a 0-0 or 1-1 draw in the second leg.

Quarter-final draw

AC Milan v Bayern Munich
PSV Eindhoven v LIVERPOOL
Roma v MANCHESTER UNITED
CHELSEA v Valencia

(First legs to be played on 3/4 April and second legs on 10/11 April)

Semi-final draw
CHELSEA or Valencia v PSV Eindhoven or LIVERPOOL
Roma or MANCHESTER UNITED v AC Milan or Bayern Munich

(First legs to be played on 24/25 April and second legs on 1/2 May)

Lille 0 - 2 Manchester United
PSV Eindhoven 2 - 1 Arsenal
FC Porto 2 - 3 Chelsea
Barcelona 2 - 2 Liverpool (advanced on away goals)
Celtic 0 - 1 AC Milan
Real Madrid 4 - 4 Bayern Munich (advanced on away goals)
Inter Milan 2 - 2 Valencia (advanced on away goals)
Roma 2 - 0 Lyon

Champions League - Round of 16
FC Porto v Chelsea
Celtic v AC Milan
PSV Eindhoven v Arsenal
Lille v Manchester United
Roma v Lyon
Barcelona v Liverpool
Real Madrid v Bayern Munich
Inter Milan v Valencia

UEFA Cup - Round of 32
Zulte-Waregem v Newcastle
Braga v Parma
Lens v Panathinaikos
Bayer Leverkusen v Blackburn
Hapoel Tel-Aviv v Rangers
Livorno v Espanyol
Feyenoord v Tottenham Hotspur
Fenerbahce v AZ Alkmaar
Werder Bremen v Ajax
Spartak Moscow v Celta Vigo
CSKA Moscow v Maccabi Haifa
AEK Athens v Paris St German
Benfica v Dinamo Bucharest
Steaua Bucharest v Sevilla
Shakhtar Donetsk v AS Nancy
Bordeaux v Osasuna

Group A
1. Chelsea 4-1-1
2. Barcelona 3-2-1
3. Werder Bremen 3-1-2
4. Levski Sofia 0-0-6

Group B
1. Bayern Munich 3-3-0
2. Inter Milan 3-1-2
3. Spartak Moscow 1-2-3
4. Sporting Lisbon 1-2-3

Group C
1. Liverpool 4-1-1
2. PSV Eindhoven 3-1-2
3. Bordeaux 2-1-3
4. Galatasaray 1-1-4

Group D
1. Valencia 4-1-1
2. Roma 3-1-2
3. Shakhtar Donetsk 1-3-2
4. Olympiakos 0-3-3

Group E
1. Lyon 4-2-0
2. Real Madrid 3-2-1
3. Steaua Bucuresti 1-2-3
4. Dynamo Kiev 0-2-4

Group F
1. Manchester United 4-0-2
2. Celtic 3-0-3
3. Benfica 2-1-3
4. FC Copenhagen 2-1-3

Group G
1. Arsenal 3-2-1
2. FC Porto 3-2-1
3. CSKA Moscow 2-2-2
4. Hamburg 1-0-5

Group H
1. AC Milan 3-1-2
2. Lille 2-3-1
3. AEK Athens 2-2-2
4. Anderlecht 0-4-2

Note: Teams in bold have qualified for the knockout phase of the tournament.

The top three teams from each group advance to the next round.

GROUP A
Auxerre
RANGERS
P Belgrade
Livorno
Maccabi Haifa

GROUP B
Bayer Leverkusen
Club Brugge
Besiktas
Dinamo Bucharest
TOTTENHAM

GROUP C
Sevilla
AZ Alkmaar
Slovan Liberec
Grasshopper
Braga

GROUP D
Parma
Lens
Heerenveen
Osasuna
Odense

GROUP E
Feyenoord
Basle
Wisla Krakow
BLACKBURN
Nancy

GROUP F
Ajax
Sparta Prague
Espanyol
Austria Wien
Zulte Waregem

GROUP G
Panathinaikos
Paris St Germain
Rapid Bucharest
Hapoel Tel Aviv
Mlada Boleslav

GROUP H
NEWCASTLE
Celta Vigo
Palermo
Fenerbahce
Eintracht Frankfurt

Favorites to win the competition:
1. Sevilla
2. Tottenham
3. Bayer Leverkusen
4. Feyenoord
5. Ajax
6. PSG
7. Fenerbahce
8. Lens
9. Palermo
10. Newcastle
11. AZ Alkmaar
12. Blackburn
13. Parma
14. Rangers
15. Celta Vigo

Unlike yesterday's successful European adventure for British clubs, today proved to be more disappointing for the teams involved in the UEFA Cup. West Ham were blanked for the second time by Palermo, losing 0-4 on aggregate and crashing out of Europe. Likewise, Hearts could not find the net against Sparta Prague, losing 0-2 over the two legs. Tottenham, Rangers, Blackburn, and Newcastle all advanced to the group stage of the UEFA cup with victories over Slavia Prague, Molde, Salzburg, and Levadia respectively. In recent years, Celtic and Middlesbrough have made it to the cup final, so the teams that advanced today should have high hopes in this competition. Of the three, I think Spurs have the best chance to go far. Their start to the Premier League season has been disappointing, so I think Martin Jol will focus on cup competitions this year.

Honorable mention goes to Derry City, who held PSG to a 0-0 draw in the first leg of their UEFA Cup tie. In the second leg, PSG prevailed 2-0, but it was still an historic accomplishment for Derry City.

Group A
1. Chelsea 2-0-0
2. Barcelona 1-1-0
3. Werder Bremen 0-1-1
4. Levski Sofia 0-0-2

Group B
1. Bayern Munich 2-0-0
2. Sporting Lisbon 1-1-0
3. Spartak Moscow 0-1-1
4. Inter Milan 0-0-2

Group C
1. Liverpool 1-1-0
2. PSV Eindhoven 1-1-0
3. Galatasaray 0-1-1
4. Bordeaux 0-1-1

Group D
1. Valencia 2-0-0
2. Roma 1-0-1
3. Olympiakos 0-1-1
4. Shakhtar Donetsk 0-1-1

Group E
1. Lyon 2-0-0
2. Real Madrid 1-0-1
3. Steaua Bucuresti 1-0-1
4. Dynamo Kiev 0-0-2

Group F
1. Manchester United 2-0-0
2. Celtic 1-0-1
3. Benfica 0-1-1
4. FC Copenhagen 0-1-1

Group G
1. Arsenal 2-0-0
2. CSKA Moscow 1-1-0
3. FC Porto 0-1-1
4. Hamburg 0-0-2

Group H
1. AC Milan 1-1-0
2. Lille 0-2-0
3. Anderlecht 0-2-0
4. AEK Athens 0-1-1

The group stage of the Champions League gets underway this week and Manchester United probably has the easist path of all the British teams involved. They face Celtic, Benfica, and FC Copenhagen. None of those clubs should trouble United, but then again United failed to make it througho a similar group last year. Liverpool should book their place in the final 16. The Reds are in group C with reigning Dutch Champions PSV Eindhoven, Bordeaux of France, and the Turkish club Galatasary. All of those clubs are decent, but I can't see them keeping Liverpool out of the top two. Arsenal have a somewhat more difficult task as they are grouped with former Champions FC Porto, Hamburg, and CSKA Moscow. Porto and Hamburg could prove to be tough opponents, and the away leg at Moscow is never easy. Chelsea have the most difficult draw of the English clubs, as they will face Barcelona, Werder Bremen, and Levski Sofia. Barcelona will likely win the group with Sofia coming in last. That leaves Chelsea and Werder Bremen competing for second place, making their opening match this Tuesday at Stamford Bridge even more critical for success.

For what it's worth, here are the two teams I think will advance from each group:

Group A
BARCELONA
Chelsea

Group B
INTER MILAN
Bayern Munich

Group C
LIVERPOOL
PSV Eindhoven

Group D
VALENCIA
Roma

Group E
REAL MADRID
Lyon

Group F
MANCHESTER UNITED
Benfica

Group G
ARSENAL
Hamburg

Group H
AC MILAN
AEK Athens

Champions League Participants by County

England (4)
Chelsea
Manchester United
Liverpool
Arsenal

France (3)
Lyon
Lille
Bordeaux

Germany (3)
Bayern Munich
Werder Bremen
Hamburg

Italy (3)
Inter Milan
AC Milan
Roma

Portugal (3)
FC Porto
Sporting Lisbon
Benfica

Spain (3)
Barcelona
Real Madrid
Valencia

Greece (2)
Olympiakos
AEK Athens

Russia (2)
CSKA Moscow
Spartak Moscow

Ukraine (2)
Shakhtar Donetsk
Dynamo Kiev

Belgium: Anderlecht

Bulgaria: Levski Sofia

Denmark: FC Copenhagen

Holland: PSV Eindhoven

Romania: Steaua Bucharest

Scotland: Celtic

Turkey: Galatasaray

Champions League 3rd Round Qualifying Results (aggregate scores)
Arsenal 5 - 1 Dinamo Zagreb
AEK Athens 5 - 1 Hearts
FC Copenhagen 3 - 2 Ajax
Benfica 4 - 1 Austria
Liverpool 3 - 2 M. Haifa
Valencia 3 - 1 Salzburg
AC Milan 3 - 1 Crvena Zvezda
Hamburg 1 - 1 (1-0 away goals) Osasuna
Spartak Moscow 2 - 1 Liberec
Lille 4 - 0 Rabotnicki
Levski 4 - 2 Chievo
Galatasaray 6 - 3 Mlada Boleslav
Dynamo Kiev 5 - 3 Fenerbahce
Shakhtar Donetsk 4 - 2 Legia
CSKA Moscow 5 - 0 Ruzomberok
Steaua Bucuresti 4 - 3 Standard Liege

Uefa Cup: second qualifying round draw:

APOEL Nicosia (Cyprus) v Trabzonspor (Turkey)
Bnei Yehuda (Israel) v Lokomotiv Sofia (Bulgaria)
CSKA Sofia (Bulgaria) v Hajduk Kula (Serbia & Mont.)
Dinamo Bucharest (Romania) v Betar Jerusalem (Israel)
FBK Kaunas (Lithuania) v Randers FC (Denmark)
FC Artmedia Bratislava (Slovakia) v Dinamo Minsk (Belarus)
Basel (Switzerland) v FC Vaduz (Liechtenstein)
Videoton (Hungary) v Grasshoppers (Switzerland)
Twente Enschede (Netherlands) v Levadia Tallinn (Estonia)
Chernomorets Odessa (Ukraine) v Wisla Plock (Poland)
FK Karvan Evlakh (Azerbaijan) v Slavia Prague (Czech Republic)
FK Sarajevo (Bosnia & Herz.) v Rapid Bucharest (Romania)
FK Ventspils (Latvia) v Newcastle United (England)
Flora Tallinn (Estonia) v Brondby (Denmark)
Gretna (Scotland) v Derry City (Ireland)
Hapoel Tel Aviv (Israel) v Domzale (Slovenia)
Hertha Berlin (Germany) v Ameri Tbilisi (Georgia)
IK Start (Norway) v Drogheda United (Ireland)
Molde (Norway) v Skonto Riga (Latvia)
OB Odense (Denmark) v Llanelli (Wales)
OFK Belgrade (Serbia and Mont.) v Auxerre (France)
Olympique Marseille (France) v Young Boys (Switzerland)
Omonia Nicosia (Cyprus) v Litex Lovech (Bulgaria)
Partizan Belgrade (Serbia and Mont.) v Maribor (Slovenia)
Rubin Kazan (Russia) v BATE Borisov (Belarus)
Brann Bergen (Norway) v Atvidabergs FF (Sweden)
SK Tirane (Albania) v Kayserispor (Turkey)
Suduva Marijampole (Lithuania) v Club Bruges (Belgium)
Mattersburg (Austria) v Wisla Krakow (Poland)
SV Ried (Austria) v FC Sion (Switzerland)
SV Roeselare (Belgium) v Ethnikos Achnas (Cyprus)
Zimbru Chisinau (Moldova) v Metalurg Zaporizhya (Ukraine)

England: Chelsea
Spain: Barcelona
Italy: Juventus (pending investigation)
Germany: Bayern Munich
France: Lyon
Holland: PSV Eindhoven
Scotland: Celtic
Greece: Olympiakos
Turkey: Galatasaray
Portugal: FC Porto
Belgium: Anderlecht
Austria: Austria Magna
Denmark: FC Copenhagen
Switzerland: FC Zurich

Sevilla 4 - 0 Middlesbrough
Sevilla won their first ever European trophy with a convincing 4-0 victory over Middlesbrough. Most of the match, however, was closer than the final scoreline would suggest. Luis Fabiano put Sevilla in the 26th when he ran onto a perfectly curled pass and headed home. Trailing 0-1 at half time, Middlesbrough manager Steve McClaren sent in Massimo Maccarone to start the second half. With three strikers in the game, Middlesbrough was able to penetrate the Sevilla defense, but Mark Viduka missed two great chances to tie the game. First, his shot from point blank range was right at the Sevilla keeper, who parried the ball away. Later, Viduka shot just wide of the right post. Middlesbrough were later denied a penalty when Viduka was bowled over in the box. Still trailing at the 70 minute mark, McClaren sent on Yakubu as a fourth striker. But the move backfired as Sevilla scored three goals in the final twelve minutes. Maresca found the net twice, from close range in the 78th minute and from 20 yards out in the 84th minute. Fredi Kanoute added the fourth goal a minute from time to complete the rout. The final whistle came after only 15 seconds of added time.

Sevilla 1 - 0 Schalke
Antonio Puerta unleashed a brilliant volley in extra-time to give Sevilla a 1-0 aggregate win over Schalke 04. There were few chances for either club, but substitute Puerta's shot curved into the net after deflecting off the post. Sevilla will face Middlesbrough in the UEFA Cup final in Eindhoven on 10 May.

Middlesbrough 4 - 2 (4 - 3 on aggregate) Steaua Bucuresti
Once again, Massimo Maccarone came to Boro's rescue with a late winner against Steaua Bucuresti in the UEFA Cup semi-final. Steaua led 1-0 from the first leg and went up three goals on aggregate when Nicolae Dica and Dorin Goian scored. With the visitors already with the away goals advantage, Middlesbrough needed four goals to advance, and that's just what happened. Goals from Maccarone, Mark Viduka, and Chris Riggott pulled Boro even on aggregate, and Maccarone's 89th minute header gave them another dramatic last minute victory. If Boro win the UEFA Cup final, do they automatically qualify for next season's tournament (like Arsenal would do if they win the Champions League)? It would stand to reason that the same rule would be applied to both competitions, wouldn't it?

Barcelona 0 - 0 (1 - 0 on aggregate) AC Milan
Barcelona have joined Arsenal in the Champions League final, and like the Gunners the Spanish champions make the final after a scoreless second leg in the semis. Barca held a one goal advantage after the first leg, so a tie is all they needed to advance, and that's just what they did. AC Milan looked to have drawn level on aggregate when Shevchenko headed the ball into the goal, but referee Markus Merk disallowed the goal for a foul on Carles Puyol. Barcelona controlled possession as they held AC Milan at bay.

The reigning Spanish champions, who have already knocked the reigning English champions out of Europe, now face English side Arsenal in the final. Hopefully the final will be more entertaining than the semis.

Who do you think will win the final, Arsenal or Barcelona? Please post your prediction by clicking on the comment link below.

Villarreal 0 - 0 Arsenal (Arsenal advance 1 - 0 on aggregate)
Jens Lehman saved a penalty kick to preserve Arsenal's 0 - 0 draw against Villarreal and send the Gunners to the Champions League final. Leading 1-0 after the first leg, Arsenal just needed a draw to advance. But Villarreal were given a chance to send the cup tie into extra time when time when Gael Clichy fouled Jose Mari. But Lehmann was the hero of the day as he made a diving save to deny Riquelme from the penalty spot. The Gunners will now face AC Milan or Barcelona in the final.

For the second straight year an English team outside the top four in the Premiership has reached the final. Apparently, the formula for Champions League succes is to maintain an inconsistent domestic form, drop out of the EPL title race early on, and rest your top players during league matches to prepare for European games. We'll see if Chelsea try that strategy next season.

Steaua Bucuresti 1 - 0 Middlesbrough
Schalke 0 - 0 Sevilla

Is it just me or is the Champions League not what it used to be? I don't know if it's because of the format of the competition or just because the top clubs focus on their domestic leagues first and foremost, but the European Championship just doesn't seem to be as big of a deal as it was five or ten years ago.

Just look at the Champions League final over the past few years. Last year, the fifth best team in England - Liverpool - won the competition. And the year before that, the final featured Monaco and FC Porto. Sure, those clubs were the best in their leagues, but the French and Portugese leagues are hardly the best in Europe. Even the 2002-03 final between Juventus and AC Milan ended 0-0 and had to be decided by penalty kicks.

And now this year, we have the fifth place team from England (Arsenal) playing the eighth place team from Spain (Villarreal) facing off in the semi-finals. We can only hope that Barcelona will bring style and flair to the final.

Perhaps Arsenal and Barcelona will put on a show in one of the best finals of all time. We can only hope. But for now it almost seems like the competition has become a consolation prize for also-rans in the domestic leagues. Chelsea had better raise their game to a new level next year.

Arsenal 1 - 0 Villarreal
Kolo Toure scored five minutes before half time to give the Gunners a 1-0 lead heading into the second leg against Villarreal. Five of the visitors were shown yellow cards as the Spanish side face an uphill battle in the second leg. Down a goal, and facing a 0-1 deficit, Villarreal will need an heroic performance to advance to the final.

AC Milan 0 - 1 Barcelona
Ludovic Giuly's 56th minute strike gives Barcelona a big advantage after the first leg at the San Siro. Any draw will now do for the Catalan club in the second leg. A final match against another London club looks likely for Barcelona.

Juventus 0 - 0 Arsenal; Arsenal advance 2 - 0 on aggregate
After winning the first leg by two goals, Arsenal advanced to the semis after a goalless draw at Juventus. The home side were without the services of two players sent off in the first leg, and Pavel Nedved got himself sent off in the 77th minute of today's match as Juventus could not find the net. The Italian leaders are now out of Europe as the Gunners march on.

Barcelona 2 - 0 Benfica
After a 0 - 0 first leg, Barcelona advanced with a relatively easy win at the Nou Camp. Ronaldinho missed a penalty kick in the first half, but made up for it by scoring the first goal from a cross by Samuel Eto'o. A 1 - 1 draw would have been enough for Benfica to advance, but they could not find a tying goal. Instead, it was Eto'o who sealed the win for Barca with a late strike.

Basel 2 - 0 Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough failed to score an away goal in their first leg loss to Swiss side FC Basel. That failure may prove crucial as Boro will probably need to win by three at home to advance to the semi finals.

goals: Delgado (42), Degen (45)

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Levski Sofia 1 - 3 Schalke 04
Levski Sofia took a surprise lead in this match when Borimirov scored on five minutes. But the home side's hope of a shock upset were dealt a severe blow when Bardon was sent off just past the hour mark. Sofia was still up 1-0 at half time, but three second half goals from Schalke put the visitors firmly in control of the cup tie.

Schalke goals: Varela (47), Lincoln (68), Asamoah (78)
Sofia goals: Borimirov (5)
Sent off: Bardon (Levski Sofia, 34)

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Rapid Bucuresti 1 - 1 Steaua Bucuresti
Round one of Bucuresti v. Bucuresti ended in a draw. Nicolita scored for Steaua four minutes into the match, and Moldovan scored for Rapid four minutes into the second half. The stalemate will be decided in the second leg of this Bucuresti derby.

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Sevilla 4 - 1 Zenit St Petersburg
The only good thing about this match for Zenit is that they scored an away goal. They still face a nearly impossible task in the second leg, but a 3-0 result will Zenit advance. Sevilla are in control and should cruise into the semi finals.

Sevilla goals: J Saviola (14), Marti (pen, 55), Saviola (79), Adriano Correia (90)
Zenit goals: Kerzhakov (44)

Inter Milan 2-1 Villarreal

Lyon 0-0 AC Milan

Arsenal 2 - 0 Juventus
The Gunners continued to emulate Liverpool's performance of a year ago: disappointing in the EPL but unbeatable in Europe. Cesc Fabregas and Thierry Henry scored to give Arsenal a two goal victory and spoil Patrick Vieira's return to Highbury. It went from bad to worse for Juventus as they had two players sent off in the final minutes (Camoranesi and Zibena). The Gunners now take a 2 goal advantage into the second leg. More importantly, Arsenal held Juve to 0 away goals, meaning Juventus will have to win by three to advance to the semi finals.

Benfica 0 - 0 Barcelona
In the other quarter final, Benfica held Barcelona scoreless in their first leg encounter. The Portugese club can advance to the semis with a score draw in the second leg at the Nou Camp. Barca can still advance with a win in the second leg.

It's an all Romainia quarterfinal cup tie as Steaua Bucuresti take on their neighbors Rapid Bucuresti. Steaua (which means "The Star" in English) are currently in second place in the Romanian Division A. Rapid are currently in sixth place as they prepare to take on their city rivals who just happen to be the most successful Romainian club of all time. Steaua won the European Cup in 1986 and won the Super Cup a year later. Steaua have 22 Division A titles and have won the Romanian Cup 20 times.

Founded in 1923, Rapid have also enjoyed success over the years, having won four Romanian titles (the most recent in 2003) and 11 Romanian Cups. Like many other Eastern European clubs with the name Rapid, the team was owned by the Romanian Ministry of Transportation until 1992.

Quarterfinal Draw
Basle v Middlesbrough
Rapid Bucharest v Steaua Bucharest
Levski Sofia v Schalke 04
Sevilla v Zenit St Petersburg

Quarter-final draw

Arsenal v Juventus

Inter Milan or Ajax v Villarreal

Lyon v AC Milan

Benfica v Barcelona

Arsenal 0 - 0 Real Madrid (Arsenal advance 1-0 on aggregate)
Last year, Liverpool finished fifth in the English Premier League but went on to become the champions of Europe. It looks like Arsenal is following that script this season. Well off the pace of EPL leaders Chelsea, Arsenal are currently in fifth place and in danger of failing to qualify for next year's Champions League. But like Liverpool a year ago, the Gunners have been nearly unbeatable in Europe, and may qualify for next year's Champions League by winnning it this season. Their scoreless draw at home against Real Madrid was enough to send them to the quarter finals.

Joining them in the final eight are Lyon, AC Milan, and Benfica, all of whom recorded easy victories in their second leg matches today. Benfica won 2-0 at Anfield, an impressive feat in itself, after winning the first leg 1-0 over Liverpool. AC Milan took care of Bayern Munich 4-1 at the San Siro after drawing the first leg 1-1. And Lyon blitzed PSV Eindhoven 4-0 to advance by five goals on aggregate.

So the final eight of the Champions League is nearly set. The following teams await the winner of Inter Milan and Ajax in the quarterfinals:

AC Milan (Italy)
Arsenal (England)
Barcelona (Spain)
Benfica (Portugal)
Juventus (Italy)
Lyon (France)
Villarreal (Spain)

Barcelona 1 - 1 Chelsea (Barca advance 3-2 on aggregate)
Barcelona’s control of possession and Ronaldinho’s brilliant goal were too much for Chelsea as the Blues were eliminated from the Champions League. Down 1-2 from the first leg, Chelsea needed to score twice to have a chance, and they never really came close to accomplishing that feat. The result means Barcelona advance on the quarter finals, and Chelsea fail to reach the final yet again. Chelsea’s defense was superb, with Terry and Gallas repeatedly blocking shots, and Cech saving every shot on goal until Ronaldinho’s brilliant goal in the 78th minute. But the Blues’ attack never clicked as Barcelona enjoyed the majority of possession. A late penalty goal from Frank Lampard evened the scoreline on the day, but it was not enough as Chelsea fall at the Nou Camp.

Needing at least two goals to advance to the quarterfinals, Chelsea started the match with an attacking formation. Didier Drogba began in his traditional striker role, with Arjen Robben floating just behind him in attack. Damien Duff and Joe Cole provided attacking width on either wing, with Frank Lampard and Claude Makelele in midfield. Mourinho selected his most reliable back four: William Gallas, John Terry, Ricardo Carvalho, and Paulo Ferreira in defense with Peter Cech in goal.

The game started with few good chances for either team. Barcelona were forced to attempt shots from long range, all easily saved by Cech, and Chelsea struggled to mount a consistent attack. As the game progressed, Barcelona gained more and more control of possession and began to dominate the match. Despite their possession and several brilliant moves by Ronaldinho, Barcelona could not find the net. John Terry, and particularly Ricardo Carvalho repeatedly blocked shots on goal.

The game was interrupted with several fouls that kept a natural flow from developing. Joe Cole picked up a yellow card in the 12th minute for a late challenge, and Motta was booked just before half time. Barcelona suffered a loss in the 25th minute when Messi, the center of controversy in the first leg, had to leave the pitch to be replaced by Henrik Larsson. The substitution, however, did not slow Barcelona down as they continued to control play.

Near the hour mark, the home crowd shouted for a penalty when Ronaldino went down in the penalty box after a bump from William Gallas, but there was only minimal contact and the referee did not buy Ronaldinho’s dramatic fall to the ground. But Ronaldinho was in control of the game as Barca continued to dominate possession and keep Chelsea at bay. Poor passing from Chelsea allowed the home side to sustain a huge advantage in possession. Paulo Ferreira was even called for a foul throw-in, giving possession back to Barca once again.

Chelsea did manage a few scoring chances. Near the 35 minute mark, Chelsea finally put together a series of passed, with Lampard and Drogba collaborating in the build-up, but the final chance came to Damien Duff, and his shot was wide of goal. Earlier, Drogba’s free header was saved by Valdes, and a late free kick ended up on top of the netting. In a rare attacking opportunity, Joe Cole eluded two defenders in the center circle and found Robben on the right wing. Robben cut in and fired a hard shot, but it was saved by Valdes. Robben looked more dangerous out on the wing, signaling a possible second half change of tactics.

Needing to go for it in the second half, I suspected Chelsea might move Robben back to the wing and bring on Eidur Gudjohsen. Mourinho sent out the same side to start the second half, but Gudjohnsen and Crespo was warming up on the sideline. And just short of the hour mark, Gudjohnsen came on for Damien Duff, and Crespo entered the match in place of Drogba. Seconds after the substitute, Eto’o ran onto a long ball and fired a hard shot on goal that required a great save from Cech. Moments later, John Terry had to clear the ball away just before Larsson could take a stab on goal.

The best chance for Chelsea came when Joe Cole played in a great cross for Crespo, but the Argentine striker shot just wide of goal. Despite the miss, Chelsea were beginning to show signs of life with Gudjohnsen and Robben linking up well to supply Crespo. But the attacking spell was short-lived, and Barcelona continued to enjoy a 2-1 advantage on aggregate. Knowing Chelsea needed two goals to advance, Barca were content to watch the clock count down with the score 0-0.

Another inspirational run from Ronaldinho gave Barcelona the lead, as he dribbled past Carvalho and Terry before beating Petr Cech with his shot. The Nou Camp crowd roared with delight as Barcelona extended their lead to 3-1 on aggregate. In an odd substitution, Mourinho sent on Robert Huth to replace Joe Cole in the 83rd minute. Perhaps Chelsea had to resort to long ball tactics that suited the height of Huth, but it never materialized. In fact, Eto’o nearly extended Barca’s lead seconds after the substitution, but his shot was wide.

Chelsea are given a reprieve in injury time when John Terry is taken down in the box for a penalty. Frank Lampard put his spot kick in the corner to draw Chelsea even 1-1 on the day, but there were only seconds left, and Chelsea still needed another goal to draw even on aggregate. The final whistle blew just after the restart to end the match.

In the end, Barcelona proved they were the better team. Sure, they got a break in the first leg when Del Horno was harshly sent off. But over both legs, no one could argue that Barcelona were second best, and no one could suggest that anyone but Ronaldinho was the best player on the pitch.

In other Matches:

Villarreal 1 - 1 Rangers (3-3 on aggregate; Villarreal advance 2-1 on away goals)
Goals: Lovenkrands (Rangers, 12), Arruabarrena (Villarreal, 49)

Juventus 2 - 1 Werder Bremen (4-4 on aggregate; Juventus advance 2-1 on away goals)
Goals: Micoud (Bremen, 13), Trezeguet (Juventus, 65), Emerson (Juventus, 88)

Barcelona v Chelsea
Barcelona are riding high after a 2-1 first leg win at Stamford Bridge, but like last year, their victory was against a ten man team for much of the match. Chelsea were able to overturn the one goal deficit last year, and I think they will do it aga, in this year.

The difference, and some say it is a big difference, is that this year's second leg is at the Nou Camp in Barcelona. Contrary to popular opinion, I think that is an advantage to Chelsea for one very big reason: the away goals tie breaker. Last year, when Barcelona scored twice in the second leg and claimed the away goal advantage, Chelsea had to win by two, which is what they did.

This time around, Chelsea don't have to worry about keeping Barcelona off the score sheet. The Blues just have to go out and score goals - at least two of them - which is something an 11-man Chelsea team should be able to do. Sure they may give up an odd goal or two in the process, but that won't kill them. A 2-1 win will force extra time, and a 3-2 or 4-3 win will see Chelsea through. So this time around, for Chelsea to advance, they don't have to win by two, they just have to score the goals and win by one.

It's a different mentality than the "keep a clean sheet" strategy Chelsea normally excel at, but it is certainly within their repetoire. With Drogba or Crespo up front, and Robben, Cole, and/or Duff on the wings, and Lampard attacking from the center of midfield, Chelsea are more than capable of putting on the pressure while maintaining possession. And let's face it, Barcelona's strength is not defending.

I think it will be a great, open match with Chelsea taking it to Barcelona. Both teams will score, and it may be a classic, but I think Chelsea will go through on away goals with a 3-2 win in the second leg. I wonder the Barca fans would think of Mourinho then?

Prediction: Barcelona 2 - 3 Chelsea (with goals from Lampard, Cole, and Drogba)

In other matches, Juventus trail 2-3 after the first leg, but I expect them to keep a clean sheet and advance, either on away goals with a 1-0 second leg victory or outright with a 2-0 win at home.

Rangers and Villarreal are even at 2-2 after the first leg in Glasgow. It has been an admirable cup run for Rangers, but I'm afraid it may come to an end with a loss at Villarreal on Tuesday.

Rosenborg 1-4 Zenit
Litex 0-2 Strasbourg
Club Brugge 2-4 Roma
Heerenveen 2-3 Steaua
Schalke 5-1 Espanyol
Lokomotiv Moskva 0-3 Sevilla
Lille 3-2 Shakhtar
Bolton 1-2 Marseille
Hertha 0-3 Rapid Bucuresti
Betis (aet) 3-2 AZ
Basel 2-1 Monaco
Artmedia 0-3 Levski
Udinese 3-1 Lens
Thun 1-2 Hamburg
Stuttgart 2-2 Middlesbrough (ag)
Slavia 2-2 Palermo (ag)

Ajax 2 - 2 Inter Milan
Goals from Huntelaar and Rosales gave Ajax a two goal lead in the first half, but Inter stormed back after the break to earn a draw. Stankovic scored in the 48th minute for Inter and Cruz scored the late equalizer to give the visitors two away goals heading into the secong leg.

Chelsea 1 - 2 Barcelona
It was deja vu all over again for Chelsea in the Champions League round of 16: a dubious red card, an own goal for Barcelona, and a 1-2 first leg defeat. All the same as last year. The big difference is that in this season's first leg, Chelsea had a player sent off before half time and while the score was still 0 - 0. The unlucky culprit was Asier Del Horno who was harshly shown a red card for colliding with Messi. Was it a foul? Yes, and it may have even warranted a yellow. But the bottom line is that IT WAS NOT A RED CARD!

With the man advantage, Barcelona attacked the Chelsea defense throughout the second half. But against the run of play it was Chelsea that scored the first goal near the hour mark. Frank Lampard's free kick went into the net off the leg of Barcelona defender Thiago Motto as he collided with the keeper.

The lead would last only a little over 10 minutes as Barca poured on the pressure. Ronaldinho curled in a free kick from the left wing and John Terry's headed clearance attempted looped over Petr Cech and just under the bar for the second own goal of the match.

Barcelona could have scored two more goals in quick succession, but Terry made up for the own goal with two brilliant saves. First he cleared off the line just before Henrik Larsson could pounce on the ball, and then with Cech out of the net Terry kicked away another shot on goal.

But ten man Chelsea could not hold off Barcelona. In the 80th minute Ronaldino raced through midfield, eluding the tackle of Shaun Wright-Phillips. The Brazillian maestro then picked out Larsson on the left edge of the box. Larsson pulled the ball back for a Marquez left-footed cross to the far post that picked out Samuel Eto'o charging towards goal. Eto'o's header beat Cech from close range to give the visitors the lead.

After last year's contentious cup tie between these two clus, the last thing we needed was more controversy. But that's exactly what happened, and now thanks to a poor decision by the referee, Chelsea are on the brink of elimination from the Champions League. By giving up two away goals to Barca, Chelsea must now score at least twice in the second leg to advance and they must win the game. A scoreline of 2-1 would send the second leg into extra time, but any victory with Chelsea scoring more than two would advance the Blues to the next round.

Barcelona have a simpler task to reach the quarterfinals: any win or draw would do it as would a 0-1 loss.

Real Madrid 0 - 1 Arsenal
Benfica 1 - 0 Liverpool
PSV Eindhoven 0 - 1 Lyon
Bayern Munich 1 - 1 AC Milan

The Champions League resumes this week at the knockout stage. Sixteen teams still remain in the competition with four games on Tuesday and four more on Wednesday. Almost every game features a compelling matchup. Barcelona's rematch against Chelsea will grab the headlines for obvious reasons, but it is hardly the only clash of heavyweights.

German champions Bayern Munich face Italian powerhouse AC Milan, Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven were drawn against French champions Lyon. Arsenal, who have underperformed in the EPL but are unbeated in Europe, face Real Madrid. Even the "lesser matchups" include compelling stores: Rangers first ever appearance in the final 16 against Villarreal, Liverpool's defense of their title against Benfica, and traditional powers Ajax against Inter Milan. Here are all the fixtures:

Tuesday, 21 February 2006
Bayern Munich v AC Milan
Benfica v Liverpool
PSV v Lyon
Real Madrid v Arsenal

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday, 22 February 2006
Ajax v Inter Milan
Chelsea v Barcelona
Rangers v Villarreal
Werder Bremen v Juventus

Favorites to reach the quarterfinals: AC Milan, Liverpool, Lyon, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Chelsea, Villarreal, and Juventus

Final Champions League Group Stage Tables (teams in bold advanced to the knockout stage):

Group A
Juventus (5-0-1) 16 points
Bayern Munich (4-1-1) 13 points
Club Brugge (2-1-3) 7 points
Rapid Vienna (0-0-6) 0 points

Group B
Arsenal (5-1-0) 16 points
Ajax (3-2-1) 11 points
FC Thun (1-1-4) 4 points
Sparta Prague (0-2-4) 2 point

Group C
Barcelona (5-1-0) 16 points
Werder Bremen (2-1-3) 7 points
Udinese (2-1-3) 7 points
Panathinaikos (1-1-4) 4 points

Group D
Villarreal (2-4-0) 10 points
Benfica (2-2-2) 8 points
Lille (1-3-2) 6 points
Manchester United (1-3-2) 6 points

Group E
AC Milan (3-2-1) 11 points
PSV Eindhoven (3-1-2) 10 points
Schalke (2-2-2) 8 points
Fenerbahce (1-1-4) 4 points

Group F
Lyon (5-1-0) 16 points
Real Madrid (3-1-2) 10 points
Rosenborg (1-1-4) 4 points
Olympiakos (1-1-4) 4 points

Group G
Liverpool (3-3-0) 12 points
Chelsea (3-2-1) 11 points
Real Betis (2-1-3) 7 points
Anderlecht (1-0-5) 3 points

Group H
Inter Milan (4-1-1) 13 points
Rangers (1-4-1) 7 points
Artmedia Bratislava (1-3-2) 6 points
FC Porto (1-2-3) 5 points

Final Champions League Group Stage Tables (teams in bold advanced to the knockout stage):

Group A
Juventus (5-0-1) 16 points
Bayern Munich (4-1-1) 13 points
Club Brugge (2-1-3) 7 points
Rapid Vienna (0-0-6) 0 points

Group B
Arsenal (5-1-0) 16 points
Ajax (3-2-1) 11 points
FC Thun (1-1-4) 4 points
Sparta Prague (0-2-4) 2 point

Group C
Barcelona (5-1-0) 16 points
Werder Bremen (2-1-3) 7 points
Udinese (2-1-3) 7 points
Panathinaikos (1-1-4) 4 points

Group D
Villarreal (2-4-0) 10 points
Benfica (2-2-2) 8 points
Lille (1-3-2) 6 points
Manchester United (1-3-2) 6 points

Group E
AC Milan (3-2-1) 11 points
PSV Eindhoven (3-1-2) 10 points
Schalke (2-2-2) 8 points
Fenerbahce (1-1-4) 4 points

Group F
Lyon (5-1-0) 16 points
Real Madrid (3-1-2) 10 points
Rosenborg (1-1-4) 4 points
Olympiakos (1-1-4) 4 points

Group G
Liverpool (3-3-0) 12 points
Chelsea (3-2-1) 11 points
Real Betis (2-1-3) 7 points
Anderlecht (1-0-5) 3 points

Group H
Inter Milan (4-1-1) 13 points
Rangers (1-4-1) 7 points
Artmedia Bratislava (1-3-2) 6 points
FC Porto (1-2-3) 5 points

Both English Clubs had favorable results in the UEFA Cup. Middlesbrough earned a 1-0 win a home against Swiss club Grasshopper of Zurich thanks to a goal by Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. And Bolton fought back from a goal down to record a draw at Turkish club Besiktas. Mexican international Jared Borgetti scored the equalizing goal for Bolton. There were several surprises, such as Viking's win over Monaco and Steaua Bucharest's 4-0 drubbing of Lens. All the results are listed below:

UEFA Cup Results
Halmstads BK 0 - 1 Hertha Berlin
Maccabi Petach Tikva 1 - 2 Palermo
CSKA Moscow 1 - 2 Marseille
Shakhtar Donetsk 1 - 0 PAOK Salonika
Viking FK 1 - 0 Monaco
Zenit St Petersburg 2 - 1 Guimaraes
Rennes 0 - 2 Stuttgart
Steaua Bucharest 4 - 0 Lens
Basel 0 - 2 Strasbourg
Dnipro 1 - 2 AZ
CSKA Sofia 0 - 1 Hamburg
Besiktas 1 - 1 Bolton
Dinamo Bucuresti 0 - 0 Heerenveen
Tromso 1 - 2 Roma
Grasshoppers 0 - 1 Middlesbrough
Lokomotiv Moscow 0 - 1 Espanyol

Chelsea cruised to an easy 4-0 victory over Real Betis at Stamford Bridge and now sit atop Group G. Didier Drogba opened the scoring and Ricardo Carvalho added a second goal after the Real Betis keeper Antonio Doublas could not hang on to Lampard's free kick. Joe Cole and Hernan Crespo scored in the second half to complete the rout. Liverpool had a more difficutlt time of it in Anderlecht, but held on for a 1-0 lead thanks to a Djibril Cisse goal. The two English clubs are now even on 7 points and in control of their group.

In Group F, Real Madrid came from a goal down to win 4-1 against Rosenborg. England internationals Jonathan Woodgate and David Beckham scored for Madrid. But Lyon are still in front in the group, winning thier third straight group stage match 2-1 over Olympiakos.

The Artmedia Bratislava story continues as the Slovakian club held Rangers 0-0 at Ibrox. The two clubs remain level on points in Group H, only three behind leaders Inter Milan who lost 0-2 at FC Porto.

In Group E, Fenerbahce and Schalke played the match of the day, a see-saw battle that ended 3-3. AC Milan and PSV also played to a draw (0-0) in the hotly contested group; first place Milan is only three points ahead of last place Schalke. All today's results and updated tables are below:

Today's Results
AC Milan 0-0 PSV Eindhoven
Fenerbahce 3-3 Schalke
Lyon 2-1 Olympiakos
Real Madrid 4-1 Rosenborg
Anderlecht 0-1 Liverpool
Chelsea 4-0 Real Betis
FC Porto 2-0 Inter Milan
Rangers 0-0 Artmedia Bratislava

Tables
Group A
Bayern Munich (3-0-0) 9 points
Juventus (2-0-1) 6 points
Club Brugge (1-0-2) 3 points
Rapid Vienna (0-0-3) 0 points

Group B
Arsenal (3-0-0) 9 points
Ajax (1-1-1) 4 point
FC Thun (1-0-2) 3 points
Sparta Prague (0-1-2) 1 point

Group C
Barcelona (2-1-0) 7 points
Udinese (1-1-1) 4 points
Panathinaikos (1-1-1) 4 points
Werder Bremen (0-1-2) 1 point

Group D
Manchester United (1-2-0) 5 points
Benfica (1-1-1) 4 points
Villarreal (0-3-0) 3 points
Lille (0-2-1) 2 points

Group E
AC Milan (1-2-0) 5 points
Fenerbahce (1-1-1) 4 points
PSV Eindhoven (1-1-1) 4 points
Schalke (0-2-1) 2 points

Group F
Lyon (3-0-0) 9 points
Real Madrid (2-0-1) 6 pionts
Rosenborg (1-0-2) 3 points
Olympiakos (0-0-3) 0 points

Group G
Chelsea (2-1-0) 7 points
Liverpool (2-1-0) 7 points
Real Betis (1-0-2) 3 points
Anderlecht (0-0-3) 0 points

Group H
Inter Milan (2-0-1) 6 points
Artmedia Bratislava (1-1-1) 4 points
Rangers (1-1-1) 4 point
FC Porto (1-0-2) 3 points

Buoyed by the return of striker Thierry Henry, Arsenal rebounded from their League loss to West Brom, defeating Sparta Prague 2-0. The win puts Arsenal in command of Group B with a perfect 9 points from their 3 games. Manchester United, however, continued to struggle in their Champions League campaign, failing to score in a 0-0 draw against Lille at Old Trafford. United continue to lead their group, but with only five points. Second place Benfica is only one point behind, and third place Villarreal are still within striking distance with 3 points. While Arsenal has almost certainly locked up a spot in the knockout phase, Man United still have their work cut out for them. Bayern Munich moved into first place in Group A with a 2-1 home win over the Italian Champions Juventus. In Group C, Barcelona were held to a draw by Panathinaikos, but Barca continue to lead the group. All the scores and tables are below.

Today's Results
Ajax 2-0 FC Thun
Bayern Munich 2-1 Juventus
Manchester United 0-0 Lille
Panathinaikos 0-0 Barcelona
Rapid Vienna 0-1 Club Brugge
Sparta Prague 0-2 Arsenal
Udinese 1-1 Werder Bremen
Villarreal 1-1 Benfica

Tables
Group A
Bayern Munich (3-0-0) 9 points
Juventus (2-0-1) 6 points
Club Brugge (1-0-2) 3 points
Rapid Vienna (0-0-3) 0 points

Group B
Arsenal (3-0-0) 9 points
Ajax (1-1-1) 4 point
FC Thun (1-0-2) 3 points
Sparta Prague (0-1-2) 1 point

Group C
Barcelona (2-1-0) 7 points
Udinese (1-1-1) 4 points
Panathinaikos (1-1-1) 4 points
Werder Bremen (0-1-2) 1 point

Group D
Manchester United (1-2-0) 5 points
Benfica (1-1-1) 4 points
Villarreal (0-3-0) 3 points
Lille (0-2-1) 2 points

Group E
AC Milan (1-1-0) 4 points
Fenerbahce (1-0-1) 3 points
PSV Eindhoven (1-0-1) 3 points
Schalke (0-1-1) 1 point

Group F

Lyon (2-0-0) 6 points
Rosenborg (1-0-1) 3 points
Real Madrid (1-0-1) 3 pionts
Olympiakos (0-0-2) 0 points

Group G
Liverpool (1-1-0) 4 points
Chelsea (1-1-0) 4 points
Real Betis (1-0-1) 3 points
Anderlecht (0-0-2) 0 points

Group H
Inter Milan (2-0-0) 6 points
Artmedia Bratislava (1-0-1) 3 points
Rangers (1-0-1) 3 points
FC Porto (0-0-2) 0 points

The following clubs are in first place in their respective leagues:

Spain: Real Madrid
Italy: Juventus
Germany: Werder Bremen
France: Lyon
Holland: Feyenoord
Portugal: Sporting Braga
Belgium: Standard Liege
Turkey: Galatasaray
Greece: FC Xanthi
Switzerland: FC Basel
Norway: Valerenga
Sweden: Djurgardens
Denmark: FC Copenhagen
Austria: Austria Magna
Finland: MyPa

Group A

AS Monaco
Slavia Prague
Hamburg
CSKA Sofia
Viking Stavanger

Group B

Lokomotiv Moscow
Espanyol
Palermo
Brondby
Maccabi Petah-Tikva

Group C

Hertha Berlin
Lens
Sampdoria
Steaua Bucharest
Halmstad

Group D

AZ Alkmaar
Middlesbrough
FC Dnipro
Grasshopper Zurich
Litex Lovech

Group E

AS Roma
Basel
C Zvezda
Strasbourg
Tromso

Group F

CSKA Moscow
Marseille
Heerenveen
Levski Sofia
Dinamo Bucharest

Group G

Vfb Stuttgart
PAOK Salonika
Shakhtar Donetsk
Rennes
Rapid Bucharest

Group H

Besiktas
Sevilla
Bolton
St Petersburg
Vitoria Guimaraes

Here is a link to the BBC's European Roundup: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/4302136.stm

It's a good summary of the weekend's matches in the top European Leagues.

There were some big names that got dumped out of the UEFA Cup today. Feyenoord lost to Rapid Bucuresti, Hibernian lost to Dnipro, Galatasary were knocked out by Tromso (the team north of the artic circle in Norway), Everton were eliminated by Dinamo Bucuresti, Auxerre lost to Levski, and Bayer Leverkusen were ousted by CSKA Sofia.

UEFA Cup Results (aggregate scores listed)
Feyenoord 1-2 Rapid
APOEL 1-4 Hertha
Krylya Sovetov 6-6 AZ (ag)
Auxerre 2-2 Levski (ag)
Brøndby 3-2 Zürich
Palermo 6-1 Anorthosis
Grasshoppers 4-1 MyPa
Hamburg 2-1 København
Zenit 1-0 AEK
Roma 5-1 Aris
CSKA Moskva 6-2 Midtjylland
Teplice 1-1 Espanyol
Hibernian 1-5 Dnipro
Setúbal 1-2 Sampdoria
Stuttgart 2-1 Domžale
Lens 5-3 Groclin 1-1
Halmstad 2-3 Sporting
Vålerenga 1-6 Steaua
Slavia 4-1 Cork
Beşiktaş 4-2 Malmö
Crvena zvezda (ag) 1-1 Braga
Monaco 5-1 Willem II
Sevilla 2-0 Mainz
Tromsø 2-1 Galatasaray
Rennes 3-1 Osasuna
PAOK (ag) 3-3 Metalurh
GAK 0-7 Strasbourg
Litex 3-2 Genk
Middlesbrough 2-0 Xanthi
Germinal Beerschot 0-0 Marseille
Baník 2-5 Heerenveen
Basel 6-0 Široki Brijeg
Bolton 4-2 Loko Plovdiv
Viking (ag) 2-2 Austria
Guimarães 4-0 Wisła 3-0
Dinamo Bucuresti 5-2 Everton
Shakhtar 6-1 Debrecen
Brann 3-5 Lokomotiv Moskva
Leverkusen 0-2 CSKA Sofia
M. Petach-Tikva 5-4 Partizan

Group A
Juventus (2-0-0) 6 points
Bayern Munich (2-0-0) 6 points
Club Brugge (0-0-2) 0 points
Rapid Vienna (0-0-2) 0 points

Group B
Arsenal (2-0-0) 6 points
FC Thun (1-0-1) 3 points
Ajax (0-1-1) 1 point
Sparta Prague (0-1-1) 1 point

Group C
Barcelona (2-0-0) 6 points
Udinese (1-0-1) 3 points
Panathinaikos (1-0-1) 3 points
Werder Bremen (0-0-2) 0 points

Group D
Manchester United (1-1-0) 4 points
Benfica (1-0-1) 3 points
Villarreal (0-2-0) 2 points
Lille (0-1-1) 0 point

Group E
AC Milan (1-1-0) 4 points
Fenerbahce (1-0-1) 3 points
PSV Eindhoven (1-0-1) 3 points
Schalke (0-1-1) 1 point

Group F

Lyon (2-0-0) 6 points
Rosenborg (1-0-1) 3 points
Real Madrid (1-0-1) 3 pionts
Olympiakos (0-0-2) 0 points

Group G
Liverpool (1-1-0) 4 points
Chelsea (1-1-0) 4 points
Real Betis (1-0-1) 3 points
Anderlecht (0-0-2) 0 points

Group H
Inter Milan (2-0-0) 6 points
Artmedia Bratislava (1-0-1) 3 points
Rangers (1-0-1) 3 points
FC Porto (0-0-2) 0 points