Real Madrid’s big summer spendings continued their scoring spree in a 3-0 Champions League win over Marseille but fellow European giants AC Milan suffered a shock 1-0 home defeat to Swiss minnows FC Zurich.
Cristiano scored another double and Brazilian ace Kaka was also on target for Real who scored all their goals in the second half at the Bernabeu to top Group C with a maximum of six points. World record signing Ronaldo broke Marseille’s resistance in the 58th minute and then won a penalty three minutes later after being pulled down by Marseille defender Souleymane Diawara, who was sent off for a second yellow card. Kaka converted the penalty kick and Ronaldo struck again in the 64th minute after a superb team goal. French ace Karim Benzema and Kaka were involved to set up the Portugal ace for his ninth goal in seven games since joining Real. By contrast, Milan were well below-par in the other Group C match, a Hannu Tihinen goal in the 10th minute enough to secure victory in the San Siro. The Finnish defender scored with a clever backheel from a corner, but try as they might Milan were unable to grab an equalizer. Filippo Inzaghi missed a string of chances as the result poured the pressure on coach Leonardo after a poor start to the Serie A season for his side. They should have leveled in the closing moments as captain Massimo Ambrosini shot wide and then substitute Gianluca Zambrotta struck the post with an last-gasp effort.
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Despite the defeat, Milan remain second behind Real Madrid thanks to a superior goal difference. In Group D, Chelsea maintained their perfect start to the campaign with a 1-0 away win over Cypriot champions APOEL Nicosia. Nicolas Anelka scored the only goal in the 18th minute as he met Branislav Ivanovic’s pass first time and curled the ball home. Chelsea missed several chances to put the game out of reach, but the home side almost salvaged a point and had their best chance when Savvas Poursaitides saw his low shot parried away by Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech. In the group’s other action on Wednesday, Radamel Falcao and Rolando scored late goals to give Porto a 2-0 win over Atletico Madrid. The Portuguese side, beaten by Chelsea in their opener, are second in the group with three points. APOEL and Atletico are on a point apiece after sharing a draw in their opener. Falcao backheeled home in the 75th minute, while central defender Rolando added the second from close range in the 82nd.
