Barca, Chelsea in wins

PARIS – Chelsea, Inter Milan and Barcelona won to stay on course for the knockout stages though 2005 winners Liverpool only drew at Atletico Madrid in a subdued night of Champions League action.

Following Tuesday’s 36-goal spree, Wednesday’s eight matches offered less in that area with only Barcelona’s 5-0 thrashing of Basel in Switzerland of note in the goal-scoring stakes. Chelsea’s 1-0 home victory over AS Roma kept them well on course at the top of Group A, Inter Milan thanked Brazilian Adriano for their 1-0 win over Cypriots Anorthosis leaving them as pacesetters in Group B, while Barcelona topped Group C.Teen sensation Bojan Krkic scored twice as Barcelona cruised past Basel to keep their 100-percent record.Goals from star Argentinian striker Lionel Messi, Sergi Busquets, two from Krkic and a fifth from Xavi Hernandez brought Barcelona up to an impressive 10 goals from their three victories.Italian champions Inter Milan were made to battle all the way by a spirited Anorthosis Famagusta at the San Siro.Adriano scored the winner late on in the first half to put Inter in control of the group with seven points from three games.Adriano had suffered from depression and a loss of form last season and was eventually loaned out to Sao Paulo but he has come back to form this season, looking leaner and more focused.The Cypriots did themselves justice, though, by hanging in to the end and they are still in a position to qualify for the knockout stages after Panathinaikos and Werder Bremen drew 2-2 in Greece.Liverpool’s Irish international Robbie Keane, yet to score in the Premiership, had put the visitors ahead in the 14th minute for his second Champions League goal at Atletico’s Vicente Calderon stadium.The 83rd minute goal of Simao, whom the Merseysiders tried to sign two years ago, was a blow for Liverpool although both they and Atletico have seven points at the top of Group D.In the group’s other match, Marseille coach Eric Gerets suffered a nightmare return to former club PSV Eindhoven as the Dutch beat the French club 2-0 to keep their slim Champions League hopes alive.Nampa-AFPChelsea’s 1-0 home victory over AS Roma kept them well on course at the top of Group A, Inter Milan thanked Brazilian Adriano for their 1-0 win over Cypriots Anorthosis leaving them as pacesetters in Group B, while Barcelona topped Group C.Teen sensation Bojan Krkic scored twice as Barcelona cruised past Basel to keep their 100-percent record.Goals from star Argentinian striker Lionel Messi, Sergi Busquets, two from Krkic and a fifth from Xavi Hernandez brought Barcelona up to an impressive 10 goals from their three victories.Italian champions Inter Milan were made to battle all the way by a spirited Anorthosis Famagusta at the San Siro.Adriano scored the winner late on in the first half to put Inter in control of the group with seven points from three games.Adriano had suffered from depression and a loss of form last season and was eventually loaned out to Sao Paulo but he has come back to form this season, looking leaner and more focused.The Cypriots did themselves justice, though, by hanging in to the end and they are still in a position to qualify for the knockout stages after Panathinaikos and Werder Bremen drew 2-2 in Greece.Liverpool’s Irish international Robbie Keane, yet to score in the Premiership, had put the visitors ahead in the 14th minute for his second Champions League goal at Atletico’s Vicente Calderon stadium.The 83rd minute goal of Simao, whom the Merseysiders tried to sign two years ago, was a blow for Liverpool although both they and Atletico have seven points at the top of Group D.In the group’s other match, Marseille coach Eric Gerets suffered a nightmare return to former club PSV Eindhoven as the Dutch beat the French club 2-0 to keep their slim Champions League hopes alive.Nampa-AFP