Legends victorious on first night

PARIS – European legends Real Madrid and AC Milan kicked off their 2007/08 Champions League campaigns with victories while top English clubs Chelsea and Liverpool had to toil for draws.

AC Milan’s 2-1 defeat of Benfica at the San Siro meant they started their title defence on a high while Raul and Ruud van Nistelrooy both found the net in Real’s 2-1 defeat of Werder Bremen at the Bernebeu. Last season’s finalists Liverpool struggled in their 1-1 draw at Porto, the 2004 champions, while Chelsea’s 1-1 draw at home to Norwegians Rosenborg was only gained with an equaliser from Andriy Shevchenko on a frustrating night for English clubs.Finland centre-half Miika Koppinen flicked in a free kick cross in the 24th minute for Chelsea but Shevchenko equalised with a header 53 minutes in, his 56th Champions League goal in 90 appearances.Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho summed up their tough night saying: “I am very disappointed.We had 20 chances and scored just one goal.Perhaps to score two goals, we will need 40 chances and for three, 60.And of those 20 chances, 15 of those were not even on target.First half goals from Andrea Pirlo and Italian veteran Filippo Inzaghi was enough to put AC Milan top of Group D on this opening night of pool matches.Substitute Nuno Gomes earned Benfica a consolation goal in the second minute of injury time.Milan may have won only one of their three matches in the Serie A this season but they did not show any weaknesses in their opening match in 2007/08 European competition.No team has ever won consecutive titles since the European Cup became the Champions League in the early 90’s but Milan have a great deal of pedigree at their disposal in their attempt to repeat the triumph.Milan official Adriano Galliani put Milan’s victory in context.”Europe is our natural habitat,” he said.”That’s what we try to explain to everyone who comes to Milan.We always feel good playing in it.Real went into their opening Group C match in what was their 300th European fixture in buoyant form with three wins out of three seeing them topping their domestic league, but without injured duo Pepe and Gabriel Heinze and the suspended Mahamoud Diarra.Raul headed in van Nistelrooy’s low cross from the left side of the penalty area to put Real in front in the 16th minute to put his haul of European goals to 57 to consolidate his position as the tournament’s top scorer.Despite his effort it didn’t take Werder long to restore parity, 60 seconds to be precise when Boubacar Sanogo slipped his marker to latch on to Dusko Tosic’s cross from the right and shoot past keeper Iker Cassilas from close range.Van Nistelrooy reached a goalscoring milestone too when, on 74 minutes, he latched on to Raul’s neat throughball to side-foot the ball past the wrong-footed Weise for his 50th Champions league goal.Dirk Kuyt ensured 10-man Liverpool escaped with a hard-fought point as Rafa Benitez’s side started their Champions League campaign with a 1-1 draw at Porto.Kuyt’s clinical header cancelled out Lucho Gonzalez’s early penalty but the English club had to survive a nervous final half hour at the Dragao Stadium after Jermaine Pennant was sent off for a second booking.In a milestone of note, Lazio keeper Marco Ballotta became the oldest person to play in the Champions League group stages at 43 years and 168 days in the Italian club’s 1-1 draw at Olympiakos.Nampa-AFPLast season’s finalists Liverpool struggled in their 1-1 draw at Porto, the 2004 champions, while Chelsea’s 1-1 draw at home to Norwegians Rosenborg was only gained with an equaliser from Andriy Shevchenko on a frustrating night for English clubs.Finland centre-half Miika Koppinen flicked in a free kick cross in the 24th minute for Chelsea but Shevchenko equalised with a header 53 minutes in, his 56th Champions League goal in 90 appearances.Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho summed up their tough night saying: “I am very disappointed.We had 20 chances and scored just one goal.Perhaps to score two goals, we will need 40 chances and for three, 60.And of those 20 chances, 15 of those were not even on target.First half goals from Andrea Pirlo and Italian veteran Filippo Inzaghi was enough to put AC Milan top of Group D on this opening night of pool matches.Substitute Nuno Gomes earned Benfica a consolation goal in the second minute of injury time.Milan may have won only one of their three matches in the Serie A this season but they did not show any weaknesses in their opening match in 2007/08 European competition.No team has ever won consecutive titles since the European Cup became the Champions League in the early 90’s but Milan have a great deal of pedigree at their disposal in their attempt to repeat the triumph.Milan official Adriano Galliani put Milan’s victory in context.”Europe is our natural habitat,” he said.”That’s what we try to explain to everyone who comes to Milan.We always feel good playing in it.Real went into their opening Group C match in what was their 300th European fixture in buoyant form with three wins out of three seeing them topping their domestic league, but without injured duo Pepe and Gabriel Heinze and the suspended Mahamoud Diarra.Raul headed in van Nistelrooy’s low cross from the left side of the penalty area to put Real in front in the 16th minute to put his haul of European goals to 57 to consolidate his position as the tournament’s top scorer.Despite his effort it didn’t take Werder long to restore parity, 60 seconds to be precise when Boubacar Sanogo slipped his marker to latch on to Dusko Tosic’s cross from the right and shoot past keeper Iker Cassilas from close range.Van Nistelrooy reached a goalscoring milestone too when, on 74 minutes, he latched on to Raul’s neat throughball to side-foot the ball past the wrong-footed Weise for his 50th Champions league goal.Dirk Kuyt ensured 10-man Liverpool escaped with a hard-fought point as Rafa Benitez’s side started their Champions League campaign with a 1-1 draw at Porto.Kuyt’s clinical header cancelled out Lucho Gonzalez’s early penalty but the English club had to survive a nervous final half hour at the Dragao Stadium after Jermaine Pennant was sent off for a second booking.In a milestone of note, Lazio keeper Marco Ballotta became the oldest person to play in the Champions League group stages at 43 years and 168 days in the Italian club’s 1-1 draw at Olympiakos.Nampa-AFP