Raul scores record 50th goal, Liverpool holds Chelsea

LONDON – Raul scored a record 50th goal in the Champions League, helping struggling Real Madrid to a 2-1 victory Wednesday over Greek club Olympiakos.

After midfielder Pantelis Kafes leveled for Olympiakos in the 48th on a 20-metre drive, substitute Roberto Soldado notched the winner for Madrid on an 87th-minute header. In another key result among eight second-round games on Wednesday, defending champion Liverpool drew 0-0 at Anfield against English champion Chelsea.Liverpool, which ousted Chelsea in last year’s semi-finals, faces Chelsea again Sunday in a league match.Among the winners were Italy’s Inter Milan, Turkey’s Fenerbahce, Spanish club Real Betis, French champion Lyon and Slovakia’s Artmedia Bratislava.In the Group F game in Madrid, Raul’s goal moved him one ahead of Alfredo di Stefano and three ahead of Man United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy on the all-time scoring list for Europe’s number one cup.The Spanish striker headed the ball behind Greek ‘keeper Antonis Nikopolidis in the ninth minute, connecting on a long-range pass from David Beckham off the right wing.In the other Group F game, Lyon won 1-0 at Rosenborg on Cristiano Cris’ first-half goal.Lyon, which defeated Real Madrid 3-0 in the first round, leads the group with six points, followed by Rosenborg and Madrid with three and Olympiakos without a point.In other results: Group E: Fenerbahce 3, PSV Eindhoven 0; Schalke 2, AC Milan 2.Group G: Anderlecht 0, Real Betis 1; Liverpool 0, Chelsea 0.Group H: Porto 2, Artmedia Bratislava 3; Inter Milan 1, Rangers 0.In Group E, last season’s runner-up AC Milan stayed top despite the 2-2 draw at Schalke.Milan has four points, followed by Fenerbahce and PSV with three and Schalke with one.AC Milan led twice with goals from Clarence Seedorf and Andriy Shevchenko.Soren Larsen leveled in the third minute after Seedorf’s first-minute goal, and Hamit Altintop equalised again in the 70th.Fenerbahce picked up its 3-0 home win over PSV on two goals from Alex de Souza and a late goal from Stephen Appiah.In Group G, Liverpool and Chelsea – the group favourites – moved up to four points.Spain’s Betis, playing the first time in the Champions League, improved to three points with Anderlecht having lost its first two.Brazilian striker Oliveira scored for Betis in the 68th.After collecting a pass through the centre from playmaker Joaquin, he fired a low shot into the corner.It was Anderlecht’s ninth straight Champions League loss.In Group H, Inter Milan leads with two straight victories.David Pizarro scored the winner in the 49th to beat Rangers.The game was played in an empty San Siro stadium, part of a fan-ban after flares were thrown on the field in last year’s Champions League quarterfinal against AC Milan – injuring its goalkeeper Dida.Rangers and Artmedia Bratislava have three points, with 2004 European champion Porto without a point.Playing its first time in the Champions League, Balazs Borbely scored the winner in the 74th to break a 2-2 tie for the Bratislava team.Luis Gonzalez and Diego Ribas put Porto ahead 2-0 after 39 minutes, but Peter Petras and Jan Kozak evened the score after 54 minutes.”If we wanted to finish in the top two we had to win today,” Porto’s Dutch coach, Co Adriaanse, said.”It’ll be very difficult now.”- Nampa-APIn another key result among eight second-round games on Wednesday, defending champion Liverpool drew 0-0 at Anfield against English champion Chelsea.Liverpool, which ousted Chelsea in last year’s semi-finals, faces Chelsea again Sunday in a league match.Among the winners were Italy’s Inter Milan, Turkey’s Fenerbahce, Spanish club Real Betis, French champion Lyon and Slovakia’s Artmedia Bratislava.In the Group F game in Madrid, Raul’s goal moved him one ahead of Alfredo di Stefano and three ahead of Man United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy on the all-time scoring list for Europe’s number one cup.The Spanish striker headed the ball behind Greek ‘keeper Antonis Nikopolidis in the ninth minute, connecting on a long-range pass from David Beckham off the right wing.In the other Group F game, Lyon won 1-0 at Rosenborg on Cristiano Cris’ first-half goal.Lyon, which defeated Real Madrid 3-0 in the first round, leads the group with six points, followed by Rosenborg and Madrid with three and Olympiakos without a point.In other results: Group E: Fenerbahce 3, PSV Eindhoven 0; Schalke 2, AC Milan 2.Group G: Anderlecht 0, Real Betis 1; Liverpool 0, Chelsea 0.Group H: Porto 2, Artmedia Bratislava 3; Inter Milan 1, Rangers 0.In Group E, last season’s runner-up AC Milan stayed top despite the 2-2 draw at Schalke.Milan has four points, followed by Fenerbahce and PSV with three and Schalke with one.AC Milan led twice with goals from Clarence Seedorf and Andriy Shevchenko.Soren Larsen leveled in the third minute after Seedorf’s first-minute goal, and Hamit Altintop equalised again in the 70th.Fenerbahce picked up its 3-0 home win over PSV on two goals from Alex de Souza and a late goal from Stephen Appiah.In Group G, Liverpool and Chelsea – the group favourites – moved up to four points.Spain’s Betis, playing the first time in the Champions League, improved to three points with Anderlecht having lost its first two.Brazilian striker Oliveira scored for Betis in the 68th.After collecting a pass through the centre from playmaker Joaquin, he fired a low shot into the corner.It was Anderlecht’s ninth straight Champions League loss.In Group H, Inter Milan leads with two straight victories.David Pizarro scored the winner in the 49th to beat Rangers.The game was played in an empty San Siro stadium, part of a fan-ban after flares were thrown on the field in last year’s Champions League quarterfinal against AC Milan – injuring its goalkeeper Dida.Rangers and Artmedia Bratislava have three points, with 2004 European champion Porto without a point.Playing its first time in the Champions League, Balazs Borbely scored the winner in the 74th to break a 2-2 tie for the Bratislava team.Luis Gonzalez and Diego Ribas put Porto ahead 2-0 after 39 minutes, but Peter Petras and Jan Kozak evened the score after 54 minutes.”If we wanted to finish in the top two we had to win today,” Porto’s Dutch coach, Co Adriaanse, said.”It’ll be very difficult now.”- Nampa-AP

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