Busy time in European Champions League

Group A

Inter Milan 4-3 Tottenham Hotspur

FC Twente 1-1 Werder Bremen

Group B

Schalke 04 3-1 Hapoel Tel Aviv

Lyon 2-0 Benfica

Group C

Manchester United 1-0 Bursaspor

Glasgow Rangers 1-1 Valencia

Group D

Barcelona 2-0 FC Copenhagen

Panathinaikos 0-0 Rubin Kazan

Group E

Bayern Munich 3-2 CFR Cluj

Roma 1-3 Basle

Group F

Spartak Moscow 0-2 Chelsea

Marseille 1-0 Zilina

Group G

Real Madrid 2-0 AC Milan

Ajax 2-1 Auxerre

Group H

Arsenal 5-1 Shakhtor

Braga 2-0 Partizan Belgrade

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What an amazing game at the San Siro, where Inter led 4-0 against Tottenham.

Inter captain, the Argentine international Zanetti, scored in the opening minute to become the oldest player to score in the Champions League.

But three brilliant goals by Tottenham’s Welsh international, Gareth Bale, in the second half almost salvaged a point for Spurs.

The left-footed Bale showed how lethal his left peg is when he scored all three goals in similar fashion with low strikes from the left and inside the far right-hand post.

Watch out for the return leg at White Hart Lane because it should be a classic.

In London, Arsenal demolished their Ukrainian visitors 5-1 in fantastic style, but how often does one see a home crowd applaud a goal by the visitors? Well, that’s exactly what happened in this one. The Arsenal supporters clapped as one when their former star striker Eduardo netted a consolation goal for the visitors near the end. Eduardo did not celebrate his goal but returned quietly to the centre ready for the restart.

AC Milan are not the force they used to be and succumbed meekly to Real Madrid, for whom Cristiano Ronaldo scored one of his trademark free-kicks.

Bayern Munich struggled without their stars, Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben, and just sneaked home 3-2 against the visiting little-known team from Romania, CFR Cluj, in Munich.

Roma’s coach Claudio Ranieri, the former Cheslea supremo, was embarrassed when his side went down 3-1 to Swiss side Basle at the Olympic Stadium in the Eternal City.

The Rooney-less Manchester United beat Turkish outfit Bursaspor 1-0 at Old Trafford through a marvellous strike by Nani to top their group on Match Day 3.

Barcelona disposed of Danish side FC Copenhagen 2-0 at the Nou Camp, while the only goalless draw in this round of matches was in the meeting between Greek club Panathinaikos and the Russians of Rubin Kazan.

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If you have a genuine interest in the world game, make sure you buy the October edition of the London-based magazine “World Soccer”.

It’s the 50th anniversary edition of the magazine and contains 50 interviews with living legends of the game, including such former stars as Maradona, Bobby Charlton, Pele, Eusebio, Denis Law, Zinedine Zidane, Ian Rush, Tostao, Mario Zagallo, Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Muller, Zico, Michel Platini, Franco Baresi, Paulo Rossi and Marco Van Basten, to name just 16.

The questions are intriguing, and the answers nothing short of fascinating.

At $10, it’s certainly worth the outlay.

And, this edition also has the complete squad lists of all the Champions League teams.