Nine-time winner Real Madrid became the first team to reach the second round of the Champions League following a 0-0 draw with Partizan Belgrade on Tuesday, while English clubs Manchester United and Chelsea both won easily and are almost through.
Defending champion AC Milan, meanwhile, beat Club Brugge 1-0 despite playing with 10 players for most of the game.
Madrid and Partizan missed good chances, and both 'keepers were sharp. Djordje Pantic stopped Brazilian star Ronaldo with a foot save late in the first half, and Luis Figo's header went wide seconds later. Madrid 'keeper Iker Casillas made a reaction foot save to deny Andrija Delibasic and then frustrated Sasa Ilic in the dying seconds. Madrid defender Roberto Carlos left the game in the eighth minute with a thigh injury.
"We had an outstanding game, and it's a pity that we didn't win," Pantic said.
Madrid, which dropped its first points, has 10 points from four matches in Group F. FC Porto, on seven points, has a four-point lead over Marseille in second place. Dmitri Alenitchev scored in the 21st minute as Porto won 1-0 in Portugal. Marseille has three points, and Partizan two.
Diego Forlan scored again and Ruud van Nistelrooy had two to break out of a slump as United beat Rangers 3-0 to complete the double in the "Battle of Britain." Forlan, with four goals in four games, volleyed past Stefan Klos in the sixth minute.
Van Nistelrooy, the leading scorer in last year's competition, made it 2-0 in the 44th minute. The Dutchman, who hadn't scored in open play in six games, had an easy tap in after Forlan's shot hit the crossbar. He then converted a Ryan Giggs cross in the 60th minute.
"You saw the change in his game in the second half," United manager Alex Ferguson said of van Nistelrooy.
"Diego is a different issue. He's thriving in games. His first goal was magnificent -- he's capable of that. He is a threat."
United, which has nine points in Group E, beat Rangers 1-0 two weeks ago.
"It was very disappointing," said Rangers midfielder Peter Lovenkrands. "We didn't play to our best, and Man United took their chances. They showed how good a team they are."
Surprising Stuttgart, which has the best defensive record in the Bundesliga, also has nine points after a comeback 3-1 win over Panathinaikos. Michalis Constantinou's low shot gave Panathinaikos a 1-0 lead in the 59th minute. The Germans equalized on a Takis Fyssas own goal nine minutes later and then took the lead in the 74th through German international Kevin Kuranyi. Andreas Hinkel made it 3-1 two minutes later. Rangers have four points, and Panathinaikos one.
Chelsea beat Lazio again. Former Lazio star Hernan Crespo, Eidur Gudjohnsen, Damien Duff and Frank Lampard had the goals in a 4-0 win. Crespo scored in the 15th minute when 'keeper Matteo Sereni -- playing because No. 1 Angelo Peruzzi was injured -- could only palm away Juan Sebastian Veron's free kick. The ball went in off his chin.
Lazio's Sinisa Mihajlovic was sent off early in the second half, and Gudjohnsen made it 2-0 in the 70th minute. Duff (75th) and Lampard (80th) completed the rout.
"I think it's a well-deserved result," Lampard said. "It's testament to the lads that we kept our heads and were the better team."
Chelsea defender Glen Johnson was also sent off, in the 90th minute.
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