Chanpions League
Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich emerged victorious not just once but twice on Wednesday as Jose Mourinho guided Chelsea to a 3-1 victory over the Portuguese coach's former club Champions League holders FC Porto.
PHOTO: AP
Earlier CSKA Moscow, the Russian club who is sponsored by his company, rolled over struggling French giants Paris Saint Germain 2-0 to set up a Group H clash between the two sides in London on Oct. 20.
PHOTO: AFP
However if Abramovich wore a broad smile it probably grew wider when the man he sacked to make way for Mourinho, Claudio Ranieri, saw his Valencia side let a 1-0 lead slip to 2-1 defeat by German champions Werder Bremen, albeit after they were reduced to 10-men in the 55th minute.
Elsewhere both Milan sides enjoyed 3-1 victories, though in markedly different fashion as Inter stormed into a 3-0 lead over Belgian side Anderlecht while AC Milan were pegged back to 1-1 by Celtic before scoring twice in the last two minutes to take the three points.
AC Milan were joined on a perfect six points by Group F rivals Barcelona, for whom one of Mourinho's former Porto Champions League winning side Deco opened the scoring in the 3-0 defeat of Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk.
Brazilian Ronaldinho scored their second, a penalty, to give what he termed his mother the perfect birthday present.
However there was a rather predictable outcome for Premiership champions Arsenal as another below-par performance in the Champions League which they have yet to even make the last four under Arsene Wenger as they were held 1-1 by the Norwegian side Rosenborg.
Mourinho was a very contented man after goals by Aleksei Smertin, Didier Drogba and John Terry had seen his side to a perfect start in the tournament.
"We have got six points and we are in a fantastic position to go to the next stage. We have beaten the European champions who were unbeaten away in seven," said Mourinho.
"We broke down a few walls and we are in fantastic condition. Personally it was what I was waiting for.
"Before the match you see people you went through many things together with, it's always nice to see these people. But I came here to get the three points to win. We did it, so that's the most important thing," added Mourinho, who was spat at when he went to greet the Porto fans leading to the offender to be expelled from the ground.
However if Mourinho thinks that will be the only thing hurled at him when he returns to Portugal for return match he has another thing coming.
The new Porto coach Victor Fernandez is not giving up on his hopes of retaining the Champions League trophy despite taking just one point from a possible six.
"Everything is possible, there are no invincible teams. We have two months until the return match, we'll get back our injured players and hopefully we will be much better and we hope to beat Chelsea on our ground."
Brazilian Vagner Love inspired CSKA Moscow to a 2-0 victory over a hapless Paris Saint Germain side that gave the Russians four points and the French side none.
CSKA Moscow coach Valeriy Gazzaev admitted that his side had not been in top gear from the start.
"I wasn't very satisfied with the way we started but then we clicked up a gear. We gained in confidence after the first goal and totally dominated the game from then on."
Bremen's Greek Euro 2004 goalscoring hero Angelos Charisteas struck the decisive goal six minutes from time to down Valencia at the Weserstadion after coming on as a second half substitute.
Ranieri, however, was his usual phlegmatic self about the defeat.
"It was hard going with one man less in the final stages," said the Italian.
"But there is no shame in losing to Bremen they are the German champions after all."
Inter coach Roberto Mancini had to fend off questions that he had left out disgruntled Italian international striker Christian Vieri because of the club president, though it paid off as his replacement Obafemi Martins scored in the match to add to the two he scored on Sunday.
"I am not affected by those comments," said the coach.
"The president must always say what he thinks, but the coach has the duty of helping every player, whatever his name or status may be."
Celtic coach Martin O'Neill said the manner of the defeat by AC Milan was more difficult to deal with than the club's UEFA Cup final loss to Porto last year.
"I feel terrible -- and I thought losing in Seville was a big disappointment," said the Northern Irishman.
For Ronaldinho, though, there was only joy as he mesmerized the Ukrainians and added the icing on the cake with his goal.
"My mother's birthday and I score a penalty. What better present can there be!" he grinned.
The best present for Abramovich as Mourinho knows would be the Champions League and, on Wednesday's showing, the Portuguese wizard might yet deliver in the final on May 25 -- Ranieri wouldn't mind if he tore it away from him.
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