Things suddenly got complicated for AC Milan in the Champions League.
The result came on the same rotation nine-time winner Real Madrid, 1999 champion Manchester United and ambitious Chelsea all won to increase their chances of reaching the second round.
Three of four Italian teams lost their matches this week after going undefeated in their first two.
PHOTO: REUTERS
"It wasn't a very great Milan, but we had plenty of opportunities. We just weren't able to finish them off," Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti said.
Peru striker Andres Mendoza scored in the 33rd minute, and AC Milan couldn't score against a team content to sit back. Fans at the San Siro voiced their displeasure by jeering at the end.
"A loss like this can happen in soccer," Ancelotti said.
PHOTO: EPA
Ajax, a four-time winner, took the lead in the group after beating Celta de Vigo 1-0. Zlatan Ibrahimovic's strike in the 53rd minute was enough, even if the Dutch club didn't play its best.
Ajax has six points, while Milan and Brugge have four.
"We have to be happy with this win, despite the problems," Ajax coach Ronald Koeman said. "If you don't have a lot of chances you have to make a few pay, and that's what we did."
PHOTO: REUTERS
Real Madrid was the heavy favorite against Partizan Belgrade -- especially after the visitors were missing several regulars due to injury and suspension. But all Madrid could manage was a 38th-minute headed goal from Raul Gonzalez.
And star midfielder David Beckham, who made a key block in the second half, suffered a right thigh strain. He'll be examined Thursday.
Madrid, along with Juventus, are the only clubs in the competition with 3-0 records.
"Our aim was to gain three points and stay top of the group," Madrid coach Carlos Queiroz said. "It wasn't a match with much rhythm or intensity, but we did what we had to do. We passed the ball around and created a lot of chances."
Didier Drogba scored again, though Marseille still lost at home to FC Porto 3-2 in the other Group F match. Drogba has five goals to lead the competition.
Porto moved into second with four points, one more than the French club.
United beat Rangers 1-0 in a match dubbed the "Battle of Britain" because both clubs won their respective leagues last season. Adding to the intrigue was that United manager Alex Ferguson is Scottish and once coached Rangers boss Alex McLeish at Aberdeen. He also played for Rangers in the late 1960s.
Phil Neville was the star, netting in the fifth minute and clearing a header off the line in the second half. United goalkeeper Tim Howard made a good save in the 89th minute off Christian Nerlinger to preserve the win.
"It was a marvelous game of football," Ferguson said. "The excitement, the atmosphere, the tension. It's everything you want in a European game, and we got it."
Stuttgart beat Panathinaikos 2-0 in the other Group E game, getting goals from Imre Szabics in the 12th minute and Zvonimir Soldo in the 25th. Stuttgart and United have six points, and Rangers have four while Panathinaikos has just one.
Chelsea lost two of its last three games in all competitions, and another defeat against Lazio looked likely when Simone Inzaghi netted in the 39th minute. Thanks to a halftime talk from manager Claudio Ranieri, the Blues got goals from Frank Lampard (57) and Adrian Mutu (65) in an eight-minute span to reverse the deficit.
"Lazio scored with their first shot, which was bad for us, but in the second half I told my players to stay calm and keep going," Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri said. "It was a very, very brilliant reaction."
Karel Poborsky scored in the 85th minute as Sparta Prague beat Besiktas 2-1 in the other Group G encounter.
"I think I didn't play particularly well, but we played very well as a team," said Poborsky, a former Man United player.
Chelsea tops Group G with six points, two more than Sparta Prague and Lazio.
"Our group is even, and it will go down to the end," Lazio coach Roberto Mancini said. "After the first game I said that Chelsea and Lazio would qualify without problems. It won't be so easy."
On Tuesday, Group B favorites Inter Milan and Arsenal both lost away. Inter was beaten 3-0 by Lokomotiv Moscow, and the Gunners were defeated 2-1 by Dynamo Kiev. Inter, which fired coach Hector Cuper over the weekend, and Kiev both have six points, while Moscow has four. Arsenal has one.
German powerhouse Bayern Munich leads Group A with five points following a 1-1 draw with Lyon, which has four points along with Anderlecht. Celtic has three. Anderlecht beat Celtic 1-0 at home, despite having a player sent off in the first half.
Juventus won 4-2 win over Real Sociedad. In the other Group D game Tuesday, Galatasaray collected its first points with a 1-0 win over Olympiakos. Juventus has nine points, Sociedad six, Galatasaray three and Olympiakos one.
Deportivo de La Coruna took a one-point lead in Group C after downing Monaco 1-0. PSV Eindhoven shut out AEK Athens 1-0. Deportivo has seven points, Monaco six, PSV three and AEK one.
The fourth rotation of games is scheduled for Nov. 4 and 5.
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