Real Madrid begin defence of title in stunning fashion

EUROPEAN CUP champions Real Madrid began their title defence in stunning fashion by defeating AS Roma 3-0 in their Group C opener.

The Spainards looked a class apart as they completely dominated their Italian opponents from the very outset. Guti nabbed their first on 41 adding to his tally on 74 minutes, with an effort from Raul sandwiched in between. Former England international Stebe McManaman made an appearance as a substitute twelve minutes from time.

In the other Group C game of the night Genk and AEK Athens finished with a disappointing scoreless draw. In Group B, populated also by Liverpool and Valenica, Swiss side Basel, who conqurered Scottish champions Celtic to book their place in the competition continued their good run of form with a 2 0 win over Spartak Moscow. The sides were level at half time before Hakan Yakin and Julio Rossi managed two in a five-minute spell, 10 minutes after the restart.

In Group A action, AJ Auxerre and PSV Eindhoven finished scoreless, while there proved to be a real cracker in the Group D meeting of Rosenborg Trondheim and Inter Milan which finished 2-2.

Rosenborg Trondheim hero was Azar Karadas who poached two goals on 52 and 64 minutes, while the Inter Milan goals were deliverd by Hernan Crespo. Fabio Cannavaro of Inter Milan was sent off on 69 minutes.

Dutch masters Ajax Amsterdam had a rather easy 2-1 win over Olympique Lyon in their Champions League, group D meeting with Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Meanwhile, Rangers' hopes of making an impact in the UEFA Cup may already be fatally damaged following a 2-0 defeat in Prague by Viktoria Zizkov. The home side scored early through captain Ales Pikl and, after Barry Ferguson had seen a penalty saved just before half-time, Ludek Straceny doubled the lead on the hour mark. Only seven minutes were on the clock when Pikl rose the highest in the box to meet a Straceny free-kick with a header that flew past Stefan Klos. Maurice Ross, the young Scotland international, had conceded the free-kick near the right corner flag with a barge on Kennedy Chihuri that might have gone unpunished in his homeland but not abroad. Ricksen and Moore were both booked before the break for fouls, with the latter being shown the yellow card soon after the Ferguson penalty miss.

Bob Malcolm, playing in his first European game, had been the man who had won it after he came charging in Moore-style to meet a Ricksen free-kick from the left. Spanish referee Julian Santiago ruled defender Jan Buryan had pulled Malcolm back by the shirt and, after Michal Smarda had been booked for delaying the spot-kick, goalkeeper Pavel Kucera guessed right to save it.

But Straceny was to be more successful on the hour mark and, crucially, Moore was not there to intervene.

The defender had been injured in the Zizkov box challenging for a corner and while Rangers were down to 10 men they doubled their lead with a goal straight from a Kucera hoof downfield. A lack of numbers in the Rangers ranks saw allowed the ball to bounce and Staceny was there first to hit it first-time past Klos.