Chelsea, Arsenal recover to march on in the Champions League

Chelsea hands former player Didier Deschamps a miserable Stamford Bridge return as Marseille suffer a 2-0 defeat.

PARIS: Chelsea and Arsenal maintained their perfect records to edge closer to the Champions League last-16, while Europe’s elite club competition revelled in a little Brazilian magic.

Chelsea handed former player Didier Deschamps a miserable Stamford Bridge return as his French champions Marseille suffered a 2-0 defeat. Carlo Ancelotti’s Chelsea had suffered their first Premier League defeat of the season at Manchester City on Saturday, just days after crashing out of the League Cup against Newcastle.

But there were no such problems against Marseille thanks to an early goal from John Terry and Nicolas Anelka’s first-half penalty.

The win left Chelsea top of Group F, ahead of Spartak Moscow on goal difference, after two games of their latest bid to win Europe’s elite club competition for the first time.

“We had a good analysis about the last defeat, then we prepared this game well and played a good game,” said Ancelotti. “Now those defeats are forgotten.”

Meanwhile, Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal, rocked by their shock 3-2 Premier League defeat by West Brom, overcame a testing night, as well as faulty floodlights, in Serbia to see off 10-man Partizan Belgrade 3-1.

Arsenal are on top of Group H after following up their 6-0 demolition of Braga with a 3-1 win at Partizan, despite missing a penalty.

Bayern Munich edge out Basel

Bastian Schweinsteiger led a second-half comeback by Bayern Munich against Swiss league champions and hosts Basel to earn a 2-1 victory in their Group E tie.

Basel had taken an early lead when Switzerland striker Alexander Frei opened the scoring with a superb goal on 18 minutes before Schweinsteiger netted a second-half penalty followed by an 89th-minute tap in.

Milan draw, Roma off the mark

Former Ajax striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic dealt the Dutch side a major Champions League blow when he hit AC Milan’s equaliser in a 1-1 Group G draw in Amsterdam. Despite being without the injured Ronaldinho, old Ajax favourites Clarence Seedorf and Ibrahimovic did start and they combined in the 37th minute to pull their side level.

It was Ibrahimovic’s third goal in the tournament this season, having scored twice in the opening 2-0 win over Auxerre.

AS Roma took revenge on CFR Cluj and got their Champions League challenge off the mark with a 2-1 victory at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. Goals from French centre-back Philippe Mexes and Italy striker Marco Borriello secured the Romans their first Group E points despite Ionut Rada’s late consolation.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 30^th, 2010.