Real Madrid, Milan make winning starts in Europe

LONDON (AP)—Real Madrid and AC Milan began their Champions League campaigns with 2-0 victories on Wednesday, while English rivals Chelsea and Arsenal opened with big-scoring wins.
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho presided over the nine-time champions’ triumph against Ajax in the same Santiago Bernabeu stadium where he won last season’s final with Inter Milan.
“We pressed a lot and we didn’t let Ajax play nfl jerseys
how they like to play,” Mourinho said. “My forwards just weren’t sharp in front of goal.”
Milan, Madrid’s biggest rival in Group G, beat Auxerre after two goals from new signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Cesc Fabregas and Carlos Vela each scored twice in Arsenal’s 6-0 rout of Portuguese side Braga, while Nicolas Anelka’s double helped Chelsea surge to a 4-1 victory over newcomer Zilina.
Bayern Munich, beaten by Inter in the final in May, defeated AS Roma 2-0 in Group E.
In the Spanish capital, Madrid went ahead in the 31st minute when midfielder Xabi Alonso’s corner was deflected in by Ajax defender Vurnon Anita.
The second goal took until the 73rd to arrive, with striker Gonzalo Higuain well placed at the far post to score from Mesut Oezil’s cross.
“It looked like boys against men tonight,” Ajax coach Martin Jol said. “They clearly dominated the game.”
In the other group match, Ibrahimovic broke the deadlock in the 66th after linking up with Kevin-Prince Boateng and Ronaldinho.
The Sweden striker’s second came three minutes later, completing a slick counterattacking move that began with Robinho carrying the ball from defense before Ronaldinho’s deft pass reached Ibrahimovic.
“Ibra had a good game tonight,” Milan coach Massimo Allegri said. “He is a very important player for us—for his technique and the way he leads the attack.”
Chelsea maintained its superb start to the season, having opened its Premier League title defense with four wins, with an emphatic win in Group F despite the absence of suspended striker Didier Drogba.
The visitors raced into a 3-0 lead inside 30 minutes against tournament newcomer Zilina. Anelka’s cross was turned in by Michael Essien before the French striker hit two goals himself.
Soon after, Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech Dallas Cowboys jersey
almost gifted the home side an equalizer, fumbling Robert Jez’s free kick before recovering to stop the ball going into the net.
Daniel Sturridge hit Chelsea’s fourth in the 48th after latching onto Yossi Benayoun’s through ball.
Zilina’s consolation goal came in the 55th when an unmarked Tomas Oravec pounced on the loose ball from Branislav Ivanovic’s deflection after Cech had failed to hold on to a cross.
In the other Group F match, defender Cesar Azpilicueta scored a late own-goal to give Spartak Moscow a 1-0 win at Marseille, which wasted several scoring chances.
“When you dominate and you can’t score, you’re never safe,” Marseille coach Didier Deschamps said.
At Emirates Stadium, Fabregas scored his first Arsenal goal since March in the ninth minute, hitting the target from the penalty spot after Marouane Chamakh was fouled by Luiz Felipe.
Fabregas provided the second, turning two defenders before slipping the ball through for Andrei Arshavin to score inside the near post.
Intricate passing between Arhavin and Fabregas led to Arsenal’s third, with Chamakh striking from close range after being fed by Jack Wilshere’s back heel.
Fabregas buried a free header from Arshavin’s cross at the start of the second half, while Vela chipped in another in the 69th and volleyed in Arsenal’s sixth late on.
“We played the game we wanted to play, at a high pace with top technical quality and with a lot of creative attitude,” Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said. “It’s our philosophy and, for long patches of the game, we managed to express that.”
It was a closer match in the other Group H encounter, with Shakhtar Donetsk captain Dario Srna’s second-half free kick giving the Ukrainian champions a 1-0 victory over Partizan Belgrade.
In Group E, Bayern was lacking the creative influences of the injured Arjen Robben and suspended Franck Ribery. The goals didn’t start flowing until the 78th.
Thomas Mueller finally broke through by volleying into the far left corner after connecting with Daniel van Buyten’s header.
Miroslav Klose added another five minutes later by diverting Holger Badstuber’s Indianapolis Colts jersey
free kick into the net.
The goals came quicker in the group’s other match. Ionut Rada and Lacina Traore scored inside 12 minutes for Cluj, clinching a 2-1 victory over FC Basel, which pulled one back in first-half injury time from Valentin Stoker’s header.