Soccer News and Scores

Paris Saint-Germain FC ended their UEFA Europa League Group F game at ŠK Slovan Bratislava with nine men, but captain Zoumana Camara told UEFA.com that he still considered the 0-0 draw to be two points dropped. Despite the home side getting off the mark in the section, defender Martin Dobrotka admitted to having "mixed feelings".

Zoumana Camara, PSG defender
Even though we finished with nine men, I think we dropped two points. We had a lot of chances but couldn't score. We caused ourselves problems with the two red cards, but it's a match we should have won. We weren't surprised by them. We came here with the right attitude. Our play was good, we just lacked the finishing touch. We lacked the killer instinct in front of goal. We know that it's the most difficult thing in football to score goals, and we just didn't have the desire to do that. We have to kill off games when we're on top. The group is open, we're going to recover, and we have to beat this team in two weeks' time if we want to go through.

Nicolas Douchez, PSG goalkeeper
Given the way the match went, we can say that we're happy not to have conceded. But we could have made the match simple, and we made it complicated as we ended with nine men. We'd seen what they were capable of, but we have only ourselves to blame for the fact that we didn't take the three points. We knew that it was within our capabilities to score, but we weren't clinical enough. The next match will be just as difficult, but we've got to learn the lessons of this game and win at the Parc des Princes.

Juraj Halenár, Slovan forward
You can't compare PSG and Slovan. PSG have great individual quality, they're really strong, so we had to run a lot and defend. It was difficult for us to get forward, and we left Filip [Šebo] a little bit isolated. We played as much as our opponents let us. They still had more of the ball when they were down to ten men. When they were down to nine in the last ten minutes, we could have used the ball better and pressed more.

Martin Dobrotka, Slovan defender
We have mixed feelings, because we played with a two-man advantage. We could have scored, but it didn't happen. We have to be satisfied with a point. We started well, but they showed their quality and created some great chances — we were lucky. The point is valuable, but we could have had three. At the end of the game, we were a little bit tired and weren't direct enough, particularly in the penalty box. We had some chances from set pieces but didn't score; that's football. We knew that they were good, and they showed that.

PSV Eindhoven won 1-0 at Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC to maintain their stranglehold of Group C and edge closer to the UEFA Europa League round of 32.

Georginio Wijnaldum settled a lively contest with a penalty 20 minutes from time which ensured his side moved on to a perfect nine points from their opening three fixtures. Their hosts, meanwhile, are yet to get off the mark and sit bottom of the section.

Hapoel had played their part in the opening period, with both teams lacking the end product to complement some admirable approach play. Impressive PSV winger Dries Mertens had the first dangerous effort on 18 minutes, sending a shot from the edge of the penalty area just wide.

Soon after bustling Hapoel forward Toto Tamuz broke clear on the right only for his effort to be deflected narrowly wide. The best opportunity of the half then fell to Omer Damari, but his turn and shot also failed to trouble PSV goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson.

Tim Matavz and Nosa Igiebor had opportunities at either end before the half was out but the opener remain elusive. While Dror Kashtan's team failed to build on their first-half momentum after the interval, PSV seized the initiative. Matavz missed his kick from 12 metres out before visiting captain Ola Toivonen slid in Mertens, who was denied by Édel Apoula's superb stop.

A long time coming, the decisive moment arrived when Mertens was felled by Mário Pecalka in the box, Wijnaldum calmly dispatching from the spot. Despite Hapoel's substitutes bringing freshness to their approach, the Israeli outfit failed to carve out a notable chance to equalise.

Paris Saint-Germain FC endured a frustrating evening in the Slovak capital as the Ligue 1 leaders had two men sent off and were held to a goalless draw by ŠK Slovan Bratislava.

Beaten by Athletic Club last time out, PSG arrived in chilly Bratislava looking for the gratifying warmth of victory. However, with the vistiors' ambitions undermined by the dismissals of Clément Chantôme just after the hour and Siaka Tiéné with ten minutes left, Slovan registered a deserved first point in UEFA Europa League Group F.

While the PSG squad has been lavishly assembled, Slovan's has been more modestly crafted, but Vladimír Weiss's men made light of the divide. One patient build-up almost propelled the hosts into an early lead, but Igor Žofcák's well-struck shot was deflected narrowly wide with Nicolas Douchez scrambling.

Given their collective talent, it was inevitable PSG would create their own openings. Jérémy Menez's searing pace took him in behind only for Lukáš Hroššo to parry his low shot and the loose ball was cleared as Mevlüt Erdinç sought to pounce.

Menez's fleet of foot and intelligence was a major source of discomfort for Slovan, and another jinking run from the French international took him past a pair of challenges before he teed up Javier Pastore, whose shot lacked direction.

PSG no doubt possessed the greater finesse, but the hosts' indefatigable industry and unflinching discipline kept them at bay. When PSG did get a sight of goal, Hroššo was well positioned to turn away Menez's low drive.

Chantôme's dismissal evened things up still more, and a clever Slovan corner provoked a goalmouth melee in which only the timely intervention of Zoumana Camara prevented Karim Guédé stabbing the ball into the net. Both sides still could have won it after Tiéné was sent off, but Hroššo turned Nenê's angled shot behind, before the impressive Mamadou Bagayoko fired beyond Douchez's far post.

Legia Warszawa took sole command of second spot in UEFA Europa League Group C with a 1-0 win at FC Rapid Bucuresti.

Forty years and a day since the sides' last meeting in Romania, a UEFA Cup second round encounter won 4-0 by Rapid, Legia gained long overdue revenge. Full of endeavour but short on precision in the final third, the duo – who will have to wait just a fortnight to face each other once more – were separated by Miroslav Radovic's 73rd-minute header.

Level on three points at the start of play, Legia and Rapid swiftly appeared an equal match. Seven minutes in, however, the visitors should have seized the initiative, Radovic sneaking in behind the Rapid defence only to shoot too close to Danut Coman.

Reprieved, Razvan Lucescu's team would have capitalised had they not been let down twice by the finishing of Nicolae Grigore, who headed away from goal when in sight of the whites of Dušan Kuciak's eyes before failing to make sufficient contact with Ovidiu Herea's inadvertent cross.

If the opening period had offered signs of hope, the second half was littered with ifs, buts and maybes. Sent beyond Rapid's back line, Maciej Rybus would have had a clear path to goal had his first touch not been so lax, while, for the hosts, all three points could have been theirs if their final ball had proved as polished as their build-up play.

Then came the moment of precision the game had been lacking. Rybus delivered a teasing, inswinging free-kick, and Radovic turned a deft, perfectly timed header into the roof of Kuciak's net. It appeared certain to be enough until, with two minutes left, Rapid threatened again, only to fail once more to apply a finishing touch when Sabrin Sburlea was denied from close range.

Tottenham Hotspur FC striker Roman Pavlyuchenko was delighted to score the only goal against FC Rubin Kazan but told UEFA.com that his superb strike was a hit-and-hope affair.

The Russian international found the net against his countrymen in the 33rd minute with a blistering free-kick from a central position just outside the D. "It felt great – maybe if the free-kick had been a metre closer it would've just hit the crossbar, but there wasn't a problem," he said.

"There was no plan. I just hit the ball hard and hoped it went in. It was a great goal, but all goals are beautiful, you remember them all. I simply scored a great goal and in general the victory was excellent. It was a good win. I like Rubin, they're a good team – very dangerous and everywhere they go they look strong."

Tottenham left-back Benoît Assou-Ekotto understood the joy which the goal would have given Pavlyuchenko, a former FC Spartak Moskva forward. "It was very important for him to score against a Russian team," said the French-born Cameroonian international. "If I played against a team from France I would like to score, so I guess he's very happy with that. We played with young boys tonight and they did well, so it's good for the future."

The immediate future, in the UEFA Europa League at least, involves Spurs travelling to Kazan for the return fixture in a fortnight, when a win would take Harry Redknapp's side through with two games to play. Will they win Group A?

"We've still got some games to go, so we'll just have to wait," said Pavlyuchenko. "The task for me is to always play better, go further and then who knows where we could end up?" Bucharest on Wednesday 9 May is the ultimate aim.

Birmingham City FC became the first English team to win at Club Brugge KV in eight attempts, with substitute Chris Wood thrilled to snatch a 2-1 UEFA Europa League victory with a goal ten minutes into added time. After a clash of heads had earlier caused the Group H game to be suspended – the unfortunate Pablo Ibáñez being taken off the pitch on a stretcher – the visitors were particularly pleased to have triumphed for their stricken team-mate, according to goalkeeper Boaz Myhill.

Chris Wood, Birmingham forward
It was a nice goal and a great cross by Marlon King. this is the first one I've scored in the 100th minute. Our fans were in great voice tonight, with over 5,000 people supporting us here. To concede after two or three minutes was gut-wrenching but we showed our strength in the second half.

Boaz Myhill, Birmingham goalkeeper
The reason we had to play that long was because of a horrible injury to one of our friends, but we huddled together and said: 'Let's do it for Pablo.' He's up and about now — he doesn't know how it happened, but he's smiling. This is the first time we've been in European competition for a long time, and our travelling support gives you that extra something you need when you're up against it.

Colin Coosemans, Club Brugge goalkeeper
We could have scored to make it 2-1 ourselves, and we didn't, then in the last minute they scored. Of course, it's very disappointing. It happened to us in Braga, when we scored in the last minute, so now we know how it is to be on the other side. Six points out of nine is a decent result so far, but it also means that we will have to take more points if we are to get through.

FC Dynamo Kyiv climbed to second in Group E after Denys Garmash's added-time goal earned a 1-0 win against Besiktas JK.

Dynamo dominated throughout in the Ukrainian capital but, despite wave after wave of attack, their win was only secured in the last few seconds. With the match in the third minute of added time, Denys Garmash seized his opportunity and volleyed a corner past the otherwise impeccable Cenk Gönen.

Having been held to two draws in their first two matches, Dynamo badly needed victory in front of their own fans. They started purposefully as they set about attaining it too, and Ideye Brown just failed to capitalise on a pair of mistakes by the visiting defence.

Artem Milevskiy, the main architect of Dynamo's forward play in the opening half, twice provided team-mates with clear scoring opportunities during the first 20 minutes, but Oleh Gusev narrowly missed his and Andriy Yarmolenko curled a shot against the far post.

The Turkish outfit were relying on fast, counterattacking football, and that tactic earned Edu a great chance midway through the first half. With just Olexandr Shovkovskiy to beat in the Dynamo goal, the Brazilian forward nonetheless lost the duel as a timely intervention by the 36-year-old Ukraine goalkeeper outside the area rescued his side.

The action soon switched to the other end and the impressive Yarmolenko missed another opportunity in the closing minutes of the first period, his attempt to lob Cenk Gönen coaxing a reaction of great agility from the Turkish keeper.

Despite continuous Dynamo attacks in the second half, chances were shared equally. Besiktas's Fabian Ernst fired the ball over from a promising position and Dynamo's Brown headed wide from close range following Yarmolenko's cross. Another centre from Dynamo's promising winger was met by an Andriy Shevchenko header, but once again Cenk Gönen proved equal to it.

There was still time for Dynamo to force a late corner, however, and up popped Garmash to seal victory.

A pair of second-half penalties from Fernando Llorente salvaged Athletic Club a point against FC Salzburg which keeps the Liga side top of UEFA Europa League Group F.

Dominant for half an hour, Athletic were stunned by strikes from Roman Wallner and Leonardo in the space of six first-half minutes. The hosts were offered a route back into proceedings when Ibrahim Sekagya barged into Markel Susaeta and Llorente did the necessary from the spot. The Spain striker kept his composure again with a quarter of an hour remaining, converting after substitute Rasmus Lindgren had received a second yellow card for handling a corner.

Seeking their fourth successive win in all competitions, Athletic were quickly onto the front foot, probing with a patient brand of possession football. For all their territorial control, however, they soon found themselves with a mountain to climb as Salzburg delivered a lesson in clinical finishing.

Having survived when Gorka Iraizoz was quick off his line to thwart Wallner, Athletic were carved open again on the half-hour mark, Leonardo picking the pocket of Llorente and slipping in the lone striker for a low finish.

Six minutes later it was a case of roles reversed, with Leonardo stealing possession in midfield, exchanging passes with Wallner and beating Iraizoz with ease. Athletic's exasperation heightened when Llorente, in space, guided Iker Muniain's centre straight at Eddie Gustafsson.

The start of the second period mirrored that of the first, with the visitors happy to sit deep and let the Basque team ask the questions. Yet with Leonardo a constant menace and Gonzalo Zárate a willing runner on the opposite flank, Salzburg's threat lingered.

Athletic seemed set for frustration until Sekagya's foul and Llorente's subsequent thumping penalty stirred them into action. Though Llorente scored again soon after, Marcelo Bielsa's men, scenting blood, were unable to strike the telling blow.

A superb free-kick from Russian international Roman Pavlyuchenko earned Tottenham Hotspur FC a narrow victory against FC Rubin Kazan and sent the hosts two points clear at the top of UEFA Europa League Group A.

Pavlyuchenko scored just past the half-hour mark to secure Tottenham's second consecutive home victory in the competition. Rubin were left to rue missing some early chances but were unlucky not to be rewarded for their second-half pressure.

Despite playing Nelson Valdez as a lone striker, the Russian side soon made it clear they had not come to defend. Captain Roman Sharonov glanced wide from Bebras Natcho's corner and Gökdeniz Karadeniz forced a superb close-range save from Heurelho Gomes with a header from Christiano Noboa's cross.

Aside from a Jermain Defoe shot that fizzed across the face of goal, the home crowd had little to cheer before taking the lead. Sharonov felled Danny Rose on the edge of the penalty area and Pavlyuchenko rifled his shot into the top right corner. He nearly had a second just before the break but his curling shot was turned round the post by Sergey Ryzhikov.

Rubin continued to attack after the break, with Aleksandr Ryazantsev drawing another fine save from Gomes on 55 minutes before former Newcastle United FC striker Obafemi Martins was sent on just past the hour.

Noboa and Ryazantsev both tried their luck as Rubin looked for an equaliser, while Ryzhikov had to make a smart save to stop Defoe's header after clever work by Aaron Lennon. Martins might well have earned Rubin a point were it not for a last-ditch block by substitute Younès Kaboul as Spurs held on to all three.

Victor Obinna said a half-time dressing down from coach José Couceiro was the catalyst for FC Lokomotiv Moskva's improved post-interval performance after they beat AEK Athens FC 3-1 in Moscow to take second place in UEFA Europa League Group L. The Nigerian international could take some credit himself, having made an instant impact as a substitute by laying on Dmitri Sychev's opener for the Railway Men.

Victor Obinna, Lokomotiv midfielder
The coach was upset with the way we played in the first half as he knows what we can do when we put our minds to it. He was furious with the first 45 minutes, but he spoke to us and told us to play at a higher tempo, to only take two touches and make sure we played to our potential.

We had a completely different approach going into the second half, and to be able to provide the goal less than five minutes after the resumption and get in front was nice. I am delighted I was able to make such an impact.

Vladislav Ignatyev, Lokomotiv midfielder
It was important we managed to score so quickly after half-time and that swung the game in our favour; we really needed all three points today. AEK had a good chance at the start of the game and had they taken that opportunity the outcome could have been completely different. Unfortunately we always seem to be half asleep in the first half and only start to wake up after the break. On the other hand, it shows we are a very fit side and can stay competitive for 90 minutes.

Cala, AEK defender
In the first half it took us a long time to get used to the pitch, but I thought we were playing well going into the break. We created a host of chances which we should have taken, while Lokomotiv hardly had a shot on goal. After we went a goal down we had opportunities to equalise but when Sychev scored from the penalty spot that was a tough blow for us. All in all I think we were a bit unlucky and deserved something from the game.

Lokomotiv are a very mobile, fluid side, and Sychev was in excellent form. He managed to take all the chances that were presented to him and this was what we were lacking. If we had a striker like Sychev today, then I am sure the result would have been different.

Nathan Burns, AEK midfielder
It was a very even first half and overall it was a difficult game. We tried to hold on, but they came out rejuvenated in the second half and put a lot more pressure on us; eventually they got the result they wanted. Lokomotiv are a good team and they are probably expected to win, but it is disappointing that we played so well in the first half and couldn't continue that in the second half.

Debutant André Martins has promised no let-up from Sporting Clube de Portugal after the Lions confirmed their place in the UEFA Europa League round of 32 with three group games to spare – the earliest point at which a team can progress.

The 21-year-old had dual cause for celebration in Lisbon on Thursday following the hosts' 2-0 win against ten-man FC Vaslui. Not only did Sporting seal qualification with their third straight Group D victory – establishing a seven-point lead over the Romanian outfit as well as FC Zürich and S.S. Lazio, who drew 1-1 – they did so on the midfielder's senior debut.

"We want to win every match if possible, we will not slow down," said the academy product, who entered the fray with 12 minutes remaining. "We will keep going with the same intensity. We're still in the group stage but Sporting enter every competition with the intention of winning it, so we will certainly fight to do that."

The triumph was Sporting's eighth in succession and third in a row without conceding. All in all, then, a "great day" for Martins. "Besides my performance the most important thing was the team display," he added. "We played really well again – it's easy to come into the team in this situation. I felt no pressure but of course I was a bit anxious when I came off the bench for my debut."

Winger Diego Capel, meanwhile, expects things to get harder from here on in. "We had to win in order to make things easier in the group," said the Spanish international, a summer signing from Sevilla FC. "I'm very happy with the win and with the team's overall performance. We know things will become more and more difficult in this competition.

"However, I'm delighted with recent results. The team have been playing superbly – Sporting have great players. It's great to be part of this winning group. We're on the right track and must continue like this because we can achieve great things if we stay grounded."

Sporting had taken control after Vaslui captain Wesley was sent off in the 38th minute, opening the scoring through Evaldo on the cusp of half-time and making the points safe through Matías Fernández with 20 minutes left.

Coach Domingos Paciência, who guided SC Braga to last season's UEFA Europa League final, acknowledged that the red card was the turning point. "We scored after they had a player sent off and then things changed. Sporting were deserved winners because we played very well. Qualification is very important but even more so is playing well and with confidence, as we have been doing."

Sporting Clube de Portugal made progress at the earlier possible stage after UEFA Europa League matchday three while RSC Anderlecht and PSV Eindhoven maintained their perfect group stage records and a number of sides broke from the pack to take up the running in their sections.

After Sporting made it three wins from three with a comfortable 2-0 success against FC Vaslui, the fact that every other game in Group D has been drawn means they are guaranteed a top-two finish and a round of 32 berth. Anderlecht also scored two without reply at SK Sturm Graz to reach nine points while PSV boast the same total following a 1-0 triumph at Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC.

Udinese Calcio left it late, but struck twice in the last few minutes to register a 2-0 home win against 2010 champions Club Atlético de Madrid and open up a three-point lead over their visitors in Group I. Tottenham Hotspur FC also extricated themselves from a two-way tie at the top of their pool with a 1-0 win against FC Rubin Kazan, although PAOK FC beat Shamrock Rovers FC 2-1 to keep within two points.

FC Schalke 04's start to their Group J campaign had been steady rather than spectacular, but the section leaders turned on the style at AEK Larnaca FC, winning 5-0 – their biggest away win in UEFA competition. The group's other game featured the same scoreline, Maccabi Haifa FC getting the better of nine-man FC Steaua Bucuresti on a night where all three Romanian sides lost.

Other notable results included both FC Metalist Kharkiv and FC Twente winning 4-1 away to take the lead in their respective pools and Athletic Club battling back from 2-0 down to pick up a point at home against FC Salzburg. A goal in the tenth minute of added time put Birmingham City FC joint top of Group H, and FC Dynamo Kyiv also struck late to beat Besiktas JK.

View all the matchday three results.

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FC København twice came from behind to earn a valuable draw away against Hannover 96, with César Santin's last-gasp leveller denying the home side the outright lead of UEFA Europa League Group B.

Christian Pander pounced on a mistake by Claudemir to put Hannover ahead with 29 minutes gone before Dame N'Doye levelled matters midway through the second half. Sergio Pinto's strike nine minutes from time then looked to be enough to send the hosts top of the section, but Santin struck late on to deny Mirko Slomka's side.

Hannover started brightly and tested Johan Wiland twice in quick succession, first when Pander unleashed from long range and then when Didier Konan Ya forced him into a fine save low to his left.

FCK attempted to stifle their opponents' attacking threat in the early stages and the plan worked a treat until 29 minutes, when Claudemir's misplaced pass found Pander, who opened the scoring. Jan Schlaudraff almost doubled the home side's advantage soon after, but his delicate chip was blocked by the onrushing Wiland.

After the break, the Bundesliga outfit failed to create any clear-cut chances and seemed to ease off, which left FCK sensing their opportunity. They grabbed it by drawing level on 67 minutes as N'Doye rose above goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler to bury the equaliser.

Sergio Pinto's effort from 30 metres then found a way past Wiland and appeared set to earn the hosts a crucial victory. FCK were not to be denied, though, and Santin's mazy run and cool finish dashed Hannover's hopes of leapfrogging R. Standard de Liège – held to a goalless draw at home to FC Vorskla Poltava – at the top of the section.

"Perhaps in the end we lacked a little European experience," said Hannover 96 coach Mirko Slomka after his team twice lost the lead against FC København in a 2-2 home draw which prevented the German side going two points clear at the top of UEFA Europa League Group B. César Santin's dramatic late equaliser kept FCK within a point of both R. Standard de Liège and Hannover, leaving coach Roland Nilsson and midfielder Johnny Thomsen in confident mood.

Mirko Slomka, Hannover coach
I'm really annoyed at missing such a good chance to record our first home win in the group stage. We were the better team and had the better chances but FC København have more experience at this level. Perhaps in the end we lacked a little European experience.

Sergio Pinto, Hannover midfielder
What good can I take from my goal when we only managed to go home with a point? We dominated our opponents and deserved our first-half lead. At the beginning of the second half we weren't aggressive enough and were punished. It would have been great if my goal had been enough to win. However, the group is still open for anyone to qualify and we must do everything we can in the remaining games to get enough points to take us through to the knockout stage.

Christian Schulz, Hannover defender
Of course we are not satisfied with the point but now we have chosen the difficult path we just have to deal with it. We are still second in the table and have every chance of qualifying for the next round.

Roland Nilsson, København coach
We didn't get going in the first half and Hannover had us pinned back. They were controlling the game and we didn't perform the way we wanted to. The second half was a big improvement from our perspective. We tried to go forward more and managed to score a couple of good goals. It's a difficult place to come, so it's a great point for us. We can go into our home games now with new confidence.

Johnny Thomsen, København midfielder
When we lost the first goal we stayed calm and still believed in ourselves. We kept cool and tried to play our own game. It was a poor first half from us but we enjoyed more possession after the break. Even when we conceded the second goal we felt we could get something from this game and we did. It's not been a good European campaign for us so today was important as it was perhaps the hardest game for us. We have a couple of great home matches coming up now and we're at our best at home so hopefully we can pick up some more points.

FC Dynamo Kyiv forward Andriy Shevchenko praised his team-mates for the effort and belief they showed against Besiktas JK after Denys Garmash's added-time goal moved the Ukrainian side above their visitors in UEFA Europa League Group E.  Shevchenko expects a tough encounter when Dynamo make the reciprocal visit to Istanbul on 3 November, but team-mate Goran Popov is confident of further success.

Andriy Shevchenko, Dynamo forward
We attacked for 90 minutes and created many good chances. Our guys put in a lot of effort towards this achievement. We did believe we would get the victory right until the end and were rewarded for that. Nonetheless, we have to work on converting our scoring opportunities into goals. We expect a much tougher game in Turkey. Besiktas will attack and put all their efforts into winning.

Goran Popov, Dynamo defender
I would not say we had a lot of chances but it is good that we scored in added time. It worked out, and we won the three points. That's the important thing for us. If we play the same as in the first half [in Istanbul] then I think we will not make it as difficult as it was in the second half today.

We know we have a difficult group, including Besiktas and Stoke City, but as I said, if we play like we did in the first half here, then we won't have any difficulties. We must not relax, because in football if you cannot score, they will score, so when we play such teams we must get goals early to make it easier later on.

Carlos Carvalhal, Besiktas coach
The game was absolutely equal. We had our chances and deserved at least a draw tonight. Unfortunately, we conceded in the last minute and got no points from the match.

If we had come out of here with a draw it would have been great but we still have an equal chance of qualifying. Nothing will be decided until the final group matches. Nevertheless, I am satisfied with my team's overall performance. I am sure we'll be more focused in our future games and get better results. Nothing is decided in the group yet, and we believe in a positive outcome.

R. Standard de Liège were unable to get any change out of a meek-looking FC Vorskla Poltava, with a goalless draw coming as a relief for the visitors in UEFA Europa League Group B.

José Riga's Standard were beaten 5-0 in the league at RSC Anderlecht at the weekend, and still looked a little shaken as they returned to European action. They had the better chances, with Gohi Bi Cyriac drawing a splendid save from the busy Serhiy Dolganskiy in the first half, but for all of their dominance, they never did enough to truly rattle a rickety Vorskla defence.

While attacking midfielder Roman Bezus once more demonstrated the mosquito-like ability to irk defenders which sent him into this game as the group stage's most fouled player, Mykola Pavlov's men barely laid a glove on Standard, and Cyriac's volley on the half-hour drew a fittingly spectacular save from Dolganskiy and hinted at further excitement to come.

Momentum soon dissipated, though Dolganskiy did well to charge down a Luis Manuel Seijas shot from a narrowing angle. Bezus did not emerge for Vorskla after the interval, Standard captain Jelle Van Damme was taken off soon afterwards, and neither side looked to have much appetite for the game after that, though the home side had plenty of chances.

Armend Dallku cleared off the line after Yoni Buyens beat Dolganskiy to a ball from the right, but a meek Seijas trundle at one end and an Ivan Kryvosheyenko effort charged down at the other were more representative of a stop-start encounter. Dolganskiy fielded a deflected Kanu effort, Nacho González planted a header wide, Cyriac had an effort forced off target; Vorskla clung on grimly, but need to show in attack when these sides meet again in Ukraine on matchday four.

Stoke City FC scored three first-half goals against Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC to equal their biggest margin of victory in UEFA competition and extend their advantage at the top of UEFA Europa League Group E.

Kenwyne Jones, Cameron Jerome and Ryan Shotton scored inside 32 minutes before the hosts' momentum was halted by the dismissal of Jerome just before half-time. They nevertheless remained comfortable, with Maccabi also reduced to ten men when Yoav Ziv was sent off on 55 minutes.

Buoyed by their home defeat of Besiktas JK last time out, Stoke attacked their opponents from the start and came close to taking an early lead through Jerome only for the forward's header to come back off the crossbar.

The Potters did not have to wait long for the opening goal as on 12 minutes Jones met Dean Whitehead's corner with a trademark downward header. Jerome then rose highest to meet Matthew Etherington's free-kick from the right and double Stoke's lead.

Jerome was involved again on 32 minutes, latching onto a headed clearance before rounding Guy Haimov and laying it off for Shotton, who tucked the ball into the bottom left-hand corner. Jones' dismissal, though, ensured Stoke did not have it all their own way. The visitors dominated possession after the break but were depleted themselves when Ziv received a straight red card.

Jones almost extended Stoke's lead on the hour but his header from Shotton's cross drifted narrowly wide of the left post. The 27-year-old came close again with eight minutes remaining, timing his run perfectly to meet Wilson Palacios's pass but shooting straight at Haimov. Maccabi will seek revenge when the two sides meet in Tel-Aviv on 3 November.

FC Metalist Kharkiv made light of Jonathan Cristaldo's first-half dismissal to win in comprehensive style at Malmö FF and climb to the Group G summit, while all but ending the hosts' UEFA Europa League qualification hopes.

Jiloan Hamad's delicate finish opened the scoring for Malmö after 22 minutes, but their lead lasted just ten minutes before Cristaldo levelled. The Argentinian goalscorer was red-carded shortly afterwards, but, despite their numerical disadvantage, the Ukrainian challengers went ahead via Fininho's drive before half-time. Edmar then guided in a header to make it three after the interval and Marko Devic rounded the win off via a delightful finish.

Without a point at the foot of Group G, Malmö needed victory to maintain their slim qualification hopes and they started with purpose. Miljan Mutavdžic's low drive flew just wide, and the danger signs were not heeded by Metalist. As a result, Mathias Ranégie was able to pick out Hamad's run behind the defence and the 20-year-old lobbed superbly over Oleksandr Goryainov.

The visitors, who have not lost all season in either domestic or European competition, immediately sparked into life. José Ernesto Sosa lofted a cross to the back post, where Cristaldo generated remarkable power on his header to force the ball into the top corner.

The Metalist momentum looked to have been stopped in its tracks when the 22-year-old goalscorer was then shown a straight red card following an incident with Pontus Jansson, but the Ukrainian side kept up their free-flowing play and were rewarded on the stroke of half-time when right-back Cristian Villagra pulled a cross back across goal for Fininho to blast into the top corner.

The evening only got worse for Malmö as Edmar lost his marker from Cleiton Xavier's corner shortly after the break to flick in the third. Devic then stole the ball from Jansson, sold Daniel Andersson a dummy and chipped in beautifully to seal the outcome.

On a stormy night in north-east Slovenia, NK Maribor and SC Braga cancelled each other out to leave the home side in trouble at the foot of UEFA Europa League Group H.

Agim Ibraimi broke the deadlock to give Maribor the lead on 14 minutes, but they struggled to protect it and were pegged back by Elderson moments before the break. The result leaves the Slovenian champions three points adrift at the foot of the section, with Birmingham City FC's late winner against Club Brugge KV pushing Braga down into third.

In challenging conditions at the Stadion Ljudski vrt, the home seized the early initiative. Ibraimi made the most of the slippery playing surface and fired low to Quim's left, two Braga defenders having slipped in the box and failed to deal with a low Dejan Mezga cross.

The goal sparked the visitors into life, and striker Lima might have had a first-half hat-trick on another night only to miss a series of chances – including two one-on-ones with Jasmin Handanovic, firing narrowly over on 25 minutes and then straight at the goalkeeper shortly after the half-hour.

The home side could have extended their lead on 35 minutes, but Marcos failed to control a defence-splitting cross from Zoran Lesjak and shot high and wide. The mounting Braga pressure was taking its toll at the other end, meanwhile, and the Portuguese outfit equalised just before the break, Elderson on target after Maribor failed to deal with a Hugo Viana free-kick.

Play was bogged down in midfield after the break, but Braga looked the more likely side to win it. A Hugo Viana attempt was brilliantly saved by Handanovic on 61 minutes, and the same player headed against the bar with five minutes remaining.

Celtic FC came back from a goal down against Stade Rennais FC as both sides claimed a second successive 1-1 draw in UEFA Europa League Group I.

Celtic's hopes of recording a first win in France since 1966 were dealt a blow on 32 minutes when a mix-up between Cha Du-Ri and Fraser Forster gifted the hosts an unorthodox opening goal, but Joe Ledley headed in a second-half equaliser to rescue a point for the Hoops.

Neil Lennon's men started the brighter of the two sides, with Ki Sung-Yong's low effort forcing Benoît Costil into a smart save with less than two minutes on the clock. That set the tone for an open game, and Anthony Stokes enjoyed an excellent chance to break the deadlock when he turned past Kader Mangane and fired straight at Costil.

The game's first goal came in bizarre circumstances when, as last man, Cha appeared to have comfortably collected an aimless long ball from Costil. However, the South Korean international failed to realise that Forster had come off his line and his back pass rolled past the stranded goalkeeper and into the net.

Buoyed by their good fortune, Rennes dominated after the restart, with Forster needing to be at his best to deny Chris Mavinga after Julien Feret's precise pass had found the marauding full-back. Celtic stuck to their task, though, and both Stokes and Cha forced Costil into saves just after the hour.

Their equaliser came on 70 minutes when Charlie Mulgew's free-kick from the right was met by Ledley, whose header at the near post looped over Costil and into the corner. A frenetic final period then saw Forster turn from villain to hero, somehow palming Youssouf Hadji's acrobatic overhead kick around the woodwork and sticking out a leg to prevent substitute Jonathan Pitroipa from grabbing an added-time winner.

FC Zürich's Adrian Nikci fired in seconds after Giuseppe Sculli had given S.S. Lazio a first-half lead as the UEFA Europa League Group D strugglers could not be separated in Switzerland.

Sculli turned in a Hernanes corner from close range to open the scoring, but within moments of the breakthrough Nikci drove a powerful effort into the top corner. That was where the scoring ended too, with Ludovic Magnin's free-kick forcing Federico Marchetti to save well and Andrea Guatelli denying Hernanes, Djibril Cissé and substitute Libor Kozák as the game ended level.

With both teams finding European form hard to come by, earning a point apiece from their opening two group fixtures, there was a tentative start to the evening, with Yassine Chikhaoui's scuffed long-range shot for Zürich the only attempt early on. But a frantic minute's worth of action soon made up for the quiet 21 that had preceded it.

Sculli benefitted when a corner evaded Modibo Diakitè and Magnin and fell at his feet five metres out, allowing the 30-year-old to power in his second group stage goal of the season. The home side responded immediately, however, as French forward Alexandre Alphonse laid the ball to the right and Nikci met it with a stinging drive which arrowed into the top left corner.

Magnin's forceful free-kick almost sneaked past the Lazio keeper, but it was the visitors who took control after the break. Hernanes' attempt from the edge of the box was saved by the athletic Guatelli, and the Zürich shot-stopper also kept out Cissé's sharp volley and Kozák's late close-range header.

Alphonse bustled his way through the middle but side-footed wide as neither team could prevent a draw, which leaves them locked together with FC Vaslui on two points.

Goals either side of half-time from Costin Lazar and Vieirinha helped give PAOK FC a 2-1 victory against Shamrock Rovers FC, despite a fine goal from Karl Sheppard. The Greek side are now second in UEFA Europa League Group A, with the Irish outfit cast adrift at the bottom of the table.

Lazar beat an unsighted Ryan Thompson on 12 minutes with a spectacular strike from 30 metres, after Rovers failed to clear their lines from a corner. Sheppard struck back soon after the interval, but Vieirinha had the final say, beating Thompson again with a low shot after 63 minutes.

PAOK earned a quick reward for a bright start, and would have further increased their lead moments after Lazar's breakthrough, had Dan Murray not cleared off the line from the same player. Dimitris Salpingidis, Vieirinha and Vladimir Ivic all went close as PAOK utterly dominated, and Murray put in a saving challenge to deny Salpingidis on 35 minutes.

Rovers rode their luck and on 48 minutes their first-half resilience received an unlikely reward when Sheppard lost his marker and climbed well to head in Billy Dennehy's floated free-kick.

However, PAOK soon found their rhythm again and began to dominate. That pressure showed on 63 minutes when Vieirinha was allowed to run at the Rovers goal, and the exciting Portuguese midfielder shot low to Thompson's right, giving him no chance.

It was a lead that was rarely threatened, and the home side comfortably saw out the closing stages to condemn the Dublin side to their third straight defeat.

Debutant André Martins has promised no let-up from Sporting Clube de Portugal after the Lions confirmed their place in the UEFA Europa League round of 32 with three group games to spare – the earliest point at which a team can progress.

The 21-year-old had dual cause for celebration in Lisbon on Thursday following the hosts' 2-0 win against ten-man FC Vaslui. Not only did Sporting seal qualification with their third straight Group D victory – establishing a seven-point lead over the Romanian outfit as well as FC Zürich and S.S. Lazio, who drew 1-1 – they did so on the midfielder's senior debut.

"We want to win every match if possible, we will not slow down," said the academy product, who entered the fray with 12 minutes remaining. "We will keep going with the same intensity. We're still in the group stage but Sporting enter every competition with the intention of winning it, so we will certainly fight to do that."

The triumph was Sporting's eighth in succession and third in a row without conceding. All in all, then, a "great day" for Martins. "Besides my performance the most important thing was the team display," he added. "We played really well again – it's easy to come into the team in this situation. I felt no pressure but of course I was a bit anxious when I came off the bench for my debut."

Winger Diego Capel, meanwhile, expects things to get harder from here on in. "We had to win in order to make things easier in the group," said the Spanish international, a summer signing from Sevilla FC. "I'm very happy with the win and with the team's overall performance. We know things will become more and more difficult in this competition.

"However, I'm delighted with recent results. The team have been playing superbly – Sporting have great players. It's great to be part of this winning group. We're on the right track and must continue like this because we can achieve great things if we stay grounded."

Sporting had taken control after Vaslui captain Wesley was sent off in the 38th minute, opening the scoring through Evaldo on the cusp of half-time and making the points safe through Matías Fernández with 20 minutes left.

Coach Domingos Paciência, who guided SC Braga to last season's UEFA Europa League final, acknowledged that the red card was the turning point. "We scored after they had a player sent off and then things changed. Sporting were deserved winners because we played very well. Qualification is very important but even more so is playing well and with confidence, as we have been doing."

After ending months of injury frustration with a UEFA Europa League goal on his first start of the season, a delighted Antonio Floro Flores told UEFA.com "he felt alive again" on a night when Udinese Calcio struck twice late on to beat Club Atlético de Madrid 2-0 and go three points clear in Group I. Visiting forward Diego, meanwhile, refused to look for excuses despite his team dominating possession.

Antonio Floro Flores, Udinese striker
I'm happy because it's the first time I've set foot on the pitch from the start in months. Merely playing was really satisfying, so to score as well means I couldn't have got off to a better start. I missed one early on but I didn't worry about it because when you get to 28 you don't think about it, you just act. I hope I made the coach, team-mates, club and fans happy with my performance. After so long on the sidelines I needed this; I feel alive again and I'm really happy.

They're a really good side who play nice football and give you hardly any opportunities to score, but I think we created the better chances. The last time I played was for Genoa months ago, so now I'm off to celebrate with my family. It's the second time I've started a match in the Europa League and the second time I've scored, so I must bring luck. It's a shame we didn't make the Champions League; who knows what I might have done then?

Samir Handanovic, Udinese goalkeeper
It went well. We were a bit off-colour in the first half, we weren't exactly at our best, but then in the second half we improved and got the three points. It's another case of late goals but in the end it doesn't matter when you score as long as somebody does.

Atlético are a good side. They pass the ball around really well and are good in possession, you can see they have some great players. We suffered a bit but in the end we came through and finished sharply. We're well placed at the top of the group and we're well on course to qualify. But there are still three matches left, plenty of hard work ahead, but so far so good.

Diego, Atlético forward
We played really well in the first half, but we lacked Udinese's efficiency in front of goal. When Italian teams sit back and play on the counterattack it can be annoying, but only because we weren't good enough to score. We created more than enough chances in the first half but we didn't score and that was the problem.

Pizzi, Atlético midfielder
The ball just didn't want to go in, but we're calm about it because with hard work we know we can still qualify. I think we dominated and at the very least deserved a point. To concede two goals was harsh and we're disappointed, but we just have to take it on the chin and keep going. In Madrid we're sure the match will be very different. We know we can win that and if we get three points we'll forget about tonight's sad outcome.

PSV Eindhoven goalscorer Georginio Wijnaldum said that his side "want to be champions" after Thursday's 1-0 win at Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC kept up the visitors' perfect run in UEFA Europa League Group C. The matchday three result also left the Israeli team without a point – not that they are giving up.

Georginio Wijnaldum, PSV midfielder
In the first half we didn't play well because we had a lot of stray passes and it was difficult to be positive because they had ten men behind the ball. The second half we played more passes and we found more space.

We must play better passes at the beginning of matches to make our opponents run more in the first half. If we had done that this game would have been easier. Of course a lot of teams play like Hapoel in Holland, defensive, so we knew what to expect.

We want to be champions of this competition. If you have a team like we have, with lots of good players, then you must play for the trophy.

Ola Toivonen, PSV midfielder
We knew that thay were going to come out very slowly and concentrate on their defensive game and that is what happened. We knew in the second half we would have more space because they would get tired and that was the case.

The improvement in our play in the second half came about because we worked the ball quickly in front of their defence. We also won the ball early in the midfield and counterattacked well.

We want to win the next game and then go on to be the number one team in the group, which is our big aim. It would be nice to have six wins in this group.

Bevan Fransman, Hapoel defender
We played very well in the first half and didn't allow any big chances but we couldn't keep it up in the second. We became tired chasing their midfielders. The penalty really knocked us out.

It was disappointing we couldn't apply more pressure in the second half after we did so well early on. We will try and get some points in our final three games, starting with facing PSV away in two weeks' time.

Didier Deschamps, Marseille coach
To lose it like that in the 92nd minute hurts. It is cruel. We are now in a tough position and a draw tonight would have been a decent result. Arsenal can feel happy to have taken the points. We made a good start in the Champions League and we stay second thanks to Olympiacos' win tonight. But even one point would have been very good for us, and I told the players at the break not to take needless risks.

Arsène Wenger, Arsenal manager
We left it very late but we had a difficult start. We lost some balls in the first half due to the fact Marseille pressed us well. They didn't find their fluency but in the second half we took over and I don't think Marseille were dangerous at all [after half-time]. They defended very well but in the last 15 minutes we created some chances and were rewarded because we kept going and got an important victory.

We've made a little step forward but we have to be humble. We are a team who must continue to grow and we have to show that. The next game at home against Marseille is very important. This will help us but in last five or six games we only have one defeat. We are slowly getting there; tonight will help that.

[The goal] was a great finish, you see Aaron Ramsey in front of goal and you know you have a good chance to score. He is a goalscorer. I do not want to overplay him. He had been injured for a year; I try to be a bit more cautious when I can.

We lost two points in Dortmund in the last seconds of the game. We lost a Champions League final in the last part of the game with ten men. We are not always lucky but when you face good opposition you need to take your chances. We needed to be patient and intelligent. You could see our midfield had experience; we didn't make stupid mistakes and we didn't play stupid passes. It's an important win but you take any win away from home in the Champions League.

Bayer 04 Leverkusen defender Michal Kadlec has extended his stay with the German outfit after accepting terms on a two-year contract extension.

Kadlec, who has made 91 Bundesliga appearances since joining Leverkusen from AC Sparta Praha in 2008/09, has agreed to remain at the BayArena until the summer of 2015. He has featured in all three of Leverkusen's UEFA Champions League Group E matches.

"I feel really good here and have established myself as a regular and developed my game," said the Czech international, a double goalscorer in his country's 4-1 defeat of Lithuania which booked their UEFA EURO 2012 play-off place. "At Bayer I have a big chance to continue playing on the international stage and keep myself in contention for the Czech team."

The 26-year-old is normally deployed at left-back but is equally adept in midfield, a quality that has brought praise from Leverkusen chief executive Wolfgang Holzhäuser. "Michal gives our team stability and adds dynamism to our game," he said. "He has been a key player in recent years."

Sporting director Rudi Völler added: "Michal has a lot of experience and is surely one of the best in his position in the Bundesliga. Left-backs of his class are hard to find." Leverkusen sit second in Group E on six points, one adrift of leaders Chelsea FC.

André Villas-Boas, Chelsea manager
The performance was nothing to do with the goals. It was a very good display by the team, and a very concentrated performance. As we said before it is very important in a game of this size to keep focus. We kept the rhythm high after the early goals and upped the tempo in last 20 minutes.

We hope we can now go to Genk with confidence and get the ten points which we will make us very happy. We were happy, playing with confidence which showed in the good football we played to bring a good result. Fernando Torres got into good goalscoring positions but it is not important that he did not get a hat-trick. It is not an individual objective but a collective objective to get the points.

Mario Been, Genk coach
I obviously feel disappointed. This Chelsea team is from a totally different level from where we are. You have to be honest and admit that. It is a shame we missed too many players, especially in central defence. All the goals came through the centre, where we were just not positioned well enough. That has to do with guys who are not used to playing with each other and players who are not used to playing in that position.

It was a shame we went behind early and that within ten minutes we were 2-0 down. Then you can only fear the worse. Luckily it was 'only' 4-0 at half-time. The second half we did a lot better. These are learning moments. We have to be more mature if we ever want to get to this level, if that is at all possible.

Mircea Lucescu, Shakhtar coach
We have to be grateful for the point because Zenit ought to have won. They made us play their game, based on physical attributes and a determination to quickly shift defence into attack. They put great pressure on our defenders, who started to make mistakes. The defenders' nerves passed onto our attacking players.

Zenit played better than I had expected, though I ought to add that Jadson had two wonderful opportunities when it was 2-1. If he had scored we could have won. Mistakes from [Dmytro] Chygrynskiy and [Olexandr] Chyzhov led to the [Viktor] Fayzulin goal.

I haven't named our goalkeeper the man of the match for a long time. This game is an important lesson for me, as well as for our Brazilians. They should understand that you cannot win every match using technical skills alone.

The draw has weakened our chances of reaching the knockout stages. I hope we play better next time. [Yaroslav] Rakitskiy, our key defender, will be able to play in St Petersburg. Also, I need to improve the physical condition of the team.

Luciano Spalletti, Zenit coach
I think it was a decent match and I can commend myself on having such great players. They coped with a game of real intensity, rhythm and quality. Obviously we're a bit disappointed as we should have achieved more.

I'm not pleased with the result, but we should emphasise the positives. The team came here and put on a great performance, created lots of chances – a very hard thing to do in Donetsk. The penalty we wasted was probably one of the least clear-cut opportunities we had this evening.

I don't think we'll have a psychological advantage at home [on matchday four], but we need our guys to understand that they have it in them to play like this. Nevertheless, every match is a different story. Our group remains open, so we need to fight game by game. It's always harder when the teams are even.

Robin Dutt, Leverkusen coach
The first half an hour didn't go as planned. We put ourselves in awkward positions with some poor passes and Valencia totally deserved to be ahead because they put us under pressure.

The team delivered a great performance from the 35th minute onwards. It was not fun to watch the match before that [from our point of view] but then we took the initiative and it was all-out attack after the break. The players want to deliver, and today we saw that.

We saw that Valencia make mistakes too when put under pressure and it was a never-say-die attitude from us. Our performance and energy were amazing and it's a huge relief to beat a top European team. Hopefully it will give us the boost that we needed. It was a very special victory and we're now four points ahead of [third-placed Valencia].

Unai Emery, Valencia coach
I don't see the result as a fair one. We deserved to win and for that reason I am happy with our game but very upset with the result. In the overall scheme of things Valencia were the better side and lost. We knew that they would come at us because they have good players. We also knew they would have their chances and they took advantage of them. We didn't manage to do that during our moments in the game.

It feels somehow unjust to lose but we have to accept it. We didn't manage to contain them in the opening quarter of the second half but that was also to do with their strength. In the first 30 minutes we were really on top and I was feeling confident.

The difficulty in advancing from the group has increased but we must remain optimistic and grab the chances that come our way. Looking at how we played tonight I am optimistic. If I didn't believe that Valencia were capable of winning the three remaining games in this group I wouldn't be here. We also know that we're not depending on ourselves now.

Kevin-Prince Boateng told UEFA.com he "loved everything about AC Milan" after silencing the doubters with a spectacular first UEFA Champions League goal. Things might have been different for FC BATE Borisov, now six points adrift of both their Italian opponents and FC Barcelona, had Renan Bressan not been denied by Christian Abbiati moments before Zlatan Ibrahimovic's opener.

Kevin-Prince Boateng, Milan midfielder
I'm very happy, it was very important for us to win. It was a good game, we did our job so everything's good. They played in two banks of four, they were playing very tight, so we didn't have a lot of space. I tried my luck a couple of times in the first half and in the end I was very happy to score.

 I'm delighted with the goal, because before the game and last week there were some negative comments made about me and some doubts [suggesting] I'm not focused on football. That's why I went out there today and wanted to prove that I am concentrated on football; so I was delighted to score.

I always work hard, I always try my best and I showed today what I can do and hopefully I'll keep doing that. I love it here, I love the team; I love everything about Milan. I'm enjoying my football here and I try to improve every day. They were playing very deep and all of a sudden they missed a great chance, which is when we woke up. There was just one mistake by Mark van Bommel but we are lucky we have a goalkeeper like [Christian] Abbiati and that save drove us on to score.

We train to play forward and press teams. We managed to press them for 60 minutes today. It was very intense, but in the end it was all good and hopefully we can keep playing like that. We're not thinking about [playing Barcelona] yet, we have a lot of games to think about before then. We'll focus on them and step by step we'll see what happens.

Antonio Nocerino, Milan midfielder
It went well for us tonight. Alberto Aquilani and I are enjoying our football and playing well together. Thanks to the coach and his staff we know exactly what we're supposed to be doing and playing with great champions who help us out and give us the chance to do everything with great simplicity. Players like Boateng, [Antonio] Cassano, Ibrahimovic and Robinho make football very easy. It is great to play alongside them and we are delighted to have them, to do what we can to help them show their quality, because when they do they win us matches like they did tonight.

Marko Simic, BATE defender
We had a great chance at 0-0 and if that had gone in who knows what might have happened. It is a shame he missed because that was a key moment in the game. It is easier to play Milan than Barcelona because Milan give you more of a chance to play. I don't know where we go from here but we will give our best and we will see where it gets us. Finishing third in the group is our realistic objective and we will try hard to realise it.

Olympique de Marseille defender Nicolas N'Koulou was left ruing "a moment of inattention" after the French club conceded an added-time goal against Arsenal FC to surrender top spot in UEFA Champions League Group F. The mood in the away dressing room was far more buoyant as the Gunners celebrated what late goalscorer Aaron Ramsey described as "a massive result" for Arsène Wenger's team.

Aaron Ramsey, Arsenal midfielder
It's a massive result for us, coming away from home and getting three points. We've had two wins on the bounce now. Hopefully we can get a few more and that will give the players and everyone around us a lift and more confidence. Then I think we'll be alright and we'll be a real threat to anybody.

The start of the season hasn't been good enough for Arsenal. But we want to turn that round. The players want to show that they can go a long time unbeaten, and hopefully we'll do that.

Laurent Koscielny, Arsenal defender
We defended well. Marseille didn't have many chances and our goalkeeper didn't have any difficult saves to make. We worked hard as a team, and as the game went on we managed to find more space between their defence and midfield. We created some chances, kept on going, and got the goal right at the end. We kept on believing in ourselves.

The clean sheet will give the defenders more confidence. My understanding with Per Mertesacker is getting better and better. He's an experienced international and when he's fully adapted to the Premier League he'll be a big player for us. But the important thing is the whole team defends well together.

Steve Mandanda, Marseille goalkeeper
We put in a lot of effort for 90 minutes, playing the way we needed to play, then in the last ten seconds we lost the game because of a positional error. It's another disappointing result.

We were strong, created some good situations, and the draw we should have got would have been a decent result. But the game isn't over until the referee blows his whistle and we saw that again tonight.

Nicolas N'Koulou, Marseille defender
We would have been in a strong position if we'd got a point. But we were guilty of a moment of inattention. We didn't stay focused until the very last moment. We did a lot of good work in defence throughout the game but when you concede like that at the end it ruins everything.

It's not easy to accept this result. We've been struggling for quite a while, so to lose this way is hard to take. But we have to stay positive. The race for qualification is still open and I think we're capable of getting something at Arsenal.

FC Schalke 04 have confirmed the signing of goalkeeper Timo Hildebrand on a free transfer.

The 32-year-old had been looking for a new club since leaving Sporting Clube de Portugal in the summer and the Gelsenkirchen outfit offered him a deal after Ralf Fährmann suffered ligament damage in his left knee during the 2-1 defeat by 1. FC Kaiserslautern last Saturday.

Hildebrand, a former Germany international, played a major role in helping VfB Stuttgart win the Bundesliga title in 2007 before signing for Valencia CF. He also played for TSG 1899 Hoffenheim for two seasons before moving to Portugal.

"It would have been a great risk to only have two keepers in our squad so we decided to sign Timo Hildebrand, who has great quality," said general manager Horst Heldt. "He is at a good age for a goalkeeper and is very goal-orientated."

Ernesto Valverde, Olympiacos coach
We needed to win to have any chance of finishing in third place in the group. I was pleased we got that win. The first half was tough as both teams played counterattacking football at great pace. After the interval we were able to take control of the match. We would like to thank the fans for their part in creating a fantastic atmosphere.

Jürgen Klopp, Dortmund coach
It's very sobering, especially the way we conceded the goals. We were not focused enough during the key moments. We play some decent football and are quite dangerous in possession, but we cannot afford to concede this many goals. Their second came from a throw-in where we didn't react quickly enough. The way the striker had so much time in the penalty area was just not acceptable.

We should have scored more goals in the first half. After the break Olympiacos defended very well and they were compact. This obviously made it more difficult to create chances. Overall, we did not quite do enough. I said before the match that Olympiacos have a lot of quality. Even so, we had spells where we controlled the game, but all in all we did not deserve a win tonight.

Now we need to win at home against Olympiacos. Anyone who saw tonight’s match will know how difficult that's going to be. So far, I do not feel we have given a good account of ourselves in the competition. Dortmund are better than our results suggest.

FC Porto pair Hulk and João Moutinho lamented their team's inability to build on a good start – and the former's goal – in the 1-1 draw with APOEL FC. The Cypriot champions are not getting ahead of themselves according to Nuno Morais and equalising scorer Aílton, despite leading Group G at the halfway stage.

Hulk, Porto striker
We were hoping for a home win and we were looking for it until the end, but unfortunately we didn't manage it. We still have three games in front of us so we have to stay concentrated and be more focused. We knew they would defend deep in their half. We tried to get behind them but they defended very well. We have to get our heads up now.

We know they have a good team and it will be difficult, but with the quality of players that Porto have I'm sure that we'll go there [on 1 November] and get the victory. Is it decisive? Without a doubt.

João Moutinho, Porto midfielder
Clearly it wasn't what we hoped for. We aimed for the win and didn't get it. We have to move on from this. APOEL defended well and made the most of counterattacks, which we knew they would.

We didn't start badly, but we didn't manage to keep up that early intensity. Now we have to get points away from home to achieve our objective – to qualify for the next stage of the Champions League.

Aílton, APOEL striker
It was an important goal. Porto were favourites before the game and deserved to be, because they have a very good team, especially at home. This was a very important point for us.

We're not thinking about the group table. We'll just give 100% in every game and see what happens. Rather than looking at the next phase, we're going to try and get a good result in the next game too.

[Hulk] is a great player, a spectacular player, and everybody knows the goals he can score with his left foot. We knew he was dangerous from free-kicks.

Nuno Morais, APOEL defender
We had a pretty good game before, and this was an enjoyable game too. Did we expect to do so well? Obviously not. We've just gone into each game with the aim of doing our best, and we'll continue to do that in the coming games.

We go into the matches fully concentrated and we'll just try to get as many points as possible. We're just playing for three points [in the return] as always – nothing more, nothing less. We have a squad full of quality, too. With our hard work, we've shown again that we're in the Champions League on merit, and we will do again.

Despite an impressive display from FC Zenit St Petersburg, goalkeeper Vyacheslav Malafeev was disappointed to be leaving FC Shakhtar Donetsk with just a 2-2 draw to show for their efforts. The Russian international believed the visitors would be travelling home with a second successive Group G victory were it not for his opposite number Olexandr Rybka, while the home squad also had cause for regret.

Vyacheslav Malafeev, Zenit goalkeeper
If someone had offered us a point before the game we would have taken it but as the match went on, and we managed to create so many chances, then of course we have dropped two points. We had plenty of opportunities in both halves and had it not been for their goalkeeper [Olexandr Rybka] we would have definitely won. Every player has a game which defines his career and he put in an absolutely fantastic display; there's no doubt he earned his side a point.

Everything is still in our hands - we have got two matches to play at home and we also travel to [Porto]. We can improve and if we perform like we did here in those two matches then we can wrap up qualification and relax a bit in our final game. However, we mustn't look too far into the future and we need to concentrate on our next game.

Nicolas Lombaerts, Zenit defender
It was a good game, end to end. We had lots of chances to score more and were a bit unlucky not to do so. But this is football – it's not science and you know how things will end up if you don't take your opportunities. You can have 20 chances but they scored two and we scored two and that's the end result.

Tomáš Hübschman, Shakhtar midfielder
Both sides had spells in the game when they were on top. It's difficult to say that we're happy with a point as we were leading 2-1. Jadson had a couple of excellent chances early in the second half and if he'd taken one we would have gone 3-1 in front and it would have been difficult for Zenit to come back. Unfortunately, we made a few mistakes and that cost us in the end.

Dmytro Chygrynskiy, Shakhtar defender
I don't think we played that badly, but we can certainly play a lot better than this. We hoped to get all three points but were not able to get the victory that we needed. We were a little unlucky.

Chelsea FC cemented their position at the top of Group E after matching their record UEFA Champions League win, while there were also home victories for AC Milan and FC Barcelona as the group stage reached the halfway point on Wednesday night.

Fernando Torres struck twice for Chelsea as they maintained their one-point lead over Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Both sides pulled away from Valencia CF in third, though, after the German outfit struck twice in four second-half minutes to overturn a 1-0 half-time deficit.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic registered for the second UEFA Champions League home game in a row and Kevin-Prince Boateng struck one of the goals of the night as Milan stayed on top of Group H following a 2-0 victory against FC BATE Borisov. Holders Barcelona are also six points clear of the bottom two in that section after recording an identical success against FC Viktoria Plzen. The Italian and Spanish giants know wins on matchday four will seal knockout berths.

Group G is still tight after two draws. APOEL FC continued their impressive form in Europe with a battling 1-1 draw at FC Porto, while FC Shakhtar Donetsk and FC Zenit St Petersburg shared four goals in a highly entertaining encounter in Donetsk. Zenit twice came from behind to earn a point.

Arsenal FC denied Olympique de Marseille a third straight win in Group F as a late Aaron Ramsey strike earned the Gunners all three points. Arsène Wenger's side are top of the section while Olympiacos FC got off the mark with a 3-1 win against Borussia Dortmund, replacing the German side in third place.

All fixtures will be reversed on matchday four, when the UEFA Champions League resumes on 1 November.

Group E
Chelsea FC 5-0 KRC Genk
Bayer 04 Leverkusen 2-1 Valencia CF

Group F
Olympique de Marseille 0-1 Arsenal FC
Olympiacos FC 3-1 Borussia Dortmund

Group G
FC Shakhtar Donetsk 2-2 FC Zenit St Petersburg
FC Porto 1-1 APOEL FC

Group H
AC Milan 2-0 FC BATE Borisov
FC Barcelona 2-0 FC Viktoria Plzen

Fernando Torres scored two eye-catching goals as Chelsea FC eased to their biggest home win in the UEFA Champions League to consolidate their position at the top of Group E. It was a difficult night for a KRC Genk side who have yet to score in this season's competition and lacked any defensive organisation.

Two goals arrived inside 11 minutes, through Raul Meireles and the resurgent Torres who was delighted to be involved again amidst his domestic ban. The Spaniard made it 3-0 with a wonderful header and the scoreboard rolled on to four at half-time as Branislav Ivanovic rose highest to turn in a Florent Malouda free-kick. Substitute Salomon Kalou added the fifth late on.

Torres gave an early hint of what was to come when he instantly controlled a ball over the top from Meireles. However, the striker's finish was a little tentative and the ball rolled to safety via the right-hand upright.

That was forgotten a minute later when Meireles picked up possession midway inside the Genk half and, allowed the freedom to size up his options, took aim from distance. His well-struck effort surprised László Köteles and the goalkeeper, perhaps unsighted, watched the shot fly past him into the bottom left-hand corner of his net.

While they struggled defensively, the visitors looked more promising going forward. Kevin De Bruyne was showing himself to be full of intent and good ideas down the left but the space between their defenders demanded punishment. In the 11th minute they were cut apart again when Frank Lampard played in Torres, and the Spanish international scored with ease.

Malouda could have added to the visitors' woe but missed the target, although Torres was more clinical soon afterward, finding the net with a sumptuous header after Meireles picked him out with a perfect delivery. The striker then turned provider with a cross for Lampard, yet the midfielder's aim was wayward.

Ivanovic gave the visitors more food for thought at the interval with a towering header to make it 4-0, but at least they improved their possession statistics in the second half. Even so, Petr Cech was scarcely called into action. Malouda declined the invitation to be a record-breaker when shooting tamely at Köteles and it was left to substitute Salomon Kalou to add Chelsea's fifth after the keeper had parried from Torres.

A stunning strike from Sidney Sam capped an equally spectacular turnaround as Bayer 04 Leverkusen came from a goal down to end Valencia CF's unbeaten run in Group E.

A home victory looked highly unlikely after a first half dominated by the visitors. Yet with only Jonas's 24th-minute strike to show for their superiority, Valencia found themselves behind in the space of five second-half minutes. First André Schürrle equalised before Sam arrowed a sublime strike beyond Diego Alves to give Leverkusen back-to-back wins in the section.

For a team with a justified reputation as being defensively sound, Valencia began with an enterprising air, all incisive movement and crisp interplay. It should have brought an opening goal when, following a fleet-footed counterattack, Éver Banega's drive ricocheted into the path of the unmarked Soldado, who struck a post with the goal gaping.

The luckless striker would not have to wait long to make amends, showing the poise he had previously lacked to capitalise on a misunderstanding in the Leverkusen back four. From the left side of the area, the striker clipped in a fine pass with the outside of his boot and Jonas did the rest by passing it into the net having timed his run perfectly.

Another mistake led to Leno having to brilliantly parry both Jonas's drive and Pablo Hernández's follow-up as Leverkusen were in danger of being overwhelmed. Though clearly second best, they very nearly found themselves level at the break as Schürrle's spectacular dipping volley extended Diego Alves.

From the resulting corner, the Brazilian goalkeeper parried Michael Ballack's header straight onto Stefan Kiessling, who could do little but watch the ball bounce off his knee and agonisingly wide from point-blank range.

Having seen his defence shredded, Robin Dutt brought on Manuel Friedrich at half-time; the centre-back's arrival appearing to infuse confidence through the side. That belief manifested itself in a well-worked equaliser, as Michal Kadlec darted forward from left-back and his cross found Schürrle, whose sweetly struck shot from the edge of the area was too good for Diego Alves.

The balance of the match had swung, and unlike their visitors, Leverkusen quickly capitalised on their dominance. Having been picked out by Ballack's swerving pass, Sam burst clear of the Valencia defence down the right before striking a majestic curling shot into the far top corner with his left foot.

Valencia recovered from the blow to rally, but Leno's reflexes denied Soldado. The teenage custodian was then well positioned to cling onto a Jonas shot to ensure his team moved four points clear of their opponents ahead of the teams' reunion in Spain in two weeks' time.

Massimiliano Allegri, Milan coach
This match proved that the players are finally finding their best form and I'm sure it'll be even better when I have all my players available. In the first half we were too impatient, we wanted to score as soon as possible and this is why we made some mistakes. The team played well in the end, and we created a lot of chances. We also allowed them a few chances but that can happen, especially when you think things will be easy.

I'm very happy because what I wanted was to win and to play well, and that's what we did. We'd like to go into the home game against Barcelona [on matchday five] level on points with them, so that we can fight for first place. We didn't have a perfect start to the season, but we didn't do too badly either. Of course, with so many injured players you have problems and I always had to field the same players, without ever resting.

Viktor Goncharenko, BATE coach
We needed to recuperate from the painful [5-0] defeat by Barcelona and we managed to do it. We had a chance to change the game but we missed out. Milan have quality players which means that even if we don't let them get into our box they score from outside the area. We could have played more aggressively in attack.

Renan Bressan missed his chance, but mistakes happen in football, so it's wrong to blame someone just because he wasted one opportunity. We'll talk about our aims for the tournament after the return tie in Minsk.

Arsenal FC went top of Group F thanks to substitute Aaron Ramsey's late strike after a cautious contest in which Olympique de Marseille offered long spells of resistance.

A tight, tactical encounter looked destined to finish in stalemate before Ramsey's 92nd-minute intervention. The Welshman had only been on the pitch for 14 minutes when he swept the ball home at the far post after Gervinho had allowed through Johan Djourou's right-sided cross. 

Chances had been scarce, although the Gunners did look the more threatening side in the second half, and Steve Mandanda twice needed to save with his feet from Theo Walcott and Robin van Persie. The result takes Arsène Wenger's men top of the section, a point above OM, ahead of the return game in London on 1 November.

Both sides have been strangely off colour in their domestic leagues, which may have contributed to a cagey opening in which Mathieu Valbuena's free-kick – comfortably saved by Wojciech Szczesny – was the sole effort on goal. Yet as Arteta's influence grew, the visitors began to settle, creating their first chance on 21 minutes when Van Persie's header was cleared off the line by Souleymane Diawara following a left-sided corner.

It had been through solid defending and fine counterattacking that the Mediterranean outfit accounted for Borussia Dortmund last time, and they threatened to repeat the trick with a series of speedy raids before the break. Subdued early on, forward Loïc Rémy burst into life shortly after the half hour, slipping past Per Mertesacker on the byline and cutting in menacingly from the left only to see his shot deflect wide off Carl Jenkinson.

OM's confidence seemed to be returning and Lucho González came close on 35 minutes, flicking Valbuena's cross wide of the far post having ghosted into the box unopposed.

The Gunners tightened up in the second period, Laurent Koscielny in particular showing assurance on his return to France, and the Premier League outfit slowly got on top. Walcott might have opened the scoring on 63 minutes, but after taking advantage of Nicolas N'Koulou's mistake, the Englishman's shot was expertly saved by Mandanda with his boot.

Van Persie was similarly denied by the Marseille custodian as Arsenal entered added time in the ascendancy – and Ramsey had the final say.

FC Barcelona dominated throughout at the Camp Nou but left it late before securing a 2-0 victory over FC Viktoria Plzen which keeps them locked in a battle for the Group H leadership with AC Milan.

Andrés Iniesta's tenth-minute opener and a late effort from David Villa, set up by the ever-dangerous Lionel Messi, ultimately dealt with the Czech title holders. Yet Pavel Vrba can be proud of his team's dogged and intelligent resistance, keeping their heads above water even when the waves of attacks looked likely to overwhelm them.

Barcelona started with purpose, zip and some electric passing movements, traits wonderfully put together to fashion their breakthrough. Iniesta exchanged a couple of one-twos with Messi but there was still lots to do when he received the ball again just inside the area. His right foot flicked the ball between two defenders; his left clipped it past goalkeeper Marek Cech.

It was just what Josep Guardiola had requested before the game, stressing the need to avoid complacency, to retain focus and hunger. And so it continued, yet for all their drive and endeavour, reward was not forthcoming. Villa fired over after Iniesta's tremendous trickery on the byline sent František Rajtoral this way and that, and the darting Messi was denied only by Cech's knees before the half-hour mark.

Credit, though, to Plzen. Whenever they did win possession – and it was not often – the visitors would push three, sometimes four, attackers high up the pitch. While the visiting Czech fans chanted defiance their team embodied it.

Frustrations grew for Barcelona when Messi fired an outstanding free-kick off the frame of the goal with the last action of the half, and the hosts began the second period with the urgency of champions wishing to deal with a niggling situation. Messi led the charge, and 15 minutes after the break he skipped past three defenders and dinked an effort off the outside of the post.

Home nerves tautened when Milan Petržela's cross caused confusion between Daniel Alves and Víctor Valdés, though the keeper reacted with alacrity. Messi's one-man quest for the second goal continued when he slipped through the defence, flicked the ball over Cech only for David Limberský to calmly intervene.

Finally the pressure told eight minutes from time, Villa slotting in after another Messi break had been smothered. Barcelona could breathe easily again, allowing Guardiola to give Isaac Cuenca his competitive debut in the final seconds.

Rafik Djebbour basked in the glory of scoring his first UEFA Champions League goal as Olympiacos FC defeated Borussia Dortmund 3-1 to get off the mark in Group F. Fellow scorer José Holebas was similarly thrilled to find the net against his countrymen, while it was missed opportunities that irked visiting defenders Neven Subotic and Marcel Schmelzer.

Rafik Djebbour, Olympiacos forward
It was like a cup final for us because we wanted to get the three points to stay in the competition and we managed to do that. Now we have renewed hope and we'll have to see if we can continue this in the next game in Germany. It is a very nice feeling to score at home in front of our fans; it really was an electric atmosphere tonight and it's great to be able to score in such a game. I'm very proud to score my first goal in the Champions League.

Every game is different. You start with different tactics and those can often change during the game as we saw Dortmund do tonight, switching players from different positions to try and get back into it. The important thing for us is that the coach has confidence in us and our game plan and in turn this helps us to play more confidently.

Ariel Ibagaza, Olympiacos midfielder
We felt the pressure coming into the game as we knew it was a match we had to win to keep our chances of qualification from the group stage alive. It was a big opportunity and we managed to get our first points, which is very important as it gives us hope. We have a very important game next against Dortmund in Germany and need a positive result from that match if we want to progress.

José Holebas, Olympiacos defender
It was a match both teams could have won because it was a very close contest. They deserved the equaliser but we were totally focused and in the end we did everything we could to win. We definitely have a chance to get a result in Germany. I would like to dedicate my goal to all my friends who are fans of Dortmund. I don't score many goals but I'll continue to look for the opportunities to get forward and score when I can.

Neven Subotic, Dortmund defender
We have no choice but to fight. For most of us this is our first time playing in the Champions League and we want to make the best of it. The campaign has not started the way we wanted it to. Only one point from three games is not what we deserve, but here we stand and we have no choice but to learn from our mistakes and try to get results in the next two games.

We started well but what was missing was the first goal. When you go a goal down it puts you in a tough position and you have to take a few more risks. This happened twice tonight. Sometimes you get the break and sometimes you don't. We didn't make the best of it after we drew level and it would have been a different game if we had scored first after the opening half-hour. We pressed a lot and had some good chances but we just couldn't score, so we were also unlucky.

Marcel Schmelzer, Dortmund defender
We missed five good opportunities at the beginning. We were not at our best but showed we can fight for qualification. If we remain unbeaten in the remaining games then this will give us a chance; two wins and a draw will help us qualify for the next phase.

Josep Guardiola, Barcelona coach
We put on an exhibition and played in a resounding manner. The news tonight is we have achieved it without Lionel Messi scoring. We know that the most difficult thing [against a defensive team] is to score but that is all part of the process; we had a lot of opportunities and sometimes we were assertive while at other times we weren't.

In general I thought we played well. The fact that we didn't concede means that the whole team was involved. I congratulate my players for taking the game with the seriousness it deserved. I do not like the feeling that exists that suggests because we did not win by a bigger score we have not had a good game. My players played a great game. Fortunately, David Villa's goal finished the encounter.

Pavel Vrba, Plzen coach
We played against the best side in the world and a defeat here is not a disgrace. I have seen six of Barcelona's games this season and all of them have been like this one. It was always only a question of time, when they would score goal. They play football at their own level.

Our players tried to fulfill their tasks, but it is very difficult to do it against such players as Lionel Messi, who is able to go round three opponents. The first-half was better from our viewpoint, we were unable to release the pressure after the restart. I am sorry about the second goal, which was an idle one to concede. On the other hand we were lucky on several occasions.

Vítor Pereira, Porto coach
We didn't produce a good display because we didn't play as a team. We wanted to do everything too quickly and without any patience in our passing. APOEL are a difficult side to play against with dangerous players. They defend very well and don't give you much space. The group is wide open and we have to go and win in Cyprus to make up for this result. We have not had good results which bring confidence. This is a very complicated, even group with very similar teams. This APOEL side showed why they beat Zenit and drew at Shakhtar and although they are hard to play against we are convinced we can win in Cyprus.

Ivan Jovanovic, APOEL coach
This is very important for us if you consider that we have taken a point away at Porto. We were excellent and very well organised. Even though Porto kept possession as we expected, we were dangerous on the counterattack. We also had good chances to score. We were a little disappointed not to steal it at the end but I am still delighted with my players because they worked hard. We deservedly took this point but we need even more courage and more concentration for the remaining games.

We are happy to be top with five points. It's a big thing for APOEL and Cyprus. We are not top of the group through luck but we still know that everything can change with every matchday. What concerns us are the forthcoming games in the group. I want to thank my players for their effort and the travelling fans. I believe their long trip was worthwhile.

European football took the opportunity this week to say no to racism, intolerance and discrimination as part of the Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE) network's Action Weeks. UEFA's club competition matches provided a high-profile platform on which to emphasise that these negative phenomena have no place in the game.

Matches in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday and Wednesday, and in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday, were the occasion for UEFA to support the 2011 FARE Action Weeks as well as to highlight its own Unite Against Racism initiative and promote a zero tolerance policy towards racists.

The anti-racism campaign is being given maximum exposure during this year's FARE Action Weeks which run between 12 and 25 October and feature events involving fans, players, clubs, community groups, football associations, local authorities and sports media.

At all 16 UEFA Champions League games on matchday three, a 30-second "No to Racism" giant-screen advert was shown and tannoy announcements were made before kick-off. All 32 teams involved walked onto the pitch accompanied by children wearing Unite Against Racism T-shirts, while team captains were asked to wear Unite Against Racism armbands.

Given the massive global reach of the UEFA Champions League in particular, the anti-racist message was seen by thousands of spectators at the matches and by millions more watching on television. FARE – UEFA's partner for the last ten years in the concerted drive to banish racism from football fields and stadiums – are grateful for the widespread backing given to the Action Weeks.

"We are delighted with the response to this year's FARE Action Weeks," said FARE executive director Piara Powar, thanking UEFA upon the completion of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League matchday three programme. "The level of activity has outstripped that of previous years with community and supporter groups, clubs and national associations contributing to the symbolic stand against discrimination and celebration of the diversity of the game.

"The [Action Weeks'] Football People theme reflects where we are in setting out a message of inclusivity that all our stakeholders can relate to. We will be developing this theme over the coming months – it is sure to become a core part of our mainstream messaging."

Both Salomon Kalou and Petr Cech highlighted the depth of the Chelsea FC squad which helped them to a 5-0 win against KRC Genk – the club's biggest at home in the UEFA Champions League – and could enable the Group E leaders to go a long way in the competition again. Visiting winger Kevin De Bruyne thanked the Genk fans for their non-stop support but said the team had to learn the lessons of the defeat and try and improve.

Salomon Kalou, Chelsea forward
We are playing very good, attractive football and added to that we are scoring a lot of goals as well. We scored early and against a small team that's important because that means you get more space to create chances. We have a good squad and if you want to do well in the Champions League you have to have a good bench. Some players were left out tonight but we were still able to put in a good performance.

It's good to have Fernando [Torres] at his top level and, again, you need that if you are going to go a long way in the competition. He's a great player and sometimes you just have to give them time to get their fitness back and return to their best form.

Petr Cech, Chelsea goalkeeper
It was a similar game to previous years but this time we kept our concentration all the way through to the end and we did not allow them to score which is a positive. We were 5-0 up and it's easy sometimes to switch off a little bit and we did not do that. They tried a few shots but they were always a long way from goal and it just didn't happen for them.

You can see the quality that Oriol Romeu has. On the ball he is very calm so you can rely on him when you need to keep possession. Every young player with this quality is very welcome because it allows the manager to change and rotate the squad. You could see tonight that the people who came in were fresh and eager to play. You could see it in the result and it is an advantage of having this kind of squad with so much quality.

Kevin De Bruyne, Genk winger
It was a very difficult night for our team. We conceded an early goal and against a team like Chelsea that is always going to make it difficult to get back into the game. I was not surprised at just how good Chelsea were. The difference between the Belgian league and the English league could be seen in the result.

We will have to improve and see how high a level we can reach. We are here to learn and we are not thinking of where we can finish in the group now. We must just try and get as many points as we can from the remaining three games. Our fans were magnificent tonight. They are always like this in the Champions League and it is a big help for us.

If Bayer 04 Leverkusen's first-half display against Valencia CF was amateurish, in the words of André Schürrle, their second certainly was not as the German club staged a sterling fightback to win 2-1 and leave themselves handily placed to make the knockout phase from UEFA Champions League Group E.

With 45 minutes gone at the BayArena, Leverkusen looked anything but likely winners. The visitors' sparkling play and fluid movement had threatened to sweep aside the home side, who had the woodwork and goalkeeper Bernd Leno to thank for being within a goal of their opponents at the break.

"If we play like we did in the first half we couldn't even win a Sunday league game," said Schürrle. "We didn't show any aggression whatsoever, had no ideas, and didn't put any moves together."

Leverkusen conceded their 100th UEFA Champions League goal when Jonas side-footed in Roberto Soldado's tailor-made cross 24 minutes in. "Our whole game was full of fear, but we can be really proud of our second half performance," added Schürrle. "We went out onto the pitch to win tackles. With such an attitude you can win games against Valencia."

When Schürrle volleyed Leverkusen's first serious attempt on Diego Alves's goal as the first half drew to a close, it seemed more like a token gesture than the first spark of a revival. Yet within 11 minutes of the restart, Robin Dutt's men had flipped the two teams' fortunes with a goal from Schürrle and a brilliant winner from Sidney Sam.

The 20-year-old Schürrle followed his strike for Germany against Belgium with his first Bundesliga goal in Leverkusen colours last weekend. "That goal took a weight off my mind ... and it's also great that I've scored in the Champions League, even if the team's success comes first," he said. "At half-time the players spoke among each other. The coach also had a word, and then we changed the direction in which we were going."

A repeat result in Valencia on 1 November, coupled with anything other than a KRC Genk win against leaders Chelsea FC, would send the German and English clubs through with two games to play. Despite struggling to come to terms with his team's collapse in Germany, though, Valencia's Jérémy Mathieu sounded a warning.

"We're not dead," the French defender told UEFA.com. "Everything's still possible. We absolutely have to win at home to Leverkusen, and then see where we stand. We'll try and correct the mistakes that we had in this game, but we won't change our approach to the match."

Looking back, he added: "It's a difficult evening for us. It's tough to explain. We simply weren't there in the second half. We also have to say that we were against a good Leverkusen side in the second half. They pressed us really well."