Paris, Sept 17: Manchester United and Real Madrid scored nine goals between them as two of the pre-tournament favourites opened their Champions League challenge in convincing fashion. United thrashed Panathinaikos 5-0 at Old Trafford to equal their best result in European competition for 35 years, while Ronaldo scored twice as Real outclassed Marseille 4-2 at the Bernabeu.
AC Milan began the defence of their European crown with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Ajax at the San Siro with Filippo Inzaghi scoring his sixth goal in five games.
Big spending Chelsea failed to get value for their money in a dull 1-0 win at Sparta Prague thanks to a goal from the unlikely source of French defender William Gallas and Rangers came from behind to beat VFB Stuttgart 2-1 at Ibrox.
United were in commanding form against the Greeks and their erratic goalkeeper Antonis Nikopolidis and were 4-0 up by half-time through South African winger Quinton Fortune - with his first European goal for the club - and strikes from Mikael Silvestre, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Nicky Butt.
Cameroonian international Eric Djemba Djemba, one of the players who arrived to fill the gap left by David Beckham's departure, added the fifth goal in their group e opener.
United manager Alex Ferguson was delighted.
"I think the first half up front was superb," he said. "The speed of our play was good and the change in positions and the movement was terrific."
"We were very determined and aggressive in our play and I think that caught them out." Bureau Report