Bayern take command with 2-1 win over Juve

B. Munich 2
Juventus 1

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Bayern Munich beat Juventus 2-1 yesterday to take a stranglehold in Champions League Group A with a maximum nine points.

Also on maximum points are Arsenal. The Gunners' captain Thierry Henry yesterday celebrated his return from injury by scoring both goals in a 2-0 victory over Sparta Prague and setting a club record.

Bayern's Sebastian Deisler opened the scoring in the 32nd minute with a shot from just inside the box.

Seven minutes later, Martin Demichelis headed in a Deisler corner for the second.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic pulled one back in the final minute, blasting in from a corner, but Bayern held on.

Juventus had won seven out of seven in Serie A and both their Champions League fixtures going into last night's game but they were stopped in their tracks by a Bayern side willed on by a 66,000 full house at their new World Cup stadium.

Juventus forward Alessandro Del Piero came on as a substitute for his 100th appearance in a European club match and forced a good save from Oliver Kahn but there were few other chances for the Italian side.

Henry, out for nearly six weeks with a groin injury, fired home in the 21st and 74th minutes to give Arsenal full points from three games and make them almost certain to reach the knockout stage from Group B.

The brace also made him the top scorer in Arsenal's history with 186 goals, one more than the previous record set by Ian Wright in the 1990s.

The French striker, who was due to be given only half an hour by manager Arsene Wenger, was thrown on after 15 minutes following an injury to Spanish forward Jose Antonio Reyes.

From the same Group B, Ajax Amsterdam's Greek striker Ioannis Anastasiou struck twice to clinch a 2-0 victory over Swiss side Thun.

The win takes Ajax up one place to second with four points behind group leaders Arsenal.

United held by Lille as Scholes sees red

Manchester United, reduced to 10 men after the sending-off of Paul Scholes, were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw by Lille at Old Trafford.

The English side, who remain top of the group, dominated possession but lacked the creativity to break down a well organised defence and their French visitors looked the more likely winners after Scholes's 63rd-minute dismissal.

The former England midfielder was shown yellow cards for two late tackles and United, without suspended striker Wayne Rooney, ran out of ideas as they tired in the closing stages.

The hosts went closest to scoring in the first half when Ryan Giggs, also on his 100th European appearance, curled a free-kick just wide.

At Villarreal, a spectacular strike from midfielder Manuel Fernandes earned Benfica a 1-1 draw at the Madrigal.

Villarreal seemed set for their first win in the group when Juan Roman Riquelme put the Spaniards ahead from the penalty spot.

But Benfica refused to fold and hit back when Fernandes pounced after the ball squirted into his path. He controlled with his chest and then sent a volley over the head of keeper Sebastian Viera to earn Ronald Koeman's side a deserved point.

Substitute Antonio Di Natale grabbed an 86th minute equaliser as Udinese fought back for a 1-1 draw with Germany's Werder Bremen in a Group C match while Barcelona's impressive start to their Champions League campaign came to a halt when they were held to a goalless draw by Panathinaikos at the Olympic Stadium.

Werder, who went into the game without a point from their opening two matches, had looked set for victory thanks to an own goal from Udinese's Brazilian defender Felipe.

There were few chances in a disappointing game but the breakthrough came for the visitors in the 64th minute when Felipe headed Christian Schulz's deep free-kick past his keeper Morgan De Sanctis.

Udinese coach Serse Cosmi brought on Stefano Mauri and Di Natale in a double switch which paid off handsomely when the pair combined for the latter's confidently taken equaliser.

Group A

Played Yesterday
B. Munich vs Juventus 2-1
R. Vienna vs C. Bruges 0-1

02/11/05 - Juventus vs B. Munich

02/11/05 - C. Bruges vs R. Vienna

22/11/05 - B. Munich vs R. Vienna

22/11/05 - Juventus vs C. Bruges

07/12/05 - R. Vienna vs Juventus

07/12/05 - C. Bruges vs B. Munich

Group B

Played Yesterday
Ajax vs FC Thun 2-0
S. Prague vs Arsenal 0-2

02/11/05 - FC Thun vs Ajax

02/11/05 - Arsenal vs S. Prague

22/11/05 - Ajax vs S. Prague

22/11/05 - FC Thun vs Arsenal

07/12/05 - S. Prague vs FC Thun

07/12/05 - Arsenal vs Ajax

Group C

Played Yesterday
Panathinaikos vs Barcelona 0-0
Udinese vs W. Bremen 1-1

02/11/05 - Barcelona vs Panathinaikos

02/11/05 - W. Bremen vs Udinese

22/11/05 - Panathinaikos vs Udinese

22/11/05 - Barcelona vs W. Bremen

07/12/05 - Udinese vs Barcelona

07/12/05 - W. Bremen vs Panathinaikos

Group D

Played Yesterday
Man. United vs Lille 0-0
Villarreal vs Benfica 1-1

02/11/05 - Lille vs Man. United

02/11/05 - Benfica vs Villarreal

22/11/05 - Man. United vs Villarreal

22/11/05 - Lille vs Benfica

07/12/05 - Villarreal vs Lille

07/12/05 - Benfica vs Man. United

Group E

Playing Today
Fenerbahce vs Schalke
Milan vs PSV

01/11/05 - Schalke vs Fenerbahce

01/11/05 - PSV vs Milan

23/11/05 - Fenerbahce vs Milan

23/11/05 - Schalke vs PSV

06/12/05 - Milan vs Schalke

06/12/05 - PSV vs Fenerbahce

Group F

Playing Today
R. Madrid vs Rosenborg
Lyon vs Olympiakos

01/11/05 - Rosenborg vs R. Madrid

01/11/05 - Olympiakos vs Lyon

23/11/05 - R. Madrid vs Lyon

23/11/05 - Rosenborg vs Olympiakos

06/12/05 - Lyon vs Rosenborg

06/12/05 - Olympiakos vs R. Madrid

Group G

Playing Today
Anderlecht vs Liverpool
Chelsea vs Real Betis

01/11/05 - Liverpool vs Anderlecht

01/11/05 - Real Betis vs Chelsea

23/11/05 - Anderlecht vs Chelsea

23/11/05 - Liverpool vs Real Betis

06/12/05 - Chelsea vs Liverpool

06/12/05 - Real Betis vs Anderlecht

Group H

Playing Today
Porto vs Inter
Rangers vs A. Bratislava

01/11/05 - Inter vs Porto

01/11/05 - A. Bratislava vs Rangers

23/11/05 - Porto vs Rangers

23/11/05 - Inter vs A. Bratislava

06/12/05 - Rangers vs Inter

06/12/05 - A. Bratislava vs Porto