Champions League Round-Up: Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic's second-half goal gave Ajax a 1-0 win over Celta Vigo and sent the Dutch side to the top of Group H. Wesley Sonck went close before Ibrahimovic broke the deadlock on 53 minutes, weaving his way around three Celta defenders before firing a left-foot shot past goalkeeper Jose Manuel Pinto.
In the other group game European champions AC Milan crashed to a shock 1-0 home defeat by Club Bruges of Belgium on another miserable night for Italian clubs. Milan were sent reeling at the San Siro by a first-half goal by Peruvian forward Andres Mendoza to throw Group H wide open.
Real Madrid continued their smooth progress towards the knock-out stages by easing to a third victory in three games with a 1-0 win over Partizan Belgrade in Group F. Real took the lead six minutes before the break when Raul got the faintest of touches to a Luis Figo header after a David Beckham corner.
It was the Spanish international's 45th goal in the Champions League, bringing him to within four goals of the record set by Real great Alfredo di Stefano.
Porto bounced back from a goal down to secure a well-deserved 3-2 victory over Olympique Marseille in the other Group F game. Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba struck his fifth goal in the competition this season to put Marseille ahead after 24 minutes. But Porto replied in style with goals from midfielder Maniche after 31 minutes and Brazilian Derlei in the 35th minute.
Russian substitute Dmitri Alenitchev scored Porto's third with a simple tap-in after 81 minutes, although Marseille rallied to pull one back when Steve Marlet headed in from a free-kick with six minutes remaining.
Veteran midfielder Karel Poborsky scored six minutes from time to give Sparta Prague a 2-1 victory over Turkey's Besiktas in Group G. Poborsky volleyed home the winner to hand the Czech side their first win of the group phase. After an uneventful first half, Sparta came to life to go ahead in the 58th minute when Lukas Zelenka dribbled past the Besiktas defence and slotted home. The lead lasted just two minutes, Sparta goalkeeper Jaromir Blazek bringing down Sergei Yelcin in the penalty area and Daniel Pancu scored from the spot.
VfB Stuttgart earned their second group win with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Panathinaikos in Group E. The German side opened the scoring in the 13th minute with a diving header by Hungary striker Imre Szabics. Stuttgart made it 2-0 12 minutes later with a close-range header by captain Zvonimir Soldo.
