BATE Borisov shock Bayern as United secure win

BELARUSSIAN side BATE Borisov caused one of the biggest shocks yet seen in the Champions League when they stunned last season’s beaten finalists, Bayern Munich, 3-1 on Tuesday.

The other likely title contenders all won, with European champions Chelsea easily beating FC Nordsjaelland 4-0 away, while Barcelona saw off Benfica 2-0 in Lisbon but lost Carles Puyol with a dislocated elbow before Sergio Busquets was sent off.

Like Barca and BATE, Manchester United maintained their perfect start with a come-frombehind 2-1 win over CFR Cluj in Romania where Robin van Persie scored both their goals.

The game between Juventus and Shakhtar Donetsk, both regarded as dark horses in this season’s Champions League, finished 1-1 with the Italian side chalking up a European competition record of eight successive draws.

There were wins for Valencia, who beat Lille 2-0 to condemn the French side to a second successive defeat, while Celtic ended a run of 20 Champions League away matches without a win after a 3-2 triumph at Spartak Moscow.

Braga, in contrast, maintained their fine European record on the road, winning 2-0 at Galatasaray to remain unbeaten in seven matches away from home.

The biggest upset was in Minsk, where BATE earned their first Champions League home win as they beat a Bayern side who had won their past nine matches.

Bayern dominated the first

BATE earned their first Champions League home win after beating Bayern, who had won their past nine games

half, hitting the post through Toni Kroos, but they ran out of ideas as BATE chalked up an unexpected win against the four-time European champions. Goals from Aleksandr Pavlov, Vitali Rodionov and Renan Bressan gave BATE a famous victory and all the Bavarians had to show for their efforts was a late Franck Ribery goal to pull the score back to 2-1.

Unlike Bayern, holders Chelsea brushed aside the debutants of FC Nordsjaelland in Group E in Copenhagen with Juan Mata netting twice and David Luiz and Ramires also scoring — although three of their goals only came in the last 11 minutes.

Chelsea’s win, and Juventus’s draw with Shakhtar in Turin, left them top with four points, the same as the Ukrainians. Juve have two and the Danes are bottom with no points and no goals.

Barcelona’s rivalry with Benfica goes back to the 1961 European Cup final, which the Portuguese side won 3-2.

Barca have not lost to Benfica in five European meetings since and won Tuesday’s Group G game, though Puyol’s injury has ruled him out of Sunday’s Clasico against Real Madrid.

Goals from Alexis Sanchez and Cesc Fabregas left the Catalans top with six points from their two games — two points ahead of Celtic, who won in Moscow.

Benfica have one point and Spartak none after the Russians held a 2-1 advantage against Celtic early in the second half before having Juan Insaurralde sent off in the 63rd minute, which handed the initiative to the Scots. Gary Hooper gave Celtic the lead before Emmanuel Emenike scored twice to put Spartak in control.

A Dmitry Kombarov own goal and a 90th-minute header from Giorgios Samaras gave Celtic their first away win in Uefa’s elite competition since a victory over Shamrock Rovers in the European Cup in 1986.

United top Group H with six points, followed by Cluj and Braga on three and Galatasaray with none after a second successive defeat. Reuters