Inter, Monaco, Juve and Sociedad maintain perfect start

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October 01, 2003 09:47 IST

Inter Milan, Monaco, Juventus and Real Sociedad maintained their perfect starts in the Champions League on Tuesday while Celtic and Deportivo Coruna picked up their first victories.

Italy striker Christian Vieri, returning after three weeks out with injury, came off the bench to head a last-minute winner for Inter in a 2-1 Group B win over Dynamo Kiev at the San Siro.

On-loan Spain striker Fernando Morientes netted twice for Monaco as the French Ligue 1 leaders demolished AEK Athens 4-0 at home in Group C, while Czech midfielder Pavel Nedved also hit a double as last year's beaten finalists Juventus came from behind to win 2-1 at Olympiakos Piraeus.

Spaniards Real Sociedad joined Juve on a maximum six points in Group D with Xabi Alonso scoring the winner in a 2-1 victory in Istanbul against Galatasaray, who had Hasan Sas sent off.

Inter, whose 3-0 drubbing of Arsenal at Highbury was the most impressive result of the opening games, left it very late to beat Dynamo Kiev and make it two wins in a row.

Daniele Adani's opener on 23 minutes for Inter was cancelled out 11 minutes later by Serhiy Fyodorov and it looked like the Serie A side would have to settle for a point until Vieri glanced home a Kily Gonzalez free kick.

"I am really pleased with that," said Vieri, who picked up a calf injury playing for Italy against Serbia and Montenegro earlier this month.

"I so wanted to play and I spoke with the gaffer (coach Hector Cuper) and told him I would like to at least be on the bench. I am happy with the fact that I scored but above all that we are improving game by game."

Lokomotiv Moscow and Arsenal drew 0-0 in the other Group B game, a result that left both sides still looking for their first victory and goals in this season's Champions League.

Two goals in each half helped Monaco to an easy win over Greek side AEK Athens, who had drawn their previous seven Champions League games.

Ludovic Giuly and Dado Prso scored either side of the two from Morientes, on loan from Real Madrid, as the principality side followed up their opening 2-1 win at PSV Eindhoven.

FIRST WIN

In-form striker Walter Pandiani scored for the seventh successive game as Deportivo picked up their first win to move to four points in Group C. Sergio hit a 20th-minute opener with Pandiani adding a second with a penalty shortly after the break.

Swede Henrik Larsson produced superb crosses to set up goals for young substitute Liam Miller and Chris Sutton as Celtic overcame Alan Thompson's penalty miss to defeat Olympique Lyon 2-0 to pick up their first points in Group A.

The victory was especially poignant for striker Larsson who suffered a horrific leg break against Lyon in a UEFA Cup match in October 1999.

Thompson's spot-kick late in the first half, controversially awarded after defender Anthony Reveillere got the slightest of touches to Larsson's arm which sent the striker sprawling, was saved by Gregory Coupet.

"It was a tremendous night for the club and we were just sensational against a fine Lyon side who passed the ball really well," the Glasgow club's manager Martin O'Neill told reporters.

Former European champions Bayern Munich top the group with four points. The German champions were a man short for 55 minutes after Claudio Pizarro was dismissed but earned a 1-1 draw in Belgium against Anderlecht.

Paraguayan Roque Santa Cruz combined with fellow substitute Hasan Salihamidzic on 74 minutes to head the equaliser.

Bayern's Germany goalkeeper Oliver Kahn, appearing in his 100th European club match, was beaten by a 53rd minute goal from Croatian striker Ivica Mornar.

JUVE FIGHTBACK

In Group D, Ieroklis Stoltidis gave Olympiakos an 11th minute lead at home to Juve, but the Serie A champions fought back to take the points thanks to Nedved's two goals, the winner coming 11 minutes from time.

Serbia and Montenegro striker Darko Kovacevic scored for the second successive Champions League game as Real Sociedad picked up an impressive 2-1 win at Galatasaray.

Kovacevic, who hit a late winner from the penalty spot as Sociedad made a winning return to European competition with a 1-0 victory over Olympiakos two weeks ago, gave the Spaniards a third-minute lead.

Veteran Turkey striker Hakan Sukur levelled on the hour but Xabi Alonso sealed the points 17 minutes from time with a powerful header that crossed the line after bouncing down from the crossbar.

Galatasaray's frustration boiled over in the 83rd minute when Turkish international Hasan Sas lunged at Bittor Alkiza with an ill-timed tackle from behind and was sent off.

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