Dogged performance: Sebastian Giovinco (right) battles for the ball in Minsk Photo: Reuters

BATE, playing their first home game in the Champions League proper, raced into a surprise 2-0 lead in Minsk to show they will not be the whipping boys in Group H.
Juve were heading for the same fate as fellow Serie A side Roma, [...]

Relief: Bayern Munich coach Jurgen Klinsmann after Ze Roberto’s goal ensured a 1-1 draw with Lyon in the Champions League Photo: AP

A Martin Demichelis own goal gave Claude Puel’s Lyon side a first-half lead in Munich before a header by the Brazilian, Ze Roberto, levelled matters seven minutes into the second half. The result left [...]

In a tussle: Fenerbahce’s Brazilian defender Roberto Carlos fights for the ball with Dynamo Kiev’s Roman Eremenko during the goalless draw in Istanbul Photo: AP

Fenerbahce were held to a goalless draw by Dynamo Kiev in their second Champions League outing of the season on Tuesday night and while the Brazilian left-back sensed the fans’ frustration [...]

Saver: Motherwell goalkeeper stops a penalty in the first leg against AS Nancy in France Photo: Getty Images

Assuming the lottery of a penalty shoot-out is to be avoided, the home side must win by at least two goals tonight and McGhee makes no secret of his desire to compete in the group stage of the [...]

Stuff of nightmares: Marcos Senna celebrates his winner against Celtic in the Champions League group stages Photo: Getty Images

After five group stage campaigns and the opening awayday of their sixth in Villarreal, Celtic’s travels have turned into an ongoing car wreck, so that watching them on their travels involves a sort of ghastly compulsion. For [...]

Added disappointment: West Ham and England striker Dean Ashton is expected to miss most of the season after having his injured ankle operated on Photo: AP

Boy wonder: With Dean Ashton out injured, Freddie Sears offered a timely reminder to West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola by scoring four goals in the reserves Photo: Getty images

Ashton underwent [...]

Still looking for positives: Juande Ramos knows his Tottneham side need to progress against Wisla Krakow to save their season Photo: EPA

This intimidating visit to Krakow to play the Polish champions represents a pivotal juncture in Ramos’ short Tottenham tenure.
It is bad enough that Champions League ambitions seemed to have been stymied for another year, [...]

Picking a moment: David Moyes wants Everton to kickstart their season by overcoming tricky Standard Liege in the Uefa Cup Photo: Reuters

Moyes and his players arrived in the Belgian city yesterday still bristling from last weekend’s home defeat to Liverpool in a one-sided Merseyside derby that compounded the shock of the timid Carling Cup exit [...]

It’s got to stop: Portsmouth’s Sol Campbell says he has had enough of being vilified by supporters of Tottenham, one of his old clubs Photo: Getty Images

The former Tottenham defender, who has been a target for extreme vilification from Spurs supporters since leaving for Arsenal seven years ago, said the verbal abuse he received from [...]

A long-list of candidates for the crucial role of chief executive was finalised and Lord Triesman, the FA chairman who will also lead the bid, hopes to make an appointment at the end of the month.
Triesman also intends to have a director of communications in place by the first week of November, when the bid [...]