Barça bounce back in style

Group A
Back-to-back wins in the Champions League have not helped AS Monaco FC find their form in Ligue 1. Didier Deschamps' side stuttered to a goalless draw with UEFA Cup contenders AJ Auxerre and remain in fourth spot, four points behind leaders Olympique Lyonnais. The side Monaco defeated in midweek, Olympiacos CFP, were also held on Sunday. They drew 1-1 with Halkidona FC but went close to pinching all three points when Rivaldo hit the crossbar with a late free-kick.

Group B
Goals from Andriy Husin and Rodolfo helped FC Dynamo Kyiv close the gap on Ukrainian Premier League leaders FC Shakhtar Donetsk to two points with a 2-0 win against FC Borysfen Boryspil. Group rivals AS Roma could only take a share of the spoils from their home game against Serie A newcomers US Città di Palermo. Francesco Totti rescued a 1-1 draw from the penalty spot for the capital club, who are still without Vincent Candela, Cristian Chivu, Marco Delvecchio, Damiano Tommasi and Ivan Pelizzoli.

Group C
Struggling AFC Ajax slipped to sixth in the Eredivisie after a 2-0 defeat against PSV Eindhoven. With first-choice goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg still not fit to play, Bogdan Lobont played in goal but was carried off on a stretcher eight minutes into the second half with suspected knee ligament damage. Winger Mauro Rosales returned to the side, but Tomáš Galásek's back problems will keep him out for several weeks. The Amsterdam club's Matchday 4 opponents, Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC moved second in the Israeli Premier League with a 1-0 victory against Hapoel Petach-Tikva FC on Monday night, Barukh Dego scoring the only goal in the fourth minute. Maccabi midfield player Tamir Cohen was rested due to a thigh injury.

Group D
Ruud van Nistelrooij and Wayne Rooney were on target as Manchester United FC ended Arsenal FC's long unbeaten Premiership run with a 2-0 defeat at Old Trafford. Midfield player Roy Keane missed the game with flu but is unlikely to miss the visit of AC Sparta Praha in ten days' time. Group rivals Fenerbahçe SK recovered from their midweek defeat at home against Lyon to stroll to a 6-0 triumph against Sakaryaspor and stay three points clear at the top of the Turkish Superleague.

Group E
Young-Pyo Lee and John de Jong scored the goals as PSV Eindhoven defeated Ajax to stay top in the Netherlands, but Brazilian centre-half Alex missed the game with a bruised foot and goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes was substituted 20 minutes from time with a groin injury. Patrick Vieira passed a late fitness test to play for Arsenal as their unbeaten run came to an end in Manchester on the same day that Panathinaikos FC's 27-match streak was halted away against Kerkyra FC. Elsewhere, Rosenborg BK kept their Norwegian title hopes alive with a 1-0 victory away against FK Bodø/Glimt. Ørjan Berg was still not fit to feature but could return for the trip to Eindhoven on Matchday 4.

Group F 
AC Milan were held to a goalless draw by city rivals FC Internazionale Milano but were without centre-half Jaap Stam and striker Filippo Inzaghi, both of whom played in the win against FC Barcelona and should be fit for the return game in Camp Nou. Ludovic Giuly returned from a thigh strain for Frank Rijkaard's side but managed just 60 minutes of the 3-0 win against CA Osasuna which kept Barça top of the pile in Spain. Shakhtar slipped up 1-0 at home against FC Metalist Kharkiv while their midweek opponents Celtic FC moved seven points clear in Scotland with a 4-2 win against Livingston FC. Jackie McNamara and Chris Sutton were restored to Martin O'Neill's lineup after sustaining injuries in midweek, but Didier Agathe was left out with a knee injury.

Group G
Long-term injuries kept out Carlos Gamarra, Kily González, Nicolás Burdisso and Sinisa Mihajlovic from Inter's lineup in the Milan derby but Alberto Fontana, once again preferred to Francesco Toldo in goal, kept a clean sheet. Goalkeeper Tristan Peersman returned for RSC Anderlecht in place of Daniel Zitka in the 4-2 win against KRC Genk, but Christian Wilhelmsson was unable to feature after getting injured in the midweek defeat by Werder Bremen.

Group H
Benni McCarthy scored both goals as FC Porto eased to victory against FC Penafiel without the suspended Pepe, and rested Costinha. Group rivals PFC CSKA Moskva are not in action until Monday evening.