Bayern land with a bump

Night of shame
One that sent shockwaves through the German press, confounded as they were by a "night of shame" in La Coruña. Bayern's 2-1 defeat by RC Deportivo did not just evict Ottmar Hitzfeld's men from the Champions League, reported Bild, "the team are not even in the UEFA Cup". Süddeutsche Zeitung's take on this "all-time low" was that "Bayern are second best in European football, 18 months after they were champions".

Deportivo second best
Deportivo are second best in Group G following a victory topped and tailed by goals from Víctor Sánchez and Roy Makaay. Their passage to the second round is anything but secure, however, after RC Lens beat AC Milan. "Anything is possible," trumpeted the Voix du Nord newspaper. Except, of course, a Bayern resurrection.

Dortmund restore pride
Ottmar Hitzfeld's days "might be numbered", but his old club BV Borussia Dortmund are set for the long haul. They edged out Arsenal FC, 2-1, to join the Londoners in the second stage. "That's the way to do it," said the Frankfurter Rundschau, while Bild bleated: "Dortmund have restored our pride after the Bayern debacle."

Auxerre in the red
If Dortmund were favoured by a penalty award at the Westfalenstadion, AJ Auxerre were put at a disadvantage by two sendings-off in their defeat at PSV Eindhoven. Hence L'Equipe's headline: "Auxerre in the red." And out of the Group A reckoning.

Inter spectacular
AFC Ajax captain Cristian Chivu also had first use of the shampoo - but that did not prevent his side inflicting what the same paper called an "unexpected defeat" on hosts Olympique Lyonnais. The real gatecrashers in Group D, though, were the new leaders Internazionale FC. "Yes, even Inter can be spectacular," chimed the Corriere dello Sport.

Madrid myth exposed
An even greater spectacle, at least from the Italian perspective, was AS Roma's triumph over Real Madrid CF in Group C - the first breaching of the Santiago Bernabéu by a Serie A side in 35 years. "Totti destroys Real myth," said the Corriere of an "immense Roma victory" sealed by Francesco Totti's solitary goal.

Crisis? What crisis?
Madrid's place in the second phase was already assured, but that was little comfort to the Spanish media. "Quo vadis?" asked Marca, which continued: "Defeat by Roma confirms Madrid crisis." Coach Vicente del Bosque retorted: "A crisis is what is happening at Barcelona, who have not won a trophy for three years."

Barça loner
The Catalans are at least on course in the Champions League, having kept up their 100 per cent record with a 1-0 success at Club Brugge KV. "I'm the only one who believed in this team," Barça coach Louis van Gaal said. His predecessor Bobby Robson is also a believer after Newcastle United FC beat Group E rivals FC Dynamo Kyiv. "Shearer keeps dream alive," headlined the Daily Telegraph.

Valencia impress
Yet the superior accomplishment was Valencia's 1-0 win at Liverpool FC, which guaranteed them first place in Group B. "Anfield bows to Valencia," reported Marca. No less gushing was London's Independent newspaper: "Valencia completed home and away victories in impressive style at Anfield."

Bayer's loser gene
Liverpool might have found consolation in Manchester United FC's reverse at Maccabi Haifa FC, yet the key result in Group F was Bayer 04 Leverkusen's win against Olympiakos FC. Kicker said that "Klaus Toppmöller can be proud of his team again", while Express rubbed salt into a particularly fresh wound with the comment: "Bayer must have handed on their loser gene to Bayern."