Last-gasp Ramsey puts Arsenal top

An injury-time goal by substitute Aaron Ramsey gave Arsenal a 1-0 win at Marseille that enabled Arsene Wenger’s side to leapfrog their opponents to top spot in Group F.

The Welsh midfielder applied a cool finish in the dying seconds of a forgettable game that had betrayed the fragility and lack of confidence that have plagued both sides’ starts to the season.

Marseille had not conceded a goal in the competition prior to Ramsey’s intervention, but they now find themselves a point behind Arsenal prior to the return fixture at the Emirates on November 1.

The chances of seeing both sides in the last 16 were further enhanced by Borussia Dortmund’s unexp-ected 3-1 defeat at Olympiakos, however, which leaves the German champions bottom at the group’s halfway point.

Barcelona had to settle for just two goals despite battering Plzen in a predictably one-sided Champions League clash at the Nou Camp last night.

Andres Iniesta and David Villa scored at either end of a game in which the hosts could have got close to double figures had they taken their full quota of chances.

Lionel Messi twice hit the post on a night when he left the Plzen defence punch-drunk but was simply unable to find an accurate finish, often guilty of over-playing, while the visitors defended at times as though their lives depended on it.

Barca’s win moved them on to seven points, level with Milan at the top of Group H – the two top places all but sewn up already as the pacesetters can secure qualification with a win in a fortnight’s time.

Milan breezed to a comfortable 2-0 victory over BATE Borisov at the San Siro.

Goals from Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Kevin Prince Boateng ensured an easy night’s work for the Rossoneri.

Such was Milan’s comfort zone that they even managed to give French centre-back Philippe Mexes a short run-out on his injury comeback.

Ibrahimovic gave the hosts the lead as he latched onto a rebound from Aquilani’s scuffed shot to finish low inside the near post on 33 minutes.

BATE started the second period with a flurry of activity, the most alarming of which for Milan was a Maxsim Bordachev chance that Abbiati had to turn behind.

Boateng sealed the points on 70 minutes when he hit a rasping, rising shot from 25 yards that crashed in off the underside of the bar.

Fernando Torres ended his Champions League goal drought in emphatic fashion as the Chelsea striker’s double inspired a 5-0 demolition of Genk at Stamford Bridge.

Torres had gone 875 minutes without scoring in Europe’s elite club competition, a miserable run that dated back to April 2009 when he scored for Liverpool against Chelsea.

But the Spaniard finally got back on track with two clinical finishes against the woeful Belgian champions.

Portuguese midfielder Raul Meireles opened the scoring with his first goal for the club, but it was Torres who took centre-stage with his brace.

Branislav Ivanovic added the fourth goal just before half-time and Salomon Kalou completed the rout in the second half.

Ex-Germany captain Michael Ballack inspired Bayer Leverkusen to come from behind to beat Valencia 2-1 to stay in touch with leaders Chelsea in Group E.

Ballack, 35, played his first 90 minutes of the season and set up the winning goal just after the break with a superb pass from the halfway line which split the defence.

The Spaniards had looked to have the game under con-trol when Brazil striker Jonas put them ahead midway through the first-half, but Leverkusen fought back through goals by midfielders Andre Schuerrle and Sidney Sam after the break.

Summaries

B. Leverkusen 2
Schurrle 52; Sam 56;
Valencia 1
Jonas 24;

Chelsea 5
Meireles 8; Torres 11, 27; Ivanovic 42; Kalou 72;
Genk 0

Olympiakos 3
Holebas 8; Djebbour 40; Modesto 79;
B. Dortmund 1
Lewandowski 26;

Marseille 0
Arsenal 1
Ramsey 90;

S. Donetsk 2
Willian 15; Adriano 45;
Zenit SP 2
Shirokov 33; Fayzulin 60;

Missed penalty: Shirokov (Z) 11.

Porto 1
Hulk 13;
Apoel 1
Ailton 19;

Milan 2
Ibrahimovic 33; Boateng 70;
Bate Borisov 0

Barcelona 2
Iniesta 10; Villa 82;
Vik. Plzen 0

Group E

Chelsea vs B. Leverkusen - 2-0
Genk vs Valencia - 0-0
Valencia vs Chelsea - 1-1
B. Leverkusen vs Genk - 2-0
B. Leverkusen vs Valencia - 2-1
Chelsea vs Genk - 5-0
01/11/11: Valencia vs B. Leverkusen
01/11/11: Genk vs Chelsea
23/11/11: B. Leverkusen vs Chelsea
23/11/11: Valencia vs Genk
06/12/11: Chelsea vs Valencia
06/12/11: Genk vs B. Leverkusen

Group F

Olympiakos vs Marseille - 0-1
Bor. Dortmund vs Arsenal - 1-1
Arsenal vs Olympiakos - 2-1
Marseille vs Bor. Dortmund - 3-0
Marseille vs Arsenal - 0-1
Olympiakos vs Bor. Dortmund - 3-1
01/11/11: Arsenal vs Marseille
01/11/11: Bor. Dortmund vs Olympiakos
23/11/11: Arsenal vs Bor. Dortmund
23/11/11: Marseille vs Olympiakos
06/12/11: Olympiakos vs Arsenal
06/12/11: Bor. Dortmund vs Marseille

Group G

Porto vs S. Donetsk - 2-1
Apoel vs Zenit SP - 2-1
Zenit SP vs Porto - 3-1
S. Donetsk vs Apoel - 1-1
S. Donetsk vs Zenit SP - 2-2
Porto vs Apoel - 1-1
01/11/11: Zenit SP vs S. Donetsk
01/11/11: Apoel vs Porto
23/11/11: S. Donetsk vs Porto
23/11/11: Zenit SP vs Apoel
06/12/11: Porto vs Zenit SP
06/12/11: Apoel vs S. Donetsk

Group H

Barcelona vs Milan - 2-2
Vik. Plzen vs Bate Borisov - 1-1
Bate Borisov vs Barcelona - 0-5
Milan vs Vik. Plzen - 2-0
Milan vs Bate Borisov - 2-0
Barcelona vs Vik. Plzen - 2-0
01/11/11: Bate Borisov vs Milan
01/11/11: Vik. Plzen vs Barcelona
23/11/11: Milan vs Barcelona
23/11/11: Bate Borisov vs Vik. Plzen
06/12/11: Barcelona vs Bate Borisov
06/12/11: Vik. Plzen vs Milan