Udinese inflicted more misery on hapless Tottenham Hotspur with a 2-0 UEFA group stage victory yesterday over the London side who contributed to their own downfall through ill-discipline.
In-form Udinese's victory increased the pressure on under-fire Spurs coach Juande Ramos, whose side prop up the Premier League and failed to finish with 11 men for the second successive match.
Udinese, second in Serie A, were gifted the chance to take the lead midway through the first half when Spurs' keeper Heurelho Gomes failed to clear a back pass and then fouled Fabio Quagliarella to stop the Italian striker gaining possession.
Fellow Italian international Antonio Di Natale swept home the penalty. Spurs, who had two players sent off in their defeat by Stoke City at the weekend, were reduced to 10 men just before the hour when Jamie O'Hara was booked twice in a minute.
A swift break secured the Group D points for Udinese four minutes from time with Simone Pepe firing home from eight metres.
In other matches, competition favourites Milan eased past Heerenveen, of Holland, 3-1 away, and twice winners Sevilla beat Stuttgart 2-0.
At the Abe Lenstra Stadium, Kaka, Gennaro Gattuso and Pippo Inzaghi were on target for Milan. They took the lead on 19 minutes when Kaka's cross found the net via a deflection off defender Calvin Jong-A-Ping.
Carlo Ancelotti's men ran the show and it was 2-0 halfway through the first half when Gattuso arrived at the near post to tuck away a Kaka ball.
Heerenveen came out fighting in the second half but Milan went 3-0 up when Gattuso played Inzaghi through to steer the ball past the onrushing keeper. Danijel Pranjic scored a consolation goal for the hosts from the penalty five minutes from time.
From the same Group E Portsmouth were trounced by Portugal's Braga 3-0, the goals coming from Luis Aguiar (8th), Wason Renteria (46th) and Alan (87th).
Ndri Romaric and Renato hit two quick goals inside a minute in the opening half for Sevilla to beat Germany's Stuttgart and in the same Group C Italy's Sampdoria, still without a win in the domestic league, chalked up a useful victory by beating Serbia's Partizan Belgrade 2-1 away.
Emiliano Bonazzoli and Daniele Dessena scored for Sampdoria either side of Lamine Diarra's goal.
CSKA Moscow's talented teenage playmaker Alan Dzagoyev scored twice as the 2005 winners opened their Group H campaign with a 3-0 win at home to Deportivo.
Dzagoyev struck twice in three first-half minutes for CSKA, unbeaten in the Russian league since July 20. Brazilian Vagner Love added a third on the hour.
This is the last season at the helm for coach Valery Gazzaev, who led CSKA to their first European trophy when they beat Sporting in the 2005 final.
Bundesliga leaders Hamburg and German rivals Schalke 04 recorded opening group stage victories.
Hamburg won 2-1 in Slovakia against Zilina in Group F, while 1997 UEFA Cup winners Schalke 04 brushed aside PSG 3-1 in their Group A tie in Gelsenkirchen.
PSG defender Larrys Mabiala put through his own net after 12 minutes and Schalke striker Kevin Kuranyi struck just before half-time. Halil Altintop made it 3-0 before Clement Chantome hit a late consolation.
Aston Villa kept up the pace with Hamburg in Group F with a hard-earned victory over Ajax at Villa Park. On 22 minutes, Thomas Vermaelen cancelled Martin Laursen's early goal for the hosts but Gareth Barry scored the winner for the Villains on the stroke of half-time.
In Turkey, Harry Kewell's goal midway through the first half was enough for Galatasaray to secure the Group B 'derby' against Olympiakos.
The top three of the eight groups progress to the first knockout roundwhere they will be joined by the eight teams finishing third in their Champions League groups.