Barcelona set a record of 11 successive Champions League wins with a 3-0 victory over Inter Milan when action in the competition resumed after the mid-winter break on Tuesday.

Barca broke the Champions League record set by AC Milan who recorded 10 straight wins in the 1992-93 season. Barcelona's run started with two wins over Legia Warsaw in the qualifying round, followed by six straight victories in the first phase and now three successive wins in the second phase.

They have also equalled the all-time record of 11 wins in European club competition set by Ajax Amsterdam over two seasons of Cup Winners Cup action in 1987 and 1988.

Their European form is in stark contrast to their domestic league form which has seen them sink into the lower reaches of the Spanish first division and cost Dutch coach Louis Van Gaal his job two weeks ago.

Playing under new coach Radi Antic for only the third time, Barcelona are now on the verge of a place in the quarter-finals.

Tuesday's win leaves them clear at the top of Group A with a maximum nine points from three matches, followed by Inter (6), Newcastle United (3) and Bayer Leverkusen (0). They will almost certainly ensure themselves a place in the last eight with another win at Inter next week.

Javier Saviola (7), Philip Cocu (29) and Patrick Kluivert (67) were all on target against Inter who had Alvaro Recoba sent off for violent conduct 10 minutes from time.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

While his old club Barcelona were winning, his present club Newcastle United gave coach Sir Bobby Robson the perfect 70th birthday present by rekindling their hopes in the same group with a 3-1 win at Bayer Leverkusen.

Newcastle, playing without the suspended Alan Shearer and Craig Bellamy, raced into a 2-0 lead after only 16 minutes against the German side, runners-up in last season's final but rudderless since sacking coach Klaus Toppmoeller on Sunday after a dismal run of domestic form.

Shola Ameobi scored twice to put Newcastle 2-0 up, Franca replied for the home side after 26 minutes and Lomana Lua Lua added the third after 32 minutes to wrap up Newcastle's win, their first after successive defeats to Inter Milan and Barcelona.

ARSENAL SILENCED

In Group A, Ajax silenced the Arsenal fans who fully expected a relatively easy win at Highbury after Sylvain Wiltord put the London side ahead after only five minutes.

But Nigel De Jong equalised for the Dutch champions after 17 minutes and despite some lively, attacking play from both sides there were no more goals in a match that ended 1-1, Arsenal's fourth successive Champions League game at home without a win.

Arsenal defender Sol Campbell said: "We seem to be picking up points away, but at home, it's a little bit frustrating for us. "We had a lot of possession, but it did not really fall for us in the box.

Looking ahead to next week's return in Amsterdam, he said: "They have to go and win the game and that might help us. But we have to keep going because it is a tight group at the moment."

With Valencia winning 1-0 at AS Roma, Ajax, Arsenal and Valencia all have five points with Roma stranded at the bottom with no points.

A freak goal by John Carew after 79 minutes settled the match in Rome when the Norwegian striker spotted Roma keeper Ivan Pelizzoli out of position and curled a harmless looking ball into the area which slipped in at the near post.

It was a fitting finale to a scrappy match, in which neither side had distinguished itself.

The competition continues on Wednesday when Real Madrid play Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan host Lokomotiv Moscow in Group C and Manchester United play Juventus and Basel meet Deportivo Coruna in Group D.