Holders Sevilla drew 0-0 away against Slovan Liberec of the Czech Republic in Group C in which AZ Alkmaar, runners-up in 1981, cruised to a 3-0 win over Braga of Portugal to remain unbeaten at home in Europe since their debut in the late 1970s.

Bulgaria striker Dimitar Berbatov underlined his credentials as one of the top players in the competition as the group phase got under way with a fine goal in Tottenham Hotspur's 2-0 away win over Besiktas in Group B.

Berbatov's former club Bayer Leverkusen, UEFA Cup winners in 1988 and Champions League runners-up in 2002, drew 1-1 at Club Bruges in the same group.

The other Anglo-Turkish match also went the way of an English side when Newcastle United beat Fenerbahce 1-0 at home, Frenchman Antoine Sibierski scoring the winner in an exciting Group H match.

Keeper Rustu Recber, who had earlier made a fine diving save from Obafemi Martins's header, failed to hold a shot by Steven Taylor and Sibierski netted the rebound in the 78th minute.

In the other Group H match, Palermo had to come from behind to beat Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 at home with Cristian Zaccardo scoring the winner three minutes from time.

NO SPECTATORS

Also in Italy [Images], an extraordinary eight-minute spell in the first half at Livorno delivered four of the goals in Rangers' 3-2 away victory over in Group A.

Charlie Adam put the Scottish side in front in the 27th minute, two quick penalties at either end made it 2-1 and Rangers went two clear through Nacho Novo in the 35th before Cristiano Lucarelli's second goal for Livorno in the final minute.

Maccabi Haifa won the other match in Group A, beating AJ Auxerre 3-1 at home. The French side had Stephane Grichting sent off 24 minutes from time.

Panathinaikos handed a defeat to their former coach Itzhak Blum when they beat Hapoel Tel Aviv 2-0 at home in Group G with an own goal by Tal Chen and a strike from Argentine winger Sebastian Romero. The match was played behind closed doors as the Athens side served a spectator ban for crowd trouble in the home leg of their first round tie.

Feyenoord, who won the trophy in 2002, shared the points in a dreadful 1-1 draw in Basel, with a decisive role for two substitutes.

Brazilian Eduardo came in on the hour and his first contact with the ball gave the home side the lead after Feyenoord keeper Henk Timmer blocked a 30-metres free kick. Feyenoord's Stein Huysegems had been on only four minutes when he beat Basel's Argentine keeper Franco Costanzo for the 72nd-minute equaliser.

Blackburn Rovers won the other Group E match, recovering from a goal down to beat Wisla Krakow 2-1 in Poland E with David Bentley's 89th-minute winner.

Parma, twice winners in the late 1990s, beat OB Odense 2-1 in their Group D match in Denmark.

Espanyol, who lost the 1988 final to Bayer Leverkusen, won 2-0 away against Sparta Prague in Group F.

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