Bayern Munich edged Juventus 2-1, while Thierry Henry returned after a six-week absence with two goals on Tuesday to push Arsenal closer to the second round of the Champions League with a 2-0 victory at Sparta Prague.
Two more leading contenders failed to hit the target, however.
Manchester United was held 0-0 at home by Lille and Panathinaikos kept Barcelona to a 0-0 draw in Athens.
Sebastian Deisler scored one and set up another for Martin Demichelis to give Bayern a three-point lead at the top of Group A after beating Juve 2-1 in Munich.
Italian champion Juventus hit back with a last-minute header by Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but the team now trails Bayern in second place.
FC Brugge is third, six points behind, after a 1-0 victory at Rapid Vienna thanks to Bosko Balaban’s goal in the 75th minute.
Henry had been missing from the Arsenal lineup since picking up a groin injury after scoring France’s winner in a 1-0 World Cup qualifying victory at Ireland. On the field in Prague earlier than expected because of a 14th-minute injury to Jose Antonio Reyes, he scored the opening goal in the 20th minute and added the second 16 minutes from the end as Arsenal moved five points clear at the top of Group B. The second strike meant Henry beat Ian Wright’s all-time scoring record
for the Gunners of 185 goals.
Greek forward Yannis Anastasiou scored both goals as Ajax beat FC Thun 2-0 in the other group game to climb into second place above the Swiss club. Sparta is last with one point.
Star-studded Barcelona dropped its first points in a 0-0 draw at Panathinaikos. Because the other Group C game was also a draw, with Udinese hitting back to 1-1 against Werder Bremen, Barca stayed three points ahead.
An own-goal by Brazilian defender Felipe handed Bremen a lead but Antonio Di Natale helped his team capture a point with an equaliser four minutes from the end. Barca has seven points, followed by Udinese and Panathinaikos with four each and Bremen with one.
Manchester United stayed at the top of Group D but had hoped to move well clear with a home game against last-place Lille.
With Wayne Rooney suspended, the team played poorly and had Paul Scholes sent off 27 minutes from the end in a 0-0 draw at Old Trafford.
United remained one point clear at the top, however, as Benfica’s Manuel Fernandes cancelled out a penalty for Villarreal by Juan Roman Riquelme. United has five points, while Benfica has four, Villarreal has three and Lille has two.
Seven points ahead in the French league and top of Group F without a goal conceded, Lyon can make virtually sure of reaching the last 16 by beating Olympiakos on Wednesday.
If Lyon makes it a maximum nine points from three games and Real Madrid and Rosenborg draw, the French club will be five points ahead with three games to go.
English Premier League leader Chelsea, which has won its first nine domestic matches, hopes to move a step closer the second round by beating Real Betis at home. In the same Group G, defending champion Liverpool visits Anderlecht.
Neighbors Inter and AC Milan also top their groups. Inter goes to FC Porto, which won the title two seasons ago, and Milan hosts PSV Eindhoven in a repeat of last season’s semifinal. – Sapa-AP