Liverpool's Steven Gerrard scores his side's second goal from the penalty spot during the Champions League Group D match against Marseille at the Stade Velodrome in Marseille. - ap

manchester, england (ap)

European heavyweights Liverpool, FC Barcelona, Chelsea and Inter Milan opened their Champions League campaigns with victories yesterday.

But the most striking results on the first night of the group stage came from the competition's newcomers on the road, with CFR Cluj upsetting AS Roma 2-1 and Anorthosis Famagusta holding Werder Bremen 0-0.

Chelsea, which lost May's final on penalty kicks, crushed Bordeaux 4-0; five-time champions Liverpool rallied to win 2-1 at Marseille; 2006 winners Barcelona overcame Sporting Lisbon 3-1 and Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan beat Panathinaikos 2-0.

Chelsea began the new European campaign emphatically, with Frank Lampard scoring and playing provider.

He powered in a header in the 14th on Jose Bosingwa's cross, before his inviting cross allowed Joe Cole to nod in at the near post in the 30th after rising above Alou Diarra.

Florent Malouda put the match beyond doubt in the 82nd when put clear by Lampard's well-timed backheel. Anelka added a fourth in injury time.

But Chelsea's Group A rivals, CFR Cluj, stole the headlines by stunning Roma on two goals from Argentine midfielder Juan Culio.

A 25-year-old journeyman playing his first Champions League match, Culio scored in the 27th and 49th minutes after Christian Panucci had put Roma in front at Stadio Olimpico, which will host this season's final on May 27. Atletico Madrid ended their 11-year absence with a 3-0 win at 1988 champion PSV Einhoven, while Shakhtar Donetsk won 2-1 despite FC Basel scoring a late goal.

Fernando Torres was back spearheading Liverpool's attack after recovering from injury as Liverpool were given a tougher test than last year's visit to the Stade Velodrome when they left with a 4-0 victory.