Champions League review:Chelsea opened their Champions League Group E campaign with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen at Stamford Bridge but a stunning late volley from Ivan Perisic denied Arsenal a morale-boosting victory at Borussia Dortmund.
Fernando Torres was restored to Chelsea's starting line-up by Andre Villas-Boas, who rested John Terry, and although the Spaniard failed to get on the scoresheet himself he did set up both goals.
Defender David Luiz stroked home the opener from the edge of the area midway through the second half after he continued a rampaging run forward to latch on to Torres' lay-off.
Juan Mata then sealed the victory with virtually the last kick of the game after Torres had charged down the left to present his fellow Spaniard with a simple tap-in.
Torres could have had a hat-trick in the first 10 minutes as he hooked an acrobatic effort narrowly wide and saw a shot blocked by keeper Bernd Leno, while Raul Meireles was ruled offside after touching the striker's goal-bound flick.
Simon Rolfes also had an early goal chalked off for the German side but Chelsea dominated the first half with Daniel Sturridge twice going close to breaking the deadlock through long-range drives.
Former Blues midfielder Michael Ballack spurned Leverkusen's best chance after the restart when Petr Cech saved with his legs and the home keeper then denied Andre Schuerrle moments later.
In the group's other game Genkand Valenciadrew 0-0.
Robin van Persie's strike (42) and a manful rearguard action appeared certain to send the Gunnershome with the points until substitute Perisic intervened two minutes from time, firing a left footed volley into the top corner.
A Dortmund draw was the least that looked likely when the home side began with gusto, the movement of Mario Gotze and Shinji Kagawa threatening to wreak havoc.
But Kagawa prodded wastefully over when clean through, Bacary Sagna got back to hack Robert Lewandowski's shot off the goal-line, and gradually Arsenal came into it.
Lucho Gonzalez scored the only goal of the game as group opponents Marseilleput their domestic troubles aside to claim a hard-fought 1-0 win over Olympiakos Piraeus.
Gonzalez converted Jeremy Morel's low cross from the right just after half-time following a closely-contested opening 45 minutes with few scoring chances at the Georgios Karaiskakis stadium.
His strike proved enough to seal all three points for Didier Deschamps's team as Olympiakos failed to rally in their first competitive outing of the season.
Two goals in three minutes by Gustavo Manduca and Ailton allowed APOEL Nicosiato snatch a 2-1 win over Zenit St Petersburg.
Konstantin Zyryanov fired Zenit ahead against the run of play in the 63rd minute with a low shot but the Russians were in front for just 10 minutes.
APOEL swiftly rebounded when Manduca levelled after a scramble and Ailton sparked wild celebrations among the 18,000 APOEL fans by finding the net just minutes later.
Zenit's Bruno Alves was sent off in the 76th minute but the home side failed to make their advantage count.
Goals by Brazilian forwards Hulk and Kleber allowed Europa League winners Portoto come from behind and post a 2-1 win against a nine-man Shakhtar Donetskin a lively Group G opene.
The Ukrainians started confidently and were ahead on 12 minutes when striker Luiz Adriano pounced on a loose ball after a fumble by keeper Helton, but Hulk levelled the match in the 28th minute with a swerving, thunderous free kick from 40 yards that Oleksandr Rybka touched but could not halt.
Shakhtar were reduced to 10 men when Yaroslav Rakitskiy was dismissed in the 40th minute for a fierce tackle on Joao Moutinho.
Porto piled on the misery when winger James Rodriguez made a great run on the left to set up striker Kleber for an easy tap-in six minutes after the break.
The Portuguese champions pushed forward for a third and came close with a dipping free kick from Rodriguez that hit the bar after a foul on substitute winger Djalma which also earned defender Dmytro Chygrynskiy a red card in the 80th minute.
Thiago Silva powered home a header in the second minute of stoppage time to snatch a 2-2 draw for AC Milanat holders Barcelonain the heavyweight pair's Group H game.
A sultry Nou Camp was stunned into near-silence after only 24 seconds when Alexandre Pato left the Barca defence for dead and beat goalkeeper Victor Valdes, the fifth-fastest goal in Europe's elite club competition, according to Opta.
However, World Player of the Year Lionel Messi, Champions League top scorer the past three seasons, created an equaliser for Pedro in the 36th minute with a brilliant weaving run and cross and David Villa netted a superb long-range freekick five minutes after the break.
A dominant Barca were apparently cruising towards victory when Brazil defender Silva leaped above the home defence and crashed a 92nd-minute header past Valdes.
BATE Borisovdenied Viktoria Plzenvictory in their first ever Champions League game when a second-half goal from Renan Bressan secured a 1-1 draw.
Forward Marek Bakos put the Czech champions, who won six out of six in the three qualifying rounds they played, ahead a few seconds before halftime from close range after a perfect cross-pass from the left side by Petr Jiracek.
Plzen exerted early pressure but Borisov's defence rarely let them near a sight of goal while the Belarussian side wasted opportunities of their own.
BATE striker Mateja Kezman, the most experienced man on the pitch who has played for a string of European teams including Chelsea, shot into the side netting on the half hour and had a goal ruled out for offside 15 minutes into the second half.
Plzen went close to increasing their lead in the 63rd minute but Vaclav Pilar, who impressed throughout, failed to capitalise on a pass into the box, firing a weak shot that was easily smothered by keeper Aleksandr Gutor.
