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Chelsea: got their Champions League challenge up and running at the second attempt. Vadim Ghirda/AP/Press Association Images
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Champions League: Chelsea thump Steaua, late drama in Ajax-AC Milan

Ramires and Lampard on the mark as Jose’s Chelsea romp to 4-0 win in Romania.

CHELSEA GOT THEIR Champions League campaign up and running at the second attempt with a one-sided 4-0 win away to Romanian champions Steaua Bucharest.

Stunned 2-1 by Basel at Stamford Bridge in their opening game, Chelsea were eager to make up for lost time and the Europa League champions never looked in trouble beneath the closed roof of Bucharest’s Arena Nationala.

Ramires broke the deadlock in the 20th minute before Steaua right-back Daniel Georgievski scored an own goal on the verge of half-time.

Ramires added a third early in the second period, before Frank Lampard’s low shot sealed victory in the 90th minute.

Schalke 04 beat Basel 1-0 in Group E’s other game. Julian Draxler scored the only goal in a game which was interrupted by Greenpeace protesters who abseiled from the roof of St. Jakob-Park.

In Amsterdam, Mario Balotelli scored a penalty in the fourth minute of added time to earn AC Milan a 1-1 draw with Ajax.

Balotelli won the penalty in controversial circumstances after grappling with substitute centre-back Mike Van der Hoorn inside the area and his conversion from 12 yards earned the Rossoneri a draw that their second-half display deserved.

The finish was cruel on Ajax, however, as they had only taken the lead in the 90th minute of a game that had previously appeared destined to end goalless.

Then, young central defender Stefano Denswil rose unmarked five yards out to head home a corner from the right flank to leave the Dutch champions on the brink of a precious win.

Instead, the draw suits Milan, who are clear in second place on four points behind Barcelona, 1-0 winners away to Celtic in Group H’s other game.

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In Group G, Atletico Madrid came from behind to keep their stunning start to the season going with a 2-1 win away to Porto.

Colombian international Jackson Martinez had headed the hosts into a deserved 16th-minute lead, but Atletico improved mightily after the break and were level when Diego Godin nodded home Gabi’s free-kick.

And Atleti made it seven consecutive wins in all competitions when another well-worked free-kick saw Gabi play in Arda Turan and the Turkish midfielder lashed the ball into the roof of the net five minutes from time.

Zenit St Petersburg and Austria Vienna drew 0-0 in the group’s other game.

© AFP, 2013

As it happened: Celtic v Barcelona, Champions League

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