FIRST GROUP STAGE

This group stage involves eight groups of four teams.

GROUP A

This group was settled early with Real Madrid qualifying after four games and Spartak Moscow qualifying after five. Bayer Leverkusen secured the UEFA Cup spot.

Sep 12: Spartak Moscow 2 Bayer Leverkusen 0

Sep 12: Sporting Lisbon 2 Real Madrid 2

Sep 20: Bayer Leverkusen 3 Sporting Lisbon 2

Sep 20: Real Madrid 1 Spartak Moscow 0

Sep 27: Bayer Leverkusen 2 Real Madrid 3

Sep 27: Spartak Moscow 3 Sporting Lisbon 1

Oct 17: Real Madrid 5 Bayer Leverkusen 3

Oct 17: Sporting Lisbon 0 Spartak Moscow 3

Oct 25: Bayer Leverkusen 1 Spartak Moscow 0

Oct 25: Real Madrid 4 Sporting Lisbon 0

Nov 7: Sporting Lisbon 0 Bayer Leverkusen 0

Nov 7: Spartak Moscow 1 Real Madrid 0

 

GROUP B

This group was another settled early with Arsenal and Lazio both qualifying easily from the group. Shakhtar Donetsk secured the UEFA Cup spot.

Sep 12: Sparta Prague  0 Arsenal 1

Sep 12: Shakhtar Donetsk 0 Lazio 3

Sep 20: Arsenal 3 Shakhtar Donetsk 2

Sep 20: Lazio 3 Sparta Prague 0

Sep 27: Arsenal 2 Lazio 0

Sep 27: Sparta Prague 3 Shakhtar Donetsk 2

Oct 17: Lazio 1 Arsenal 1

Oct 17: Shakhtar Donetsk 2 Sparta Prague 1

Oct 25: Arsenal 4 Sparta Prague 2

Oct 25: Lazio 5 Shakhtar Donetsk 1

Nov 7: Shakhtar Donetsk 3 Arsenal 0

Nov 7: Sparta Prague 0 Lazio 1

 

GROUP C

Valencia, last year's finalists, continued where they left off and dominated the group with four straight wins securing top spot. Lyon and Olympiakos finished equal but Lyon qualified through and Olympiakos went to the UEFA Cup.

Sep 12: Valencia CF 2 Olympiakos  1 

Sep 12: Olympique Lyonnais 3 SC Heerenveen 1 

Sep 20: Olympiakos 2 Olympique Lyonnais 1 

Sep 20: SC Heerenveen  0 Valencia CF 1 

Sep 27: Valencia CF 1 Olympique Lyonnais 0 

Sep 27: Olympiakos 2 SC Heerenveen 0 

Oct 17: Olympique Lyonnais 1 Valencia CF 2 

Oct 17: SC Heerenveen 1 Olympiakos 0 

Oct 25: Olympiakos 1 Valencia CF 0 

Oct 25: SC Heerenveen 0 Olympique Lyonnais 2 

Nov 7: Olympique Lyonnais 1 Olympiakos 0 

Nov 7: Valencia CF 1 SC Heerenveen 1

 

GROUP D

This group was very close but was eventually topped by Sturm Graz, who finished second in Austria last year. Rangers looked certain to qualify but after losing to Sturm Graz and drawing with Galatasaray and Monaco they could only make the UEFA Cup. Instead Galatasaray became the second qualifiers. Monaco, the French champions, were knocked out.

Sep 12: Galatasaray 3 AS Monaco 2 

Sep 12: Rangers 5 SK Sturm Graz 0 

Sep 20: AS Monaco 0 Rangers 1 

Sep 20: SK Sturm Graz 3 Galatasaray 0 

Sep 27: Galatasaray 3 Rangers 2 

Sep 27: AS Monaco 5 SK Sturm Graz 0 

Oct 17: Rangers 0 Galatasaray 0 

Oct 17: SK Sturm Graz 2 AS Monaco 0 

Oct 25: AS Monaco 4 Galatasaray 2 

Oct 25: SK Sturm Graz 2 Rangers 0 

Nov 7: Rangers 2 AS Monaco 2 

Nov 7: Galatasaray 2 SK Sturm Graz 2

 

GROUP E

This group was topped by Spanish champions Deportivo La Coruna, but  the surprise was that Juventus were knocked out after finishing last in the group. Having two people sent off in each of their last two games, which they then proceeded to lose, did not help. Instead Panathinaikos qualified through and Hamburg qualified for the UEFA Cup.

Sep 13: Hamburg 4 Juventus 4 

Sep 13: Panathinaikos 1 Deportivo La Coruņa 1 

Sep 19: Juventus 2 Panathinaikos 1 

Sep 19: Deportivo La Coruņa 2 Hamburg1 

Sep 26: Juventus 0 Deportivo La Coruņa 0 

Sep 26: Hamburger 0 Panathinaikos 1 

Oct 18: Deportivo La Coruņa 1 Juventus 1 

Oct 18: Panathinaikos 0 Hamburg 0 

Oct 24: Juventus 1 Hamburger 3 

Oct 24: Deportivo La Coruņa 1 Panathinaikos 0 

Nov 8: Panathinaikos 3 Juventus 1

Nov 8: Hamburg 1 Deportivo La Coruņa 1

 

GROUP F

This group was dominated by German champions Bayern Munich and French side Paris Saint-Germain. Rosenborg qualified for the UEFA Cup spot.

Sep 13: Rosenborg BK 3 Paris Saint-Germain 1 

Sep 13: Helsingborg IF 1 Bayern Munich 3 

Sep 19: Paris Saint-Germain 4 Helsingborg IF 1 

Sep 19: Bayern Munich 3 Rosenborg BK 1 

Sep 26: Paris Saint-Germain 1 Bayern Munich 0 

Sep 26: Rosenborg BK 6 Helsingborg IF 1 

Oct 18: Bayern Munich 2 Paris Saint-Germain 0 

Oct 18: Helsingborg IF 2 Rosenborg BK 0 

Oct 24: Paris Saint-Germain 7 Rosenborg BK 2 

Oct 24: Bayern Munich 0 Helsingborg IF 0 

Nov 8: Helsingborg IF 1 Paris Saint-Germain 1

Nov 8: Rosenborg BK 1 Bayern Munich 1

 

GROUP G

Manchester United struggled in this group before eventually qualifying through to the next stage in second spot, behind surprise winners Anderlecht. PSV Eindhoven just missed out and made the UEFA Cup.

Sep 13: PSV Eindhoven 2 Dynamo Kiev 1 

Sep 13: Manchester United  5 RSC Anderlecht  1 

Sep 19: Dynamo Kiev 0 Manchester United 0 

Sep 19: RSC Anderlecht 1 PSV Eindhoven 0 

Sep 26: Dynamo Kiev 4 RSC Anderlecht 0 

Sep 26: PSV Eindhoven 3 Manchester United 1 

Oct 18: RSC Anderlecht 4 Dynamo Kiev 2 

Oct 18: Manchester United 3 PSV Eindhoven 1 

Oct 24: Dynamo Kiev 0 PSV Eindhoven 1 

Oct 24: RSC Anderlecht 2 Manchester United 1 

Nov 8: Manchester United 1 Dynamo Kiev 0

Nov 8: PSV Eindhoven 2 RSC Anderlecht 3

 

GROUP H

This was the toughest group with three of Europe's biggest teams involved. The team which missed out on the next round was Barcelona who only made the UEFA Cup. Instead, Milan and Leeds United qualified for the next round.

Sep 13: FC Barcelona 4 Leeds United 0 

Sep 13: Milan 4 Besiktas 1 

Sep 19: Leeds United 1 Milan 0 

Sep 19: Besiktas 3 FC Barcelona 0 

Sep 26: Leeds United 6 Besiktas 0 

Sep 26: FC Barcelona 0 Milan 2 

Oct 18: Besiktas 0 Leeds United 0 

Oct 18: Milan 3 FC Barcelona 3 

Oct 24: Leeds United 1 FC Barcelona1 

Oct 24: Besiktas 0 Milan 2 

Nov 8: Milan 1 Leeds United 1

Nov 8: FC Barcelona 5 Besiktas 0

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