CHELSEA 1 - 2 BASEL
Another masterful finish from Oscar just before half-time maintained his prolific strike rate in the competition and suggested the Blues would be rewarded with their customary first-day victory. However, the ever-dangerous Mohamed Salah curled in a 71st-minute equaliser, Marco Streller then rounding off Basel's fightback with a header from a corner.
This was not the script that had been promised beforehand. Chelsea had never met defeat on matchday one in 11 previous fixtures; indeed, nor had Mourinho in ten past campaigns. But for the strength of their defending when under pressure in the first half and also for their unyielding spirit, the Swiss titleholders deserved this first victory on English soil.
Chelsea gave first starts to summer recruits Willian and Marco van Ginkel and they showed up well as the blue shirts had Basel back-pedalling from the off.
A number of corners followed but worryingly for Mourinho's men no direct threat on the away goal ensued. At the same time Basel showed speed and enterprise on the break to suggest that they could make things difficult for the 2012 champions.
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NAPOLI 2 - 1 DORTMUND
Gonzalo Higuaín's ninth goal in the competition – his first for Napoli – gave the hosts a 29th-minute lead before the 2013 runners-up were reduced to ten men when Roman Weidenfeller was dismissed on the stroke of half-time. An unstoppable free-kick from Lorenzo Insigne midway through the second half put the Serie A leaders in the driving seat, but a Camilo Zúñiga own goal set up a grandstand finish with Napoli just holding out.
Both coaches played their part in delivering a spectacle with two attack-minded sides sent into action, and it was Dortmund who seized the early initiative. The home fans were beginning to get nervous until Insigne flashed a shot wide and Higuaín then had them on their feet in anticipation as he skipped past Mats Hummels, only for Neven Subotić to get in a desperate lunge to tease the ball away from the Argentina forward.
The game was swinging from end to end and Nuri Şahin's deflected shot was plucked out of the air by Pepe Reina, defusing the danger. There was greater concern when Robert Lewandowski broke through and was denied by Reina's legs before Zúñiga used his head to clear Marco Reus's effort.
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MARSEILLE 1 - 2 ARSENAL
Arsène Wenger's men visited the Stade Vélodrome chasing a club-record tenth consecutive away success in all competitions, yet they looked unlikely to attain it until Walcott unleashed a superbly taken strike on 65 minutes. The hosts had created the lion's share of the chances, but their hunt for at least a share of the spoils was ended by the in-form Ramsey with seven minutes remaining, despite Jordan Ayew's late penalty.
Élie Baup cast his side as the section's underdogs yesterday, yet there was nothing humble about the way they twice made Wojciech Szczęsny work early on. First, the Polish No1 had to grapple André-Pierre Gignac's flicked effort and moments later he plucked a Mathieu Valbuena shot out of the air, before his counterpart Steve Mandanda snaffled up a Walcott half-volley.
That was a rare attempt from Arsenal, however, and Marseille were harrying them with impressive energy, an approach augmented by Valbuena's quick feet and bright ideas in dangerous areas. Dimitri Payet was catching the eye too, and the French international almost served up the opener when his cross was headed wide by André Ayew.
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BARCELONA 4 - 0 AJAX
AUSTRIA WEIN 0 - 1 PORTO
ATLETICO 3 - 1 ZENIT
SCHALKE 3 - 0 STEAUA
MILAN 2 - 0 CELTIC
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