Arsenal gets a good comeback and Olympiacos win by one

Olympiacos FC 1-0 AZ Alkmaar

Olympiacos FC began life without Temuri Ketsbaia with a 1-0 victory against AZ Alkmaar in their UEFA Champions League Group H opener as new coach Zico looked on from the Georgios Karaiskakis stands.

The Greek titleholders confirmed Zico's appointment on a two-year contract before kick-off and how the match could have done with the former Brazil player's legendary flair as defences dominated. That was until the 79th minute, however, when Vassilis Torosidis rose to head in Jaouad Zairi's superb right-wing cross and ensure Olympiacos a winning return to the competition after a one-year absence.

Pounding drums, ear-splitting sirens and deafening whistles all combined to create a raucous atmosphere inside the stadium as the home crowd tried to unsettle Ronald Koeman's players. Nonetheless, after a cautious opening, it was the visitors who had the first sight of goal when Moussa Dembélé broke down the right and crossed for Maarten Martens, who contrived to bundle the ball over from two metres out. Olympiacos responded with their own raid down the right when Torosidis crossed dangerously for Diogo but the Brazilian striker was beaten to the ball by defender Niklas Moisander.

Denied the attacking talents of midfielders Enzo Maresca and Luciano Galletti through injury as well as striker Matt Derbyshire, Olympiacos were seemingly content to sit back and wait for their chance to pounce. Their right flank looked the most likely source of a goal with Leonardo prodding wide from Zairi's centre before Diogo glanced a header off target following another cross by the Moroccan. The hosts should have been ahead ten minutes after the break when the overlapping Michał Żewłakow delivered a low cross from the right which Diogo dummied cleverly, only for Dudu to fire over when well positioned near the penalty spot.

AZ responded with a forward thrust of their own but David Mendes da Silva's fierce drive flashed narrowly over the crossbar. Next to try his luck was Brett Holman, the Australian cutting inside after 72 minutes and testing the reflexes of Antonis Nikopolidis with a powerful effort from distance which the former Greek international diverted to safety. Stand-in coach Božidar Bandović responded by introducing striker Kostas Mitroglou, and within four minutes the deadlock was broken as Torosidis charged in unchallenged from a central position to head in Zairi's clipped cross. Koeman threw men forward in a desperate attempt to level the match and Nikopolidis need to be at his best to save substitute Jeremain Lens's strike from distance.

R. Standard de Liège 2-3 Arsenal FC

Arsenal FC scored two late goals to prevent R. Standard de Liège from crowning their first UEFA Champions League group-stage appearance with a memorable win, the Gunners plundering a dramatic 3-2 victory in Belgium.

The English hosts inflicted Standard's heaviest ever European defeat back in 1993, triumphing 7-0 at Stade Maurice Dufrasne, but it was the hosts who threatened to run up the score this time around, centre-back Eliaquim Mangala finding the net with little more than a minute gone and Milan Jovanović following up with a spot-kick moments later. Arsenal failed to stir until Nicklas Bendtner's strike late in the first half, but they equalised through Thomas Vermaelen eleven minutes from time and claimed maximum points with an Eduardo strike two minutes later.

Standard's supporters greeted their start to life in Europe's premier club competition with a wild crescendo of noise, and their heroes more than responded in kind, stunning Arsenal with a goal inside two minutes. Manuel Almunia's chest infection combined with Łukasz Fabiański's pre-season injury meant Arsène Wenger was obliged to hand third-choice goalkeeper Vito Mannone the gloves and, making his own debut at this level, the Italian was beaten at his near post by a low Mangala effort from the edge of the area after Eduardo had failed to clear a corner.

Mannone's whirlwind introduction to the competition was not over yet either, as just three minutes later he was again picking the ball out of his net. This time William Gallas brought down Jovanović and the Serbian winger picked himself up to rifle in the resultant penalty. Despite their European pedigree, Arsenal were the side more resembling naïve newcomers and, when they were not losing possession unnecessarily, their attempts to rally ran aground against some disciplined and energetic football from the hosts.

With Les Rouches increasingly content to play on the break, however, the visitors were at least able to enjoy the greater possession, and they eventually made telling use with their first genuine chance on the stroke of half-time, Bendtner sweeping a shot through goalkeeper Sinan Bolat's legs and inside the far post after running on to Abou Diaby's intelligent pass. Any suggestion that László Bölöni's troops would now crumble was quickly dismissed seconds after the restart, though, Gaël Clichy doing well to block as Dieudonné Mbokani pulled the trigger in front of goal.

As time ebbed away, Standard nonetheless began to let Arsenal approach almost at their leisure again, a strategy that seemed destined to bear fruit as long-range shots from substitute Aaron Ramsey and captain Cesc Fàbregas found Bolat perfectly able to cope. Just as it seemed the visitors would leave empty-handed, however, Vermaelen bundled the ball over the line from point-blank range after a scramble in the area following a Fàbregas free-kick. Arsenal's winner was no prettier, Eduardo registering at close distance from a corner, but the result was all that mattered as they opened Group H with a win.