Manchester United and Wolfsburg won

Beşiktaş JK 0-1 Manchester United

An opportunist Paul Scholes header 13 minutes from time was enough to give Manchester United FC a winning UEFA Champions League Group B start at Beşiktaş JK.

Beşiktaş beat Liverpool FC here a couple of years ago and made life tough for last season's runners-up throughout. But as time began to run short Scholes pounced to head in a Nani shot parried by home goalkeeper Hakan Arıkan, and begin a campaign United hope will end in the third consecutive final.

From the off the Beşiktaş fans produced their traditional cacophony of noise and with Mert Nobre and Filip Hološko deployed up front by Mustafa Denizli, they poured forward in the first ten minutes. However United, fielding Nani and competition debutant Antonio Valencia on the flanks, soon found their feet and Michael Carrick's long-range shot was tipped over by Hakan, given his chance by Rüştü Reçber's ear problem.

In Saturday's 3-0 derby defeat at Galatasaray AŞ, Serdar Özkan had gone close three times for Beşiktaş and he did so again with a shot from 20 metres out that was just deflected off target. He tried again just before the interval from the same distance out, but this time the ball flew wide without assistance.

Early in the second half Michael Carrick so nearly took advantage of some confusion between Matteo Ferrari and Hakan, but the goalkeeper was able to stop the volley from the off-balance midfielder. The sides were rather cancelling each other out at this stage, and both teams made a change round about the hour mark; first Beşiktaş withdrew the lively Serdar Özkan for the creative Yusuf Şimşek and a few minutes later Sir Alex Ferguson brought both Michael Owen and Dimitar Berbatov on to form a conventional front two.

Valencia was still United's main threat and twice made Hakan save. But with 13 minutes left Nani got around İbrahim Kaş and Hakan could only parry his shot into the path of Scholes, who gratefully headed in the loose ball for his 22nd UEFA Champions League goal in 109 appearances. Hološko came close to a reply but after he was sent clear, his shot was intercepted by Jonny Evans. That was that for Beşiktaş and they will now aim to kick-start their campaign in a fortnight when they visit PFC CSKA Moskva.

VfL Wolfsburg 3-1 CSKA Moskva

VfL Wolfsburg enjoyed a UEFA Champions League debut to remember as a Grafite hat-trick gave the Bundesliga titleholders an impressive victory against PFC CSKA Moskva.

The Brazilian received a deserved standing ovation on his 89th-minute exit from the VfL Wolfsburg Arena after a clinical display against the Russian visitors, whose ambitions of a positive start to Group B were badly dented by two Grafite goals in the space of six minutes late in the first half. The bustling forward then completed his hat-trick – and Wolfburg's win – four minutes from time to end the hopes of a CSKA side for whom Alan Dzagoev's 76th-minute goal was the silver lining on a cloudy evening in Germany.

Wolfsburg coach Armin Veh had urged his side not to play in awe of their opponents or the occasion, and he would have been heartened by a determined opening. The home team were presented with an early sight of goal when Sergey Ignashevich slipped on the edge of the area, but Christian Gentner's well-struck shot found only the legs of Igor Akinfeev before the Wolfsburg midfielder blasted the follow-up into the bank of home fans behind the goal. With the tireless Josué underpinning Wolfsburg, there was little sign of the fragility that had led them to concede ten goals in their last three league games, and CSKA were rarely seen as an attacking force.

However, despite being in charge for only five days, Juande Ramos has already instilled a prodigious work ethic in his men, which meant Wolfsburg's attacking trio of Edin Džeko, Obafemi Martins and Grafite – starting together for the first time – were stifled for long periods. However, in Zvjezdan Misimović, Wolfsburg have a player with tremendous vision, as the Bosnia-Herzegovina international demonstrated to devastating effect nine minutes from the break. Grafite raced on to a perfectly-weighted pass and beat Akinfeev with the confidence borne of being last season's Bundesliga top scorer.

If the opening goal was the fruit of an instant of inspiration, then Wolfsburg's second soon after was the consequence of a moment of madness. With Akinfeev poised to collect Martins's lofted cross, Deividas Šemberas needlessly tugged Grafite's shirt. The Brazilian striker rose from the turf to dispatch the resulting spot-kick with unerring aplomb.

CSKA emerged from the break in more enterprising mood, but for all their endeavour failed to force Wolfsburg goalkeeper Diego Benaglio into a significant save with lone striker Guilherme finding imposing home centre-backs Andrea Barzagli and Alexander Madlung immovable objects. Only once did the duo falter, and both Alan Dzagoev and substitute Nika Piliev came desperately close to turning in Miloš Krasić's teasing cross, before Dzagoev found space to direct a header narrowly wide.

The visitors got the reward their improved showing deserved when a delightful reverse pass from Guilherme released Dzagoev and the midfielder convincingly beat Benaglio. With the visitors searching for an equaliser Wolfsburg also had their chances as the game opened up in the closing stages, only a fingertip save from Akinfeev denying Misimović before Grafite finally beat the Russian international again to complete a memorable evening for the UEFA Champions League newcomers, as they prepare to go to Manchester United FC in a fortnight.