UEFA Champion's League 2007/2008 - Group A

GROUP A - CLUBS

1. FC Porto (Portugal)
2. Liverpool (England)
3. Marseille (France)
4. Besiktas (Turkey)

GAME WEEK 1 - 18th/19th September 2007

Fixtures / Results

18/09/2007 - FC Porto 1 - 1 Liverpool
18/09/2007 - Marseille 2 - 0 Besiktas

Match Roundup
FC Porto consolidated their bright early start against last season's beaten finalists Liverpool with a well taken penalty goal from Lucho Gonzalez but it only took ten minutes for the English club to equalise through Dutchman Dirk Kuyt. Jermain Pennant's sending off on the hour mark made Liverpool work harder for their point in the end.

Former European champions Marseille left it late to punish Besiktas with defender Julien Rodriguez scoring in the 76th minute and former Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse putting the game beyond the Turks in the 90th minute for a 2-0 home victory.

GAME WEEK 2 - 2nd/3rd October 2007

Fixtures / Results

03/10/2007 - Besiktas 0 - 1 FC Porto
03/10/2007 - Liverpool 0 - 1 Marseille

Match Roundup
Besiktas again let their concentration lapse late on as Portuguese wonderkid Ricardo Quaresma fired Porto's winner in the 90th minute to take his side into 2nd place in Group A.

Liverpool fell to a surprise home defeat at the hands of Marseille with Mathieu Valbuena scoring the only goal of the game on 76 minutes to send Marseille top of the group.

GAME WEEK 3 - 23rd/24th October 2007

Fixtures / Results

24/10/2007 - Besiktas 2 - 1 Liverpool
24/10/2007 - Marseille 1 - 1 FC Porto

Match Roundup

Liverpool's Champion's League hopes lie in tatters after a disastrous defeat away to Beskitas in Turkey. Steven Gerrard's late consolation did little to bring any joy back to the travelling Scouse support and they now face an uphill struggle to make it through to the knockout stages.

Marseille and FC Porto played out a 1-1 draw at the Stade Velodrome in Marseille which keeps both clubs in the driving seats for qualification.

GAME WEEK 4 - 6th/7th November 2007

Fixtures / Results

06/11/2007 - FC Porto 2 - 1 Marseille
06/11/2007 - Liverpool 8 - 0 Besiktas

Match Roundup

What a difference a couple of weeks makes. Liverpool's record destruction of Besiktas at Anfield may have put some smiles on Scouse faces but the big question has to be "how did they manage to lose to Besiktas in Turkey"? Manager Rafa Benitez couldn't have asked for any more from his side on the night however with a fine performance and hat-trick from Yossi Benayoun demonstrating the strength in depth the Spaniard can call on.

FC Porto meanwhile dethroned Marseille at the top of the group and with Liverpool still to play both sides it could yet be a tight finish to Group A.

GAME WEEK 5 - 27th/28th November 2007

Fixtures / Results

28/11/2007 - Besiktas 2 - 1 Marseille
28/11/2007 - Liverpool 4 - 1 FC Porto

Match Roundup

Besiktas scored with only a couple of minutes on the clock to grab their second win of the Champion's League group stages and resurrect their hopes of actually qualifying from Group A.

Liverpool struggled slightly after going ahead through Fernando Torres but powered home after Porto's equaliser and giving themselves every chance of still making it through.

GAME WEEK 6 - 11th/12th December 2007

Fixtures / Results

11/12/2007 - FC Porto 2 - 0 Besiktas
11/12/2007 - Marseille 0 - 4 Liverpool

Match Roundup

FC Porto wrapped up top spot while Liverpool breezed past a potentially tricky Marseille side in France to take the 2004 and 2005 champions into the knockout stages.