AS Roma scored four second-half goals and opened the Champions League with a 4-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk in Group D on Tuesday.

In Group B Sporting Clube de Portugal welcomed Luis Figo back to the José Alvalade Stadium, and they greeted him with a 1-0 victory over Inter Milan in Champions League.

Brazilian midfielder Rodrigo Taddei opened the scoring in the 67th minute. Francesco Totti and Daniele De Rossi, both members of Italy's winning World Cup squad, added goals in the 76th and 79th, and newly signed Chile midfielder David Pizarro completed the outburst with a long strike in the 89th.

"We have a very competitive roster," Pizarro said. "We have to keep our feet on the ground, though. This is just the start."

The victory marked Roma's return to the Champions League after a one-season absence. Roma finished fifth in Serie A last season but was awarded second place and received a Champions League berth after penalties were handed out in the Italian match-fixing scandal.

Roma went ahead off Max Tonetto's cross from the left flank. Totti missed his attempt on the cross but Taddei was waiting by the far post and connected on an angled shot.

Totti displayed his talent with a sweeping strike to the top corner of the net for Roma's second goal, and De Rossi connected on a header off a David Pizarro cross three minutes later.

Italy coach Roberto Donadoni watched from the stands. Donadoni is trying to encourage Totti to return to the national team for European Championship qualifiers in October.

Roma extended its home unbeaten streak at 13 matches. The giallorossi are 10-3-0 in all competitions since Feb. 1.

Sporting - Inter Milan 1-0
Sporting thought they ought to have had a penalty on 16 minutes as Walter Samuel looked to have handle in the area while attempt to make a challenge on Yannick Djalo, but Alain Hamer waved play on.

Both teams, after that, failed to create much in the way of clear scoring chances for the rest of the first half, although Adriano did make goalkeeper Ricardo make a save in the 43rd minute.

But Sporting would eventually grab the advantage in the 64th minute as Tonel played the ball through for Marco Caneira, who hit a thunderous volley in off the bar past Francesco Toldo.

Four minutes later, Inter's misery was compounded when new midfield signing Patrick Vieira was sent off for his second bookable offense for a foul on Alecsandro.

In Italian: Roma, poker di coppa

Sporting 1 Inter 0 :

Nel debutto in Champions con lo Sporting Mancini punta sul rientro di Adriano e su Figo trequartista, ma i solisti deludono. Decide un gran gol di Caneira, ex Reggina, al 19' s.t. Espulso Vieira. 

LISBONA (Portogallo), 12 settembre 2006 - Inter in altalena ma felice in campionato, per nulla spensierato il debutto europeo dei nerazzurri: l'1-0 dell'Alvalade di Lisbona contro lo Sporting è insieme risultato inatteso e campanello d'allarme sulla attuale condizione nerazzurra. Perché i solisti hanno steccato, ma l'intera manovra offensiva ha denotato ritardi e grossi limiti. Notizie più rassicuranti dalla difesa, ma la consolazione è assai relativa in un contesto piuttosto deludente.

(gazzetta)