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LONDON - Sevilla witnessed first hand the chasm between UEFA Cup football and the Champions League on Thursday (NZ time) with a 3-0 defeat at Arsenal.
The Andalucians won Europe's second-tier club competition for the past two seasons and were tipped to make a big impact among the elite but were undone by goals from Cesc Fabregas, Robin van Persie and Eduardo da Silva at the Emirates Stadium.
Czech side Slavia Prague, the other debutants in action, joined Arsenal on three points in Group H with a 2-1 home victory against Steaua Bucharest.
Seven of the eight matches in Groups E to H produced home wins with only Manchester United bucking the trend when Cristiano Ronaldo headed the winner for the English champions against Sporting Lisbon.
Barcelona, who beat Arsenal in the 2006 final, turned on the style in their Group E opener in the Nou Camp, Lionel Messi and Thierry Henry both on target in a 3-0 win for the Catalans against Olympique Lyon.
Rangers came from a goal down to join Barca on three points, beating German champions Stuttgart 2-1 in Glasgow.
It was a mixed night for Italian clubs.
Serie A champions Inter Milan began with a Group G 1-0 defeat in Istanbul against Fenerbahce but Roma's perfect start to the season continued when they saw off Dynamo Kiev 2-0 in the Olympic Stadium.
Francesco Totti and Simone Perrotta were on target in the club's 100th European victory.
Russia's only representatives, CSKA Moscow, went down 2-1 at PSV Eindhoven in Group G.
- REUTERS