Chelsea recovered from a goal down to beat Lazio 2-1 with strikes from Frank Lampard and Adrian Mutu to go top Champions League Group G tonight.
Lazio had taken the lead against the run of play after 38 minutes when Chelsea failed to clear a corner and Simone Inzaghi got in front of William Gallas to send a stooped header past keeper Carlo Cudicini.
Chelsea's endeavours were almost rewarded on the stroke of halftime when the impressive Frank Lampard turned inside his marker and fired a fierce rising left-foot shot against the bar with Lazio's Angelo Peruzzi beaten.
But Lampard was not to be denied and just before the hour mark striker Eidur Gudjohnson set him up with a low pass from the left and the England midfielder struck a delightful shot with the outside of his right foot into the top corner.
Chelsea replaced the ineffective Juan Sebastian Veron with Jespeer Gronkajer on 64 mintues and the change immediately paid dividends as the Dane crossed from the right for Adrian Mutu to score the winner with a left-foot shot from eight metres.
Elsewhere in Group G, veteran midfielder Karel Poborsky scored six minutes from time to give Sparta Prague a 2-1 victory over Besiktas.
Poborsky volleyed home the winner to hand the Czech side their first win of the group phase.
Sparta went ahead in the 58th minute when Lukas Zelenka dribbled past the Besiktas defense and slotted home.
The lead lasted just two minutes, Sparta keeper Jaromir Blazek bringing down Sergei Yelcin in the penalty area and Daniel Pancu scored from the spot.
Chelsea top the group with six points, while Lazio and Sparta have four. Besiktas have three points.
Wednesday's Results
Group E
Rangers 0-1 Man United
Stuttgart 2-0 Panathinaikos
Group F
Marseille 2-3 Porto
Real Madrid 1-0 Partizan
Group G
Chelsea 2-1 Lazio
Sparta 2-1 Besiktas
Group H
Ajax 1-0 Celta
AC Milan 0-1 Brugge