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Chelsea kick-started their quest to secure the trophy that has eluded them despite their illustrious recent past and several tantalizingly close attempts during the last few seasons with a hard-fought win over Portuguese side, Porto.

Nicolas Anelka's second-half strike proved decisive in a scrappy encounter which was hampered by the awful London weather and the absence of Chelsea's main man up front, Didier Drogba, who was forced to miss the match after being banned for his antics in last season's competition.

The English side looked far from convincing but manager Carlo Ancelotti seemed content with his side's performance. Sometimes in soccer, battling wins in adverse conditions matter more than slick, one-sided performances and Chelsea may need to secure a few more of these if they are to capture the trophy come May. This eventuality currently stands at odds of [6.8] on Betfair.

Bettors seem to be favoring Chelsea over the EPL champions, Manchester United, who are available to back for ultimate success at odds of [10.0], despite reaching the final last season and storming to the domestic league title. United were also beneficiaries of a 1-0 victory last night as Besiktas, for all their defensive resilience, were undone by a persistent side decked out in red and, in particular, a header from Paul Scholes.

Perhaps the most intriguing incident of this clash came not on the pitch but in the dugout as Wayne Rooney displayed an embarrassing show of petulance after being substituted by Sir Alex Ferguson. Rooney is currently an outsider in the Champions League 2009/2010 Top Scorer Market at odds of [18.0] and, after failing to make his mark in this game, it is easy to see why this is the case, surrounded as he is in the odds by flair players such as Lionel Messi ([10.0]) and Cristiano Ronaldo ([5.6]).

Indeed, it was Ronaldo who stole the show for Real Madrid last night, marking his Champions League debut for his new team with an impressive brace. Defensive frailties still littered the Spanish side's play despite their attacking prowess but they are second favorites in the Winner Market at [6.2], narrowly behind rivals Barcelona ([5.1]).

Last season's Champions League winners begin their quest to hold onto their crown tonight against Inter Milan, in a hotly anticipated clash at the San Siro. Samuel Eto'o and Zlatan Ibrahimovic will face each other after swapping sides over the summer.

Both strikers will be desperate to prove a point to their old clubs after leaving in less than harmonious circumstances and, with Eto'o and Ibrahimovic finding the back of the net last weekend, a bet on either striker to score may be a wise move. The imposing Barcelona striker may represent the best value here at [3.25]. It's bound to be a tight clash tonight with the away side narrow favorites at [2.54].

Elsewhere, Liverpool will host Debrecen, the first Hungarian team to qualify for the group stage since 1995. Bettors have this one down as a ridiculously one-sided affair with the home team available to back at [1.12] and Debrecen at [42.0]. Siding with Liverpool for victory in this clash represents poor value, so it's best to look in the other markets for the best odds.

Fernando Torres is available at [1.71] to score but he hasn't hit top form yet this season and, at these odds, it might be worth looking elsewhere for value. Yossi Benayoun hit a hat-trick at the weekend and, if the floodgates open tonight as the current betting activity suggests, he could weigh in with one in this clash too.