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Dynamo Kiev 2-4 Manchester United

Ferdinand scored United’s opener, two goals from Cristiano Ronaldo helped a dominant Manchester United to a comfortable victory at Dynamo Kiev. Rio Ferdinand opened the scoring when he headed in a Ryan Giggs free-kick from the left before Wayne Rooney tapped in Wes Brown’s low cross. Diogo Rincon reduced the deficit with a header before Ronaldo nodded in United’s third. Ronaldo scored from the spot after Goran Gavrancic handballed before Ismael Bangoura fired in late for Kiev.

Victory gave United their third win from three Champions League games this season but never would Sir Alex Ferguson’s side have thought they would achieve the result in such a shockingly easy manner. Kiev’s defence was poor. Actually to be blunt, they were awful for much of the match. The Ukraine side are taken away to a training camp for a few days before each European tie, but the benefits from that were far from visible on a chilly night at the Olympic Stadium.

They looked disjointed against a United side whose attacking wave of Carlos Tevez, Rooney, Ronaldo and Giggs were a cut above sublime. And it was the senior member of the quartet, Giggs, who shone the brightest. The Welshman was on hand to deliver a glorious ball from the left for Ferdinand to power in his first Champions League goal for United early in the first half. What Giggs was doing down the left, Portugal icon Ronaldo was doing down the right.

Last year’s Premiership player of the year played an important part in the second goal when he seized on a misplaced ball on the halfway line and sped down the wing. Brown, in support, was fed the ball before laying a low pass into the feet of Rooney who tapped in from six yards. Four, five, six goals? It was anybody’s guess as to how many United would score following a rampant 20 minutes. But their flow was stopped abruptly by a Rincon who powered his header from Carlos Correa’s corner. Rooney slotted home an easy second.

With the Kiev fans given something to cheer about it was expected the visitors goal would come under severe pressure, but instead United restored their two goal advantage thanks to some more sloppy defending. Giggs made the most of the free space he was gifted on the left to swing in another perfect cross that Ronaldo, unmarked, headed into the keeper’s top right. Kiev improved ten-fold in the second half and put the visitors under some early pressure with Correa going close with a 25-yard free-kick and their biggest threat, Rincon, heading narrowly wide.

But with the Ukraine outfit employing more men in attack they were becoming increasingly exposed in defence. A typical United break led to their fourth when Tevez was fed down the right and his cross was handled by Gavrancic. Referee Viktor Kassai had to consult his linesman to see whether the offence was inside the area before awarding the spot-kick. With that drama over, Ronaldo coolly stepped up to score his second.

Bangoura’s beautifully struck low drive made sure United were kept on their toes for the last few minutes of their victory.

Arsenal 7-0 Slavia Prague

Arsenal put on a magical display at the Emirates Stadium as they closed in on the Champions League knockout stages. Cesc Fabregas’s stunning strike put the Gunners ahead after five minutes and David Hubacek’s own goal made it 2-0.

Theo Walcott got his first Champions League goal after a goalkeeping error before Alexander Hleb scored one and set up Walcott for his second. Fabregas finished a fabulous move and substitute Nicklas Bendtner wrapped up Arsenal’s best ever home win in Europe.

The margin of victory also equalled the biggest win in the Champions League, matching Juventus’ 2003 demolition of Olympiakos. It was a simply breathtaking performance from the in-form Gunners, who recorded their 12th successive victory and matched their best result under Arsene Wenger. Wenger, who celebrated his 58th birthday on Monday, rewarded Walcott for his eye-catching cameo at the weekend with a first Champions League start and he responded in style.

The 18-year-old, who started up front alongside Emmanuel Adebayor, had a quiet opening 20 minutes as his team-mates continued in the dazzling form they have shown all season. Emmanuel Eboue’s pace caused havoc down the right, Hleb was outstanding on the left while Fabregas pulled the strings in the middle. Hleb’s trickery took him to the byeline and he cut the ball back for Fabregas to lift a perfectly-placed shot beyond keeper Martin Vaniak as Arsenal took the lead inside five minutes.

Slavia fashioned a rare chance when David Kalivoda fired narrowly over the bar before Arsenal made it 2-0. The visitors failed to clear a corner and Hleb’s powerful strike took a heavy deflection off Hubacek’s outstretched leg to beat Vaniak. Hleb, Walcott and Fabregas were all on the scoresheet against Slavia

Walcott’s first telling contribution came after 28 minutes when he delivered an inviting cross for his strike partner, but Adebayor could only head straight at the keeper. A little over 10 minutes later, the striker became the youngest Englishman to score a Champions League goal - eclipsing Wayne Rooney.

Daniel Pudil played his keeper into trouble with an ambitious backpass and Vaniak’s attempted clearance went straight to Walcott. The teenager still had plenty to do though, coolly sidestepping Vaniak before firing a precise shot in between two covering defenders. Desperate Slavia coach Karel Jarolim made a change at the break but Arsenal’s response was simply to find another gear.

Hleb got the goal his performance deserved from Fabregas’s perfect pass and the Belarussian then set up Walcott, who raced down the left channel before stroking home with the outside of his right foot. It was a sumptuous finish - reminiscent of Thierry Henry - but the best was yet to come from Arsenal.

Slavia could - and did - only stand and admire as the Gunners went from defence to attack in a flash, the ball gliding from Hleb to Adebayor and on to Walcott before the teenager set up Fabregas to provide the gloss finish. Those three goals in 13 thrilling minutes of the second-half put Arsenal 6-0 up and Wenger, not surprisingly, made a triple change, introducing Gilberto, Bendtner and Tomas Rosicky for Adebayor, Hleb and Mathieu Flamini.

The changes disrupted Arsenal’s rhythm and brought welcome respite to the demoralised Slavia players. They even had a chance when William Gallas’s slip let in Stanislav Vlcek, but Manuel Almunia made a smart save. Walcott came agonisingly close to a hat-trick but was denied from six yards by a remarkable save from Vaniak - before Rosicky fired the rebound against the bar.

Arsenal eventually got their seventh when Bendtner played a one-two with Eboue, who backheeled his return for the Dane to poke the ball home at the second attempt.

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