CHAMPIONS LEAGUE ROUNDUP

updated 5:59 p.m. ET Nov. 6, 2007

LONDON - Liverpool struck for the biggest victory in Champions League history, beating the Turkish club Besiktas 8-0 Tuesday to revive the English team’s hopes of the reaching the next round.

Liverpool needed a victory after gaining just one point from its first three Group A matches, and Yossi Benayoun scored a hat trick to lead the five-time European champions. The biggest previous rout was a 7-0 victory by Juventus in 2003 that was matched by Arsenal two weeks ago.

Two-time runner-up Valencia lost to Norway’s Rosenborg 2-0; defending champion AC Milan won at Ukraine’s Shakhtar Donetsk 3-0; and 2004 winner FC Porto downed Marseille 2-1.

Also, Lazio beat Werder Bremen 2-1; Celtic stopped Benfica 1-0; Real Madrid was held to a 0-0 tie at Olympiakos; and Chelsea tied 0-0 at Schalke.

Benayoun, a midfielder from Israel, had the first hat trick this season in the Champions League.

“I am happy to score but what was important was the way we won,” Benayoun said. “We just need to continue to improve all the time.”

Liverpool, which lost last year’s final to Milan, improved to four points in Group A, three fewer than Marseille and four fewer than first-place Porto. That means it has to beat both teams above it in its remaining two games.

Rosenborg strengthened its hold on second place through two goals by Steffen Iversen at Valencia. The Norwegian team was expected to finish last in the group. Rosenborg moved up to seven points, one fewer than Chelsea. Schalke is next with four, with Valencia last with three.

Lazio moved up from last to share second place in Group C with Olympiakos after striker Tommaso Rocchi scored two goals against Bremen.

Chelsea kept the lead of Group B despite its seven-match winning streak coming to an end with its scoreless draw at Schalke.

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Lazio has five points, the same as Olympiakos, and three fewer than record nine-time champion Real Madrid.

Milan leads Group D with nine points after substitute Filippo Inzaghi scored two second-half goals and set up another in Ukraine. Celtic took a share of second place with six points after a deflected 45th-minute goal by Aiden McGeady gave the Scottish champions victory over Benfica.

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