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Bundelsiga side Schalke made a winning start to their UEFA Cup group stage matches with a 3-1 home success over a poor Paris Saint Germain in Group A.

Kevin Kuranyi, discarded by Germany coach Joachim Loew for walking out on the squad following their World Cup qualifier against Russia, was smiling again as he scored one and made one against a makeshift PSG side shorn of the experience of Claude Makelele.

Schalke, who won the tournament at Internazionale's expense in 1997 for the only time, went ahead on 13 minutes after Larrys Mabiala put through his own net, diverting a Jefferson Farfan cross past French keeper Mickael Landreau.

Kuranyi then smashed home six minutes before the break following a run by Farfan down the left.

Schalke ended the contest with Turkish international Halil Altintop's third on 69 minutes after a neat one-two with Kuranyi before Clement Chantome notched a consolation two minutes into injury time.

Also off to a flier were Russia's CSKA Moscow, who swamped Group H rivals Deportivo La Coruna 3-0 with Alan Dzagoev netting twice inside three first half minutes before Brazilian Vagner Love made the win safe with the third on the hour.

Dzagoev bagged his first off a free kick and then netted from close range after Love set him up inside the box.

The Brazilian then got on the scoresheet himself after Sergei Ignashevic nodded on Milo Krasic's cross to cheer the home fans at the cavernous Luzhniki Stadium.

Former Liverpool and Leeds winger Harry Kewell's header earned Galatasaray a 1-0 victory over Olympiacos in Group B.

Kewell evaded his marker, former Newcastle defender Didier Domi, before glancing a downward header into the net in the 26th minute.

Former Sheffield Wednesday and Juventus striker Darko Kovacevic, on as a substitute, had a golden chance to equalise for Olympiacos but headed Fernando Belluschi's free-kick inches wide.

Steve McClaren's FC Twente made a winning start to their Group A campaign, beating Racing Santander 1-0 in Holland.

The former England boss saw Romano Denneboom score the only goal in the fifth minute, converting Kenneth Perez's cross with a firm header at the Grolsch Veste stadium.

AFP