By Simon Evans
Reuters
Tuesday, September 11, 2001; 5:24 PM

_____Champions League_____ Draws/Tables/Fixtures: • First Phase _____Results_____ Matchday 1 • Group A Loko. Moscow 1, Anderlecht 1 Roma 1, Real Madrid 2 • Group B Dynamo Kiev 2, Bo. Dortmund 2 Liverpool 1, Boavista 1 • Group C Real Mallorca 1, Arsenal 0 Schalke 0, Panathinaikos 2 • Group D Galatasaray 1, Lazio 0 Nantes 4, PSV Eindhoven 1

ROME, Sept 11 – Luis Figo delivered a masterful performance as Real Madrid beat AS Roma 2-1 in their Champions League Group A match on Tuesday.

Real's performance in the battle of the Spanish and Italian champions was early evidence that the eight-time European champions will again be among the favourites this season.

It was Real's first victory in Italy since they beat Juventus in the European Cup quarter-finals in 1962.

Figo scored Real's opener five minutes after the break and then set up the second with a pinpoint cross which was headed home by Guti.

Although Roma rallied with a Francesco Totti penalty in the 73rd minute and then came close to an equaliser when substitute Abel Balbo hit the bar, Real should have wrapped the game up in the first half.

Figo tested out Roma goalkeeper Ivan Pelizzoli with a low shot in just the second minute. Roma's danger man Francesco Totti quickly responded though, as he made space for a fine cross from the left but Gabriel Batistuta could only head over.

Real's first real chance came in the 17th minute when Raul set up Steve McManaman with a neat back-heel but the Englishman screwed his shot wide from a good position.

Totti should perhaps have done better when he headed wide at the back post after Assuncao picked him out with a free-kick from the right, but Real were far more incisive than Fabio Capello's Roma.

On the half hour Guti put in Raul with a defence-splitting pass and the Spain striker rounded Pelizzoli but then saw his shot cleared off the line by a sliding Antonio Zago.

Six minutes later Raul had a strong claim for a penalty rejected by English referee Graham Poll when he went down under a challenge from Walter Samuel.

HEADED WIDE

Raul than flashed a header just wide from a Figo free-kick which had been whipped in from the right, but Real's best opportunity to take the lead came on the stroke of halftime.

Roma's French defender Vincent Candela was robbed by Figo who put Guti in the clear but the Spaniard drove his shot wide of Pelizzoli's left hand post.

Figo eventually put Real ahead five minutes after the restart with a curling 25-metre free-kick that found Pelizzoli wrong-footed.

The Portugal winger forced a fine save out of Pelizzoli with a sharp volley and then burst through the middle to set up McManaman but the former Liverpool player's attempted chip was comfortably handled by the Roma keeper.

Then Figo created Real's second goal as he found an unmarked Guti with a cross from the right and the Spaniard scored with a well-placed header.

Real looked comfortably in charge of the game until Totti converted a penalty in the 73rd minute after Aitor Karanka had brought down Jonathan Zebina.

That prompted an intense spell of late pressure from Roma with Batistuta seeing a long-range free-kick pushed wide by Casillas and then his fellow Argentine Balbo missed a great chance as he struck the bar from close range.

Batistuta, looking far from his sharpest, was unable to make the most of a chance in injury time as he fired straight at Iker Casillas after being put clear by Totti.