PARIS, Sept 26: Real Madrid led the rush of goals in the Champions League Wednesday night in their 6-0 thrashing of Belgians Genk while Arsenal managed one of the quickest ever goals in the event.

Holders Madrid looked comfortable in their role as favourites for a 10th title as they notched up a goal spree even though key players Zinedine Zindane and Ronaldo were not playing.

Arsenal scored after just 29 seconds through Brazilian World Cup winner Gilberto in their stunning 4-0 win at PSV Eindhoven to convince manager Arsene Wenger their awayday blues were a thing of the past.

French champions Lyon, largely unsung in Europe, managed to put five goals past Norway’s Rosenborg in a 5-0 victory and Valencia beat Spartak Moscow 3-0 in their early match in Russia.

Brazilian striker Marcio Amoroso completed a remarkable comeback from Achilles tendon problems to score for Borussia Dortmund in their 2-1 home win against French club Auxerre.

The competition has had a spectacular start with a flood of goals.

The 44 goals scored this week, added to the 50 knocked home in the opening matches, mean 94 have been scored in 24 fixtures at an average of nearly four a game.

Imperious Real Madrid thrashed cannon-fodder Genk in a record-equalling performance - Marseille, who won 6-0 against CSKA Moskow in March 1993, and Leeds United who inflicted the same margin on Turkish outfit Besiktas two years ago being the other two sides to go goal crazy.

Madrid won 3-0 at AS Roma in their opening Group C clash last week and have started the defence of their crown with gusto as they have managed to both win and win well in their opening two fixtures.

An own goal by Ivory Coast’s Didier Zokora in the 44th minute, a further strike by Michel Salgado in first-half injury time, and then a Luis Figo penalty 10 minutes after the break opened the scoring floodgates.

Goals from Guti on 64 minutes, Albert Celades 10 minutes later and then Raul in the 76th minute finished off the rout.

In the other Group C match, AEK Athens drew 0-0 with AS Roma in an unspectacular match and leave Roma still looking for a win after four games in all competitions this season.

Free-scoring Arsenal banished their away-day Champions League blues with a superb 4-0 drubbing over Eindhoven.

A double from the outstanding Thierry Henry and goals from Freddie Ljungberg and Gilberto left Arsenal with maximum points after two games in Group A.

In the other game in the pool, Amoroso was the fan’s favourite.

Amoroso, who had expected to miss the first three months of the season with an Achilles tendon injury, had recovered quicker than expected but had only returned from his native Brazil at the weekend.

Amoroso’s 78th minute goal at the Westfalonstadion was the finishing touch to Dortmund’s victory.

Giant Czech striker Jan Koller had opened the scoring on six minutes and Auxerre’s Benjamin Mwaruwari, known normally as Benjani, found the net with a consolation effort seven minutes from time.

Amoroso, joint top scorer in the Bundesliga last season with Martin Max of 1860 Munich on 18 goals, only started training a couple of days ago and was not even a definite to appear in the match.

He nevertheless carried on his goalscoring ways of last season to help Dortmund bounce back from defeat against Arsenal in the opening first phase match last week.

Liverpool’s campaign suffered another setback as they were held to a 1-1 draw by FC Basel in their Group B clash.

Czech striker Milan Baros capped a superb all-round performance with a first-half goal to take his tally for the season to four goals from three starts and set Gerrard Houllier’s men on their way to what looked like being a comfortable victory.

But Argentinian striker Julio Rossi snatched an equaliser two minutes before the interval, totally against the run of play, and Liverpool were unable to turn their overwhelming dominance into a winner.

Valencia top Group B following their early 3-0 win at Spartak Moscow at the Dynamo stadium.

Valencia’s goals came from midfielder Michel Angel Angulo and second-half substitutes forward Mista and Juan Sanchez.

Lyon roared back from two straight defeats with their humiliation of Rosenborg in Group, D inflicting the 11th successive away defeat in the competition on the Norwegians, and Inter Milan thanked Argentine striker Hernan Crespo for their 1-0 victory over Dutch club Ajax in the other fixture of the pool.

On a night when everything seemed to go right for Madrid Inter could at least move above them into second in the longest ever home unbeaten run in the European Cup and in its current form of the Champions League of 33 matches.

Bayern Munich hold the all-time record of 43.

Wednesday’s collated results:

GROUP A