PARIS, Oct 3: Arsenal and Valencia, respectively champions of England and Spain, all but booked their passage to the second phase of the Champions League Wednesday, both recording their third win in as many outings.

Arsenal won 1-0 at French side Auxerre with Brazilian Gilberto Silva on target to crown a workmanlike performance by the Gunners in Group A, while Valencia went the stylish route as they swamped Basel of Switzerland 6-2 in Spain.

Liverpool, having already lost in Valencia and then only drawn at home to Basel, revived their hopes of joining the effervescent Spanish league champions in the last 16 with a similarly majestic 5-0 swatting of pointless and goalless Spartak Moscow at Anfield.

The Merseysiders’ Group B win, achieved with two goals from Emile Heskey and further goals from Bruno Cheyrou, Sami Hyypia and Salif Diao, lifted the four-time European champions to second in the pool on four points — ahead of the Swiss on goal difference — as the Premiership side finally clicked.

Elsewhere, Borussia Dortmund notched a classy 3-1 win at PSV Eindhoven to move second in Group A with six points and with PSV and Auxerre marooned on one point, the Germans, champions in 1997, are set fair to join Arsenal in the next round.

While Arsenal showed their growing European pedigree with their second straight away success to follow up a 4-0 thrashing of PSV, ending a calamitous run on their travels in recent years, reigning champions Real Madrid almost fell flat on their faces at AEK Athens before drawing 3-3.

Real, having sauntered past Roma and Genk of Belgium, found themselves 3-1 down in their Group C encounter at the Nikos Goumas Stadium.

Vasilis Tsartas blasted home a free kick on six minutes and although Zinedine Zidane equalised nine minutes later Tsartas fed substitute Maladenis, on for the injured Milen Petkov, for a header past Real keeper Iker Casillas.

Three minutes later AEK top scorer Demis Nikolaidis made it 3-1 taking a Tsartas pass and back-heading the ball into the net.

Zidane made it 3-2 five minutes before the break and after Raul had hit the crossbar Guti rescued a point with a smart finish from across Roberto Carlos.

Real moved on to seven points for a three-point cushion ahead of Roma, who thanked a late Antonio Cassano header as they poached a 1-0 win in Genk which was made easier by a 10th-minute dismissal for handball outside the area by Belgian keeper Jan Moons.

Cassano nodded past replacement keeper Davy Schollen to launch the Italians’ campaign after defeat by Real and a draw with AEK Athens.

Wednesday’s results:

Group A: