But Liverpool, the team Owen left behind in the summer, could only draw 0-0 at home to Deportivo La Coruna in Group A while Manchester United also drew a blank at Sparta Prague.

Sir Alex Ferguson's team, who face a Premiership showdown with bitter rivals Arsenal on Sunday, also lost top spot in Group D after French champions Lyon beat Fenerbahce 3-1 in Istanbul.

Owen's goal was hardly a classic strike. Brazilian superstar Ronaldo did all the hard work to send a teasing cross and all Owen had to do was somehow get a touch to it.

Santiago Solari initiated the move and threaded his way through several retreating Kiev players before passing out wide to the left for Ronaldo who did a trademark step-over and went past a defender before delivering the pass across the goal after 35 minutes and Owen timed his run perfectly to meet the ball.

"It's a great feeling to finally score," said Owen. "I couldn't have picked a better time, in front of the home fans, in the Champions League and in such a massive game.

"I was asked to work the flanks because Ronaldo likes to work around the box so it's funny my first goal turned out to be from the opposite way around."

Manchester United's stuttering domestic form was exported to Europe as Ferguson's side struggled to secure a goalless draw against Sparta Prague.

Given the way they went to salute their supporters at the end of the match, the Czech champions appeared satisfied to have claimed their first point in Group D.

It might easily have been three however with only the woodwork and the legs of United goalkeeper Roy Carroll denying Sparta's lone striker Tomas Jun the goal that his efforts deserved.

United badly missed Rio Ferdinand, who missed the trip to attend his grandmother's funeral, and Roy Keane, sidelined by a virus.

"I think for the general control of the game we probably deserved something but the best chances fell to Sparta," said Ferguson before brushing aside suggestions that the performance augured badly for Sunday's Premiership showdown with Arsenal.

"I'm not even discussing Sunday, that will take care of itself."

A dominant Liverpool were left to rue a series of missed chances after drawing 0-0 against Deportivo La Coruna at Anfield.

Liverpool's Milan Baros and Djibril Cisse both missed great first half chances to put the hosts ahead, denied on each occasion by brilliant saves from veteran Deportivo goalkeeper Jose Molina.

"I'm not happy with the result, but I am happy with the way we played," said Liverpool coach Rafael Benitez whose side are now second in the group, two points behind Monaco.

"It was the best Liverpool performance I have seen since I came here."

If the English were struggling, then there were no such problems for French sides Monaco, last season's runners-up, and Lyon.

Monaco's new South American strikeforce Javier Saviola and Ernesto Chevanton produced dream goals to sink Olympiakos 2-1 to put their side top of Group A while, in Istanbul, French champions Lyon gave their Turkish counterparts Fenerbahce a mountain to climb with a deserved 3-1 victory to go top of Group D.

It took until early in the second half for the game to come alight, with Juninho beating Recber Rustu ten minutes after the restart before his Brazilian compatriot Cris beat the hosts keeper from close range 10 minutes later.

Fenerbahce grabbed a deserved consolation through Marcio Nobre but the Turkish champions were ultimately outclassed on the night, with Lyon grabbing a third through Pierre-Alain Frau four minutes from time.

In Turin, European Footballer of Year Pavel Nedved struck 15 minutes from time to give Juventus a hard fought 1-0 win over Bayern Munich to go top of Group C in a match watched by just 18,000 people.

Ajax beat Maccabi Tel Aviv 3-0 in the group's other tie to register their first win and keep their hopes of making the knockout stages alive.

Juve's Italian rivals Roma went down to a bad-tempered 3-1 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen in Group B.

A deflected Francesco Totti free-kick gave the Italians an undeserved lead on 26 minutes but a composed Bayer turned on the style in the second half to send the Italians home with plenty to think about in the coming days.

Brazilian Robson Ponte (48), Polish international Jacek Krzynowek (59) and Franca (90) gave the Germans, finalists in 2002, the points after a heated match which left Roma with only nine players on the final whistle.

To complete a miserable night for Roma, Christian Panucci and Daniele de Rossi were both red-carded.