Inzaghi and Shevchenko hit 60 mark on opening night

By Martyn Herman

LONDON (Reuters) - Holders AC Milan took the first step on the long road to Moscow when they opened their Champions League campaign with a 2-1 victory over Benfica on Tuesday.

The opening batch of fixtures in the 2007-08 competition, which finishes in the Russian capital on May 21, proved a milestone for two of Europe's most prolific strikers.

At San Siro, Milan's serial goal poacher Filippo Inzaghi took his tally in European club football to 60 with his side's second goal after Andrea Pirlo opened the scoring in Group D.

Inzaghi's former Milan team mate Andriy Shevchenko also hit the 60 mark when he scored Chelsea's equaliser in a frustrating 1-1 home draw with Rosenborg Trondheim in Group B.

Only German great Gerd Mueller (62) stands above them in the European scoring charts.

Real Madrid's Raul is just one goal behind Inzaghi and Shevchenko after heading their first in a 2-1 Group C victory for the nine-times champions at home to Werder Bremen.

Netherlands striker Ruud van Nistelrooy struck 16 minutes from time to mark the club's 300th game in Europe's elite competition with a victory.

Liverpool, beaten by Milan in last season's final, began with a 1-1 draw in Porto despite playing most of the second half with 10 men after winger Jermaine Pennant was sent off.