1.   Each of the four teams that played Saturday scored seven goals in a match during the group play phase.

2.   After five tied games during the group phase, Juventus won its last match to get through only because results elsewhere went its way.

3.   Despite its drubbing by Schalke, Krauss guided Mallorca to a reasonable start to its debut in the Champions League group phase.

4.   Dynamo Kiev and Bayer Leverkusen also made it into the group phase.

5.   In its only previous attempt to reach the Champions League group phase Mallorca was eliminated by Norwegian club Molde in the qualifying round two years ago.

6.   In other matters, the executive committee also gave the green light for an investigation into the marketing of a possible group phase of the UEFA Cup.

7.   Ireland beat Saudi Arabia and tied Cameroon and Germany in the group phase to advance to the second round.

8.   Long-term prognostication aside, Italy still has its group phase to deal with, and as past World Cups have shown, nothing is predictable.

9.   Roma has seven points in group A and is likely to join Madrid in the second group phase.

10.   South Africa is drawn in the first round World Cup group phase to play against against Spain, Slovenia and Paraguay.