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| Saturday, October 5, 2002 18:09 EST |
Totti scores twice to help Roma pull away late
[Reuters]
MILAN -- Two goals from captain Francesco Totti helped AS Roma to a 4-1 win over Udinese to silence talk of a crisis in the capital.
Totti, who struck a hat trick at Brescia last week, scored twice in the last nine minutes as Roma secured its third win within a week.
Roma had lost its first two games of the Italian season and failed to win in the Champions League until Wednesday's victory in Belgium against Genk and the poor start led to fan protests.
But while the latest win will ease the pressure, the result was somewhat unfair on Udinese which was level with 14 minutes to go.
Fabio Capello's side took the lead in the 24th minute with a fortunate goal when a Vincenzo Montella shot took a deflection off Udinese defender Nestor Sensini and wrong-footed 'keeper Morgan De Sanctis.
Another touch from Sensini brought Udinese level in the 59th minute, as the former Lazio player diverted a free kick from David Pizarro past Francesco Antonioli.
Gabriel Batistuta restored Roma's lead in the 76th minute with a close-range header from a Vincent Candela free kick before Totti made his mark.
The Italy international latched on to an Emerson through ball in the 81st minute and coolly slipped the ball past De Sanctis and then with a minute left he completed the win with a powerful shot on the turn.
The win moves Roma up to fifth ahead of Sunday's games.
A curling free kick seven minutes from time by Japanese midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura gave Reggina a 2-2 draw at home to Brescia in a game between two sides expected to face fights against relegation.
Nakamura's third goal in four games since joining Reggina was fair reward for Serie A's only southern side which deserved a point from an entertaining encounter.
Brescia went ahead in the 11th minute when Roberto Baggio fed Markus Schopp whose low cross was converted at the back post by Stephan Appiah.
An Alessandro Pierini header brought Reggina level in the 43rd minute but two minutes later Brescia restored their advantage with a penalty from Baggio after Jorge Vargas had
brought down Igli Tare.
Brescia battled to maintain that lead in the second half but was foiled by Nakamura's delightful free kick.
Holland: PSV Eindhoven barely remains unbeaten
AMSTERDAM -- Dennis Rommedahl's equalizer in injury time has saved league leader PSV Eindhoven from a first defeat of the season as it drew 2-2 at NAC Breda.
PSV remains top of the first division with 19 points from seven matches, three clear of champion Ajax Amsterdam and six ahead of Feyenoord who both have a game in hand and face each other Sunday.
PSV started with a visible lack of confidence after sustaining its second consecutive home defeat in the Champions League on Wednesday when losing 3-1 to Borussia Dortmund. A week earlier PSV was thrashed 4-0 by Arsenal.
NAC took advantage of the wet conditions to open the score in the 31st minute when Orlando Engelaar netted from close range.
In the 57th minute Mateja Kezman equalized when he was left unmarked and tapped in a cross from close range.
Engelaar added his and NAC's second of the evening when he broke through the PSV defense and had no problems beating goalkeeper Ronald Waterreus.
NAC, which last week held Ajax 2-2, seemed ready to end PSV's 18-match unbeaten streak until a minute into injury time when right-winger Rommedahl moved in from the left and beat goalkeeper Gabor Babos at the near post to level the score for the second time.
Roda JC Kerkrade suffered its first defeat of the season when it lost 3-2 at home to Excelsior Rotterdam. The Rotterdam side ended with 10 men after Patrick Mtiliga was sent off three minutes before time for kicking.
Ellery Cairo gave struggling Twente Enschede its first victory of the season with a goal in the dying seconds to beat Graafschap Doetinchem 1-0.
Spain: Athletic Bilbao wins first game this year
MADRID -- Athletic Bilbao breathed new life into its season on Saturday as second-half goals from Carlos Gurpegui and Tiko set up a 2-1 victory away to fellow struggler Recreativo Huelva.
The Basque side went into the game without a win and with the pressure mounting on their German coach Jupp Heynckes.
It looked short of ideas but a moment of magic from Joseba Etxeberria set them on its way to victory just past the hour mark.
The Spanish international winger skipped past four defenders as he cut in from the left and crossed for an unmarked Gurpegui to tap in from a couple of metres out.
Etxeberria was also involved in the second, setting Santi Ezquerro racing away on a quick break with five minutes to go. Ezquerro took out the last defender and crossed for Tiko to supply another simple finish.
Xisco pulled one back with a neat left-footed finish a couple of minutes from time but Bilbao held on comfortably enough for a result that takes it up to 14th place with four points from five games.
Recreativo stays bottom of the table with a single point after failing to take advantage of several opportunities to punish some flat-footed Bilbao defending early on.
After a bitty opening, the home side created the first chance with a lightning breakaway on 13 minutes, Raul Molina racing towards goal only to shoot a couple of meters wide.
Molina failed to reach a neat chip from the left a few minutes later before Jose Mari leant back to smack in a volley that forced a fine save from Inaki Lafuente.
Bilbao had little to shout about early in the first half, with a scuffed Tiko shot about the closest it came.
Ismael Urzaiz did create a few problems just before the break, setting up Etxeberria for a half-chance on the left before winning the ball on the edge of the area and shooting just wide.
A draw looked the likely outcome as the second half meandered along before Etxeberria's intervention.
The remaining nine matches in Spain's first division go ahead Sunday, the highlight a clash between leader Valencia and second-place Celta Vigo at Mestalla. Real Madrid, which could give a debut to Ronaldo, is at home to Alaves, while Barcelona hosts Osasuna.
Scotland: Dunfermline Athletic moves into third
GLASGOW -- Two late goals from Stevie Crawford gave Dunfermline Athletic a 4-1 win over Partick Thistle in the Scottish Premier League on Saturday as it moved
into third place behind Rangers and Celtic.
The Glasgow giants meet in the Old Firm match on Sunday and although they are well clear at the top of the table with Rangers on 25 points and Celtic on 24, Dunfermline moved ahead of the chasing pack on 18 points.
With Hearts also not playing until they meet Livingston on Sunday, Dunfermline took advantage to move up a place with Crawford celebrating his recent Scotland call-up with his late double strike.
Scott Thompson gave Dunfermline the lead after 28 minutes, and after Partick's David Lilley was sent off for violent conduct after 55 minutes, it seemed the match was only heading one way.
But the visitors gave themselves some hope with Jamie Mitchell's 61st-minute penalty making it 1-1, before Dunfermline clinched all three points with goals from Barry Nicholson (68) and Crawford who struck with a header after 79 minutes and a
drive deep into injury time.
Kilmarnock lost the chance to stay in touch with the leader after losing 2-1 at Dundee despite taking the lead through new signing Samuel Boutal after 66 minutes.
Gavin Rae equalized for Dundee with a cracking 20-meter shot and Fabian Caballero won it for the home side with its second goal in the second minute of injury time.
Hibernian climbed clear of the bottom positions with a 2-1 win over Dundee United thanks to goals from Gary O'Connor (29) and Ian Murray (51) while Aberdeen won 2-1 at Motherwell.
France: Nice moves into tie for first
PARIS -- Promoted Nice picked up the thread of its dream start of the season Saturday when it claimed back joint top spot of the French first division with a 2-0 win
over Bastia.
With 20 points from 10 games, Nice shares the lead with AJ Auxerre which hosts Monaco on Sunday.
Nice opened the scoring in the 75th minute through Abdelmalek Cherrad after a scramble in the penalty area. Kaba Diawara sealed the game in the 87th minute, volleying in a
centre from Thibault Scotto.
On a high after its Champions League win at Inter Milan on Wednesday, Olympique Lyon recorded its first away win of the season in the French league when it defeated Stade Rennes 1-0.
But the French champion had to work hard for 50 minutes to tame the bottom-of-the-table Brittany club. Their winner came from a shot from international striker Sidney Govou deflected by defender Lamine Diatta.
RC Lens lost all hope of qualifying for the Champions League second round last Tuesday at La Coruna but it recovered from the disappointment to clinch a 2-0 win at Montpellier.
Their first goal came from Daniel Moreira who darted through the defence and swivelled round goalkeeper Rudy Riou. John Utaka scored the second two minutes from time.
Lens is now fourth in the standings equal with Monaco, Sochaux and Strasbourg on 16 points. Lyon is eighth.
After three back to back wins, Olympique Marseille missed an opportunity to climb to the top as it suffered a 3-0 defeat at Lille. The goals came from Hector Tapia, Philippe Brunel and Benoit Cheyrou in the 15th, 54th and 64th minutes.
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