Football United

SL Benfica have paid tribute to their late Hungarian international striker Miklós Fehér by sending a delegation to Fehér's hometown of Gyor to deliver a Portuguese championship medal to his parents.



Honour his memory
The entire Benfica first-team squad travelled to Hungary on Monday together with coach Giovanni Trapattoni and chairman Luis Felipe Vieira to honour the memory of Fehér, who died at the age of 24 during Benfica's league game at Vitória SC in Guimaraes in January 2004.

'Miki's gold medal'
Vieira said the trip represented the fulfilment of a promise to Fehér. "The last time we were here was for the funeral. I promised then I would give Miki the gold medal as soon as we got it. We won it this year and here we are to bring it home."

Museum visit
The Benfica party presented Fehér's parents with a title winner's medal and a copy of the Portuguese Superliga trophy that the club won on 22 May. The group also visited a museum dedicated to Fehér in Gyor before returning to Portugal on Monday night.

Source: Uefa.com

SL Benfica are Portuguese champions again, after a 1-1 draw at Boavista FC, coupled with a surprise defeat for reigning champions FC Porto, gave the red half of Lisbon something to celebrate.



Blessed relief
It was a blessed relief for the Lisbon Eagles - with some fans going on pilgrimage to Portugal's national shrine at Fátima to give thanks - and not least for the Algarve baker who pledged to make a giant cake, a metre in length for every year that went by without Benfica winning the SuperLiga title. He was finally able to set to work on his eleven-metre long cake, which weighed in at 300kg and contained 1,200 eggs, this Wednesday. "If Benfica had failed this season, the cake would no longer have fitted in the patisserie," he said.

Travelling army
Despite a 300km journey, the Estádio do Bessa was packed to the rafters with Benfica fans on Sunday to see Giovanni Trapattoni's side take the crown in their main rivals' home city, Porto. However, celebrations afterwards were not confined to the stadium.



Widespread celebrations
Benfica fans partied in Porto's main square and the Champs d'Elysées in Paris - home to one million Portuguese - while back in Lisbon, crowds in the central plaza was brought traffic to a standstill. The team's motorcade experienced considerable delays because of jubilant supporters clogging roads in both Lisbon and Porto.

Grand homecoming
When they finally reached their home stadium at 4:00AM, 50,000 supporters had gathered the stands at the Estádio da Luz to greet them - as many as had been at the Estádio José Alvalade a few days earlier to see Benfica's local rivals, Sporting Clube de Portugal, lose in the UEFA Cup final. "What I have witnessed in the last few days is fantastic," said coach Trapattoni. "In a 35-year career as a coach, I have never seen anything like this in terms of support."

Nervous moments
Success had been far from certain for Benfica. While they overcame Sporting in a local derby the previous weekend to remove their Lisbon rivals from the title race, they had surprisingly lost the game before against FC Penafiel. That left them needing to avoid defeat on the last day of the season to be sure of taking the title.

Ringing endorsement
The final success was a ringing endorsement of Trapattoni's pragmatic style of football. His style did not always delight the fans, but in retrospect, the 66-year-old former Juventus FC and Italy coach was hailed as the only man who could have led the club to the title.

Special memories
Trapattoni said: "Of all the titles I have won [seven Serie A titles, one German Bundesliga and now one in Portugal], this is one of the most special ones for me. At the start of the season, I did not think that this would ever be possible, but then I started to believe.

Uncertain future
"We entirely deserved to clinch this title and the players were just superb," he added. "I still don't know whether I will stay or if I will leave and it is time to think thoroughly about my future. I have to talk with my family, who I miss so much, and then I'll decide."

Source: Uefa.com

Hamburger SV have completed the capture of AFC Ajax's highly-rated Dutch international midfielder Rafael van der Vaart.

'Delighted'
The 22-year-old has signed a five-year contract with Hamburg in a deal worth an estimated €5.5m. "I am delighted the deal has finally gone through," he said. Hamburg's sporting director Dietmar Beiersdorfer added: "Rafael van der Vaart is an outstanding player and I am extremely happy he has pledged his future to Hamburger SV."

Startling rise
The 22-year-old made his Ajax debut during the 1999/00 season and established himself the following year when he replaced the veteran Richard Witschge in the side. He scored an impressive 14 goals in 20 appearances in 2001/02 as Ajax won the Eredivisie and Dutch Cup, before a serious knee injury briefly slowed his startling rise.

Dazzling success
Eighteen goals in 21 games confirmed his return to form during 2002/03 and last term he dazzled again as Ajax wrested the Eredivisie crown from PSV, scoring seven times in 24 league outings.

Terrific record
The left-sided playmaker registered once in six appearances for Ajax in this season's UEFA Champions League and added six more Eredivisie goals as Ajax finished runners-up behind PSV, completing his time in the Dutch top flight with a staggering 52 goals from 117 games. He has also scored four times in 28 matches for the Netherlands.

Source: Uefa.com

Fiorentina defeated Brescia and won the survival on the pitch. Bologna and Parma drew and reached 42 points together with the Viola, but they will have to play a decider. Fabrizio Miccoli opened the score from a penalty following a foul on Pazzini. Jorgensen doubled the score in the second half and Christian Rigano sealed the result. Fiorentina is safe.

Source: acffiorentina.it

was a decisive match for the whole season. The win meant the second place and a loss a fourth place and no European action for the next season. Coach Jarolim missed Martin Zboncak, Vaclav Kolousek and Miroslav Holenak. Michal Svec returned back to the midfield after recovering from his ankle injury. 17-year old Marek Suchy started in the centre of the defence together with Martin Latka.

The last match for Pavel Kuka
The match was the last one for Slavia forward Pavel Kuka, who ended his 21st season played in Slavia top.Kuka proved to be a very useful forward again providing several very good passes today, he belonged to the best players on the pitch. There are plans to organise a special farewell match in the autumn.

First chances in extremely hot weather
The game was played on a day which almost broke a hundered year old record of hottest weather and was extremely demanding. The first shot came from Magera from edge of the box, but Latka managed to deflect the ball to the corner. The first great chance came in the fourth minute, after the mistake of Klimpl, Vlcek ran all alone to the goal, but he ended his first solo attack of the day with a shot to Banik keeper Vasek. In the seventeenth minute Sloncik could have run to a similar counter-attack, provided that Dosek did not faul him for the cost of a booking. Two minutes later Pospech missed the ball in a good position in a close distance.

Pitak shoots to the side of the net
The visitors could have taken the lead in 22nd minute, after a good play of Vlcek, Pitak appeared in a good position, but his shot went to the side of the net. Five minutes later Pavel Besta kicked the ball away when Vlcek could get into a promising position in the 6-yard box.

Vlcek opens the score
Nobody else deserved the opening goal more than Stanislav Vlcek. His bad luck from the last matches was gone in the thirty second minute when he converted Pitak´s cross after a good play of Kuka with a heel-shot into the opening goal. "I had the ball below me, but it went in. I am very glad for it, if we had not won I would have been extremely sorry for the other chances I missed," said Vlcek after the match in a very modest tone.

Vlcek runs again towards the keeper
Three minutes before the halftime whistle Vlcek had his second chance to run through the defence to try to beat the keeper. This time defender Besta managed to make the shot uneasy for Vlcek. So Vlcek had to wait for his third solo attack to seal the win.

Excellent save of Kozacik
The second half brought two changes in Banik squad, and their pressure for the equaliser. The worst time was in the 56th minute. The series of crosses and shots ended with a great chance of Zurek whose shot from eight meters was bounced away by Kozacik. The younger keeper proved again his quality, he did not the concede a goal in fourth match in a row.

Vlcek seals the preliminary round of Champions League
Eight minutes before the end Vlcek ran through Banik defence for the third time. "I just shot as fast as possible and closed my eyes," Vlcek joked after the match. The ball went in, the important away win was sealed and Slavia can look forward to the start in the third preliminary of the most prestigious European competition.

Source: slavia.cz

Rivaldo was again on target as Olympiacos CFP reclaimed the Hellenic National League with a narrow 1-0 win against Iraklis FC.

Rivaldo thrust
The win completed a triumphant few days for the club, who lifted the Greek Cup after a 3-0 victory against Aris Thessaloniki FC on Saturday. Brazilian Rivaldo was inspirational then, and so it proved again as his solo effort just after the hour proved enough to seal an eighth title in nine years.

Abaris form
Until Rivaldo's goal the visitors had struggled to break down a stubborn Iraklis rearguard, finding goalkeeper Georgios Abaris in superb form. Rivaldo, Yannis Okkas and Giannis Taralidis were all denied before the side finally found a way through on 61 minutes. Iraklis threatened a comeback, and Abdoulaye Keita shot just wide, but Olympiacos hung on seal the double - their first since 1999

Source: Uefa.com

PSV Eindhoven cruised to a 4-0 victory against Willem II to win the Dutch Cup on Sunday and secure their first league and cup double since 1989.



Hiddink record
Wilfred Bouma opened the scoring for the Eredivisie champions shortly before half-time at the De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam, and Guus Hiddink's side ran away with the match after the interval, adding further goals through Philip Cocu, Ji-Sung Park and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink. It was Hiddink's fourth Dutch Cup triumph as a coach, a Dutch record.

Penalty appeal
Willem II, cup winners in 1944 and 1963, had a vigorous penalty appeal turned down on 23 minutes when Martijn Reuser fell under the challenge of PSV goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes. But it was PSV who were creating the best chances, and moments before the interval they took the lead.

Bouma scores
PSV captain Mark van Bommel, looking to win the cup for the first time in his final match for PSV, set up the goal, flighting a free-kick on to the head of Bouma, who took his chance well. Willem II's hopes of recovery were dashed six minutes after the break when Cocu volleyed in the second. PSV underlined their dominance when Park headed in the third on 75 minutes before Vennegoor completed the scoring in the final minute.

Vogel swansong
For PSV it was a fitting end to a terrific season that also saw Hiddink's side come so close to reaching the UEFA Champions League final, bowing out on the away-goals rule against AC Milan after a thrilling semi-final. It was also the perfect swansong for Van Bommel and Swiss midfield player Johann Vogel, who was also playing his final game before joining the Rossoneri.

Willem II consolation
It was PSV's eighth Dutch Cup success, and their first since 1996. Willem II will find some consolation in the fact that defeat still brings with it a place in the UEFA Cup next season.

Source: uefa.com

Vitória FC recovered from conceding an early goal to defeat holders and SuperLiga champions SL Benfica 2-1 on Sunday and win the Portuguese Cup for the third time.



Benfica strike
Setúbal started strongly, pegging Benfica back with a series of crosses into their penalty area, but it was the Portuguese champions who broke the deadlock on their first foray into their opposition's half.

Simão penalty
Nuno Gomes collected a long pass on the left before picking out attacking midfielder Nuno Assis, who in turn set Brazilian right-winger Geovanni free in the box. The Brazilian international went in alone on his compatriot Moretto, and the goalkeeper brought him down. Benfica captain Simão Sabrosa converted the penalty with a low shot to the right that beat Moretto, despite the keeper guessing the right side.

Rocha own goal
Benfica sat back after the goal and Setúbal took advantage of the space allowed them, drawing level on 25 minutes when Manuel José's low shot was deflected by Benfica centre-half Ricardo Rocha beyond goalkeeper José Moreira.

Meyong goal
Setúbal, who finished tenth in the SuperLiga this season, continued to look dangerous after the goal, particularly in the second half on the counterattack. José Rachão's side eventually took the lead in the 72nd minute, when midfielder Ricardo Chaves's fierce shot was parried by Moreira into the path of Cameroonian striker Albert Meyong, who fired in the rebound.

Unlikely triumph
Benfica pumped the ball forward to strikers Pedro Mantorras and Andrija Delibasic in a desperate bid to take the match into extra-time, but Setúbal held on to secure an unlikely triumph and deny Benfica their first league and cup double since 1984. "Setubal were the better team tactically," Benfica coach Giovanni Trapattoni said.

Source: Uefa.com

After loosing the race for the player, to Barcelona, on the last winter transfer season, the recently crowned Portuguese Champions SL Benfica are close to secure Maxi lopez on loan for next season. Despite winning the Superliga, Benfica needs a striker to play side by side with Nuno Gomes. Also Racing Santander is on the race to loan the player.

Source: Goal.com

Hamburger SV sports director Dietmar Beiersdorfer has revealed that the club are awaiting a reponse from Ajax Amsterdam on their offer to buy midfield star Rafael van der Vaart.

The 22-year-old Dutch international has already agreed personal terms with the 1983 European champions and is eager to complete a move to the Bundesliga. Ajax are believed to want around €7 million for the player, while HSV are likely to have offered no more than €5 million. Beiersdorfer told his club's official Web site that an offer has been made and that the club awaits a reponse: "We are hoping sooner rather than later. I presume that we will talk to Ajax on the telephone this week."

Meanwhile, Iranian midfielder Mehdi Mahdavikia is set to leave the club after coach Thomas Doll decided his attributes no longer fitted in to the team's tactical formation. Beiersdorfer said: "We told him that he is an out and out winger and that we don’t include wingers in our system, which means that he would not be first choice for the first team."

In other HSV news, Japanese striker Naoihiro Tahahara has extended his contract with the club until 2008. The "Sushi Bomber" was pleased with the deal, revealing: "I really feel at home here in Hamburg and so it wasn’t a difficult decision to make. I have the feeling that both the club and the team are heading in the right direction."

Source: Goal.com

Dutch international midfielder Rafael van der Vaart has revealed that he has agreed personal terms with Hamburger SV and expects to move from Ajax to Germany in due course.

The 22-year-old said on Monday: "I’ve agreed personal terms and it’s certain that I’ll be moving to Germany. HSV is a great club and I’ll be signing a four-year deal with them."

However, despite the certainty of the player, Ajax and HSV have yet to agree a fee for the transfer. The player has a contract in Amsterdam until 2006 and Ajax are looking to recoup about €7 million on his sale. The Germans are willing to fork out €5 million, so a compromise of sorts must be agreed before the deal is finalised.

Hamburger SV missed out on European qualification this season, and see van der Vaart as a major contributor in next season's push.

Source: Goal.com

SL Benfica secured their first Portuguese title for over a decade with a 1-1 draw at Boavista FC, as title rivals FC Porto and Sporting Clube de Portugal failed to take maximum points from their final matches.



Benfica breakthrough
Giovanni Trapattoni's side required one point to lift their first SuperLiga title since 1994, and they made the perfect start when Simão Sabrosa put them ahead from the penalty spot on 38 minutes after Cadu handled in the area. Boavista responded four minutes later through an Éder header, but Benfica held on to finish the season as champions.



Source: Uefa.com, slbenfica.pt

We`re the champions for the 16th time in the Turkish top flight after a 1-0 win over Galatasaray thanks to a header by Marcio Nobre. The fans were burst into ecstacty with the goal and then the final whistle, which declared us as the champions for the second season running!
The cup was lifted after the game with a special celebration organised by the club. No one left the ground for the celebrations which continued until early in the morning outside.

Fenerbahçe: Rüştü, Serkan, Luciano, Önder, Ümit, Anelka, Selçuk, Aurelio, Tuncay, Alex, Nobre

Galatasaray: Mondragon, Cihan, Tomas, Song, Orhan, Ribery, Conceiçao, Ergün, Ayhan, Necati, Hakan Şükür

Goal: 65` Nobre

Source: Fenerbahçe.org

Club Brugge KV claimed their 13th Belgian First Division title with a 2-2 draw against second-placed RSC Anderlecht in the penultimate round of fixtures.

Zitka blunder
Club Brugge knew they would guarantee a second championship under the guidance of coach Trond Sollied if they avoided defeat at Jan Breydelstadion, and they made the perfect start in the first minute when Nastja Ceh broke the deadlock. Anderlecht replied on 36 minutes when Hannu Tihinen headed in from the rebound after a Nenad Jestrovic shot hit the crossbar, but two minutes later it was Ceh who restored Brugge's lead when his cross flew into the net after a deflection off Vincent Kompany and a misjudgement by goalkeeper Daniel Zitka.

Anderlecht consolation
The visitors looked a better side in the second-half and were rewarded six minutes after the restart when Jestrovic headed an equaliser. But a winning goal proved elusive as Club Brugge maintained their six-point lead at the summit to seal the title. Anderlecht did receive some consolation, however, as the point proved sufficient to guarantee a UEFA Champions League second round place.

Source: Uefa.com

Two sides with great tradition shared the major honours in Switzerland this season with FC Basel 1893 successfully defending the Swiss Football League title and FC Zürich winning the Swiss Cup.

Thun held
Basel secured their eleventh title, fittingly on 11 May, by defeating FC St. Gallen 3-1. FC Thun, the only side in a position to catch them, saw their title hopes end when they were held to a 1-1 draw by their local rivals BSC Young Boys.

Gimenez scores
The Argentinian connection proved decisive again for the defending champions against St. Gallen - Christian Gimenez scored twice to bring his tally for the season to 27, including 12 in a run of five games, before his compatriot Julio Rossi sealed the win with a penalty.

Home form
Basel have only lost five matches over the season and are unbeaten at Saint Jakob Park since December 2002. Thun's consolation for finishing second was a berth in the qualifying round for the 2005/06 UEFA Champions League.

Source: Uefa.com

Sporting Clube de Portugal continued the unfortunate trend set by the Portuguese national team at UEFA EURO 2004™ as they were defeated at home in a major showpiece after being given a cruel lesson in finishing by PFC CSKA Moskva in the UEFA Cup final.

Second-half turnaround
Sporting took a deserved lead when Rogério's wonderful effort sent the home fans into ecstasy in a one-sided first half but were then made to pay for some poor finishing as CSKA ran riot in the second period with goals from Aleksei Berezoutski, Yuri Zhirkov and Vágner Love.

Positive thinking
Sporting coach José Peseiro was characteristically positive in his selection, drafting fit-again Joseph Enakarhire into defence at the expense of Anderson Polga in an orthodox 4-4-2 formation, recalling captain Pedro Barbosa down the left and pairing top scorer Liedson with Sá Pinto in attack. CSKA coach Valeriy Gazzaev also showed attacking intent, with Daniel Carvalho deployed just behind strikers Ivica Olic and Vágner Love in a 4-3-1-2 lineup.

Sporting dominance
But it was the home side who began brighter, setting the tone for a dominant first half in which the Portuguese team performed with style and panache. First Rodrigo Tello saw a shot deflected wide and before ten minutes had elapsed, Fabio Rochemback had already registered three shots on goal. It was hard to fault Sporting's swashbuckling style of play; all that was missing was composure in front of goal. Even the prolific Liedson seemed to have momentarily misplaced his predatory instincts when he mis-hit a shot.

Yellow card
CSKA somehow weathered the early Sporting storm and, as they found their feet, were a touch unlucky not to go ahead in the 14th minute. Pedro Barbosa was booked for a foul on Carvalho down the right and, from the resulting free-kick, Aleksei Berezoutski sent a towering header just over the bar.

Opening goal
All the game needed was a moment of magic and it duly arrived after 29 minutes with a glorious goal, worthy of any final, from the golden boot of Rogério. With Sporting virtually camped in CSKA's half, the ball fell invitingly at the winger's feet on the edge of the area and goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev could only watch as he thundered a stunning right-foot shot into the top corner of the CSKA net. It was a goal that Sporting richly deserved.

Glaring miss
CSKA could have nevertheless gone into the break on level terms but Vágner Love, who was having an unusually quiet evening, somehow conspired to shoot wide with only Ricardo to beat as he met Olic's low centre. The second half began as the first had finished with Sporting probing and CSKA persevering. Liedson was again in the thick of the action on 47 minutes when he launched himself at Pedro Barbosa's cross but failed to connect before Rochemback grazed the bar with a stinging free-kick. It was all going too well for Sporting.

Berezoutski on target
And so it proved on 56 minutes when CSKA hit them with an almighty sucker-punch. The Russian side earned a free-kick in a rare foray into Sporting territory and Aleksei Berezoutski was on hand to nod Carvalho's pinpoint cross beyond the despairing dive of Ricardo. It was a cruel blow after Sporting's dominance but, in the few chances the Russian team had mustered, the hosts' marking was almost non-existent.

Zhirkov composure
If CSKA's first goal was hard to digest, their second was a killer. With Sporting attempting to restore their lead, Carvalho broke forward and held off Enakarhire's challenge to thread an exquisite ball through to Zhirkov and the winger slipped the ball under the body of Ricardo to give CSKA the advantage.

Clinching third
With Sporting reeling, the third and final chapter in the Russian's finishing masterclass effectively ended any chance of a Sporting recovery. Carvalho escaped down the left and picked out Vágner Love with a perfectly weighted centre and this time the Brazilian made no mistake. The goal capped a night of broken dreams in Lisbon, for all but the 2,000 travelling CSKA fans.

Goals: 29' Rogerio (1-0), 56' Aleksei Berezoutski (1-1), 65' Zhirkov (1-2), 75' (1-3) Vágner Love

Source: Uefa.com

The Spanish champions FC Barcelona have continued their long tradition of signing Dutch players by recruiting the PSV Eindhoven and Netherlands midfielder Mark van Bommel on a free transfer.

Three-year deal
The 28-year-old had long been linked with a move to the Catalan club following another excellent campaign in the PSV engine room and today ended the speculation by penning a three-year contract which will come into effect on 1 July. Van Bommel scored 14 goals, a career high, in 30 games as Guus Hiddink's side reclaimed the Eredivisie title and was ever-present in the run to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League, where PSV were eliminated on away goals by AC Milan.

Cup final
Van Bommel spent seven years at SC Fortuna Sittard prior to his move to PSV in 1999. He won the Eredivisie in his first season and has since claimed three more in addition to the 2001 Dutch Footballer of the Year award and three Dutch Cups. He will hope to lift the trophy for a fourth time when PSV tackle Willem II on 29 May in what will be his final game in red and white.

Familiar path
The midfielder will arrive at Camp Nou in mid-June following the Netherlands' FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Romania and Finland. Van Bommel becomes the sixth PSV player to leave for Barcelona, following in the footsteps of such talents as Ronald Koeman, Romario, Ronaldo, Phillip Cocu and Boudewijn Zenden.

Source: Uefa.com

SL Benfica took a major step towards lifting their first SuperLiga title for over a decade after a narrow 1-0 win against Sporting Clube de Portugal in the Lisbon derby.

Luisão header
The match looked to be drifting towards an exciting goalless draw with seven minutes remaining when Brazil centre-back Luisão rose highest to head a Petit free-kick past Ricardo and earn his side a hard-fought victory. Until then, it was UEFA Cup finalists Sporting who looked most likely to secure a three-point lead at the Portuguese summit.

Sporting chances
João Moutinho, Roudolph Douala, Fábio Rochemback and Hugo Viana were all denied by the outstanding Quim, while Benfica had just two long-range Manuel Fernandes shots and a Simão Sabrosa effort to boast before sneaking what could prove a pivotal win. Sporting's hopes of salvaging something were then ended by Beto's late dismissal.

Benfica – Quim; Miguel (77’ Mantorras), Luisão, Ricardo Rocha e Dos Santos; Petit, Manuel Fernandes; Simão (cap.), Geovanni e Nuno Assis (85’ João Pereira); Nuno Gomes (88’ Alcides).

Sporting – Ricardo; Miguel Garcia, Beto, Polga e Rui Jorge (65’ Tello); Custódio, Rochemback (73’ Hugo Viana), João Moutinho e Pedro Barbosa (cap.); Sá Pinto e Douala (69’ Pinilla).

Goal: Luisão (83’).

WISLA: Majdan; Baszczyński, Kłos, Głowacki, Stolarczyk; Błaszczykowski, Cantoro, Ekwueme (Mijailovic, 56'), Zieńczuk (Kuzera, 83'); Żurawski, Frankowski (Brożek, 88')

ODRA: Pawełek; Myszor, Dymkowski, Drzymont, Grzyb; Popov, Zganiacz, Malinowski (Muszalik, 66'), Woś, Rocki (Masłowski, 76'); Szewczuk

GOALS: 0-1, Myszor (16'); 1-1, Żurawski (20'); 2-1, Zieńczuk (57'); 3-1, Żurawski (75')

ROZGRYWKI LIGOWE

Pos. Team Pld Pts
1. Wisla Kraków 22 56
2. Groclin 22 44
3. Legia 22 37
4. Cracovia 22 34
5. Amica 22 33

HONVÉD: Takács; Kovács, Mészáros, Baranyai, Takács Z.; Herczeg (Kozarek, 77'), Vadócz, Genito, Vén (Dancs, 46'); Szili, Miro (Borgulya, 90')

ÚJPEST: Vlaszák; Fehér Cs., Böjte, Juhár, Vanczák; Bükszegi, Erős, Farkas, Tóth N.; Rajczi, Kovács Z. (Polonkai, 62')

GOALS: 0-1, Bükszegi (45'); 1-1, Miro (65')

NB1

Pos. Team Pld Pts
1. Debrecen 28 59*
2. Györi 28 51
3. Ferencváros 27 50
4. Újpest 28 49
5. MTK 27 49
...
9. Honvéd 28 35

*Champion

Botafogo keeps a clean record and remains unbeaten in the league. 4 wins in 4 matches gives Fogão an early lead

BOTAFOGO: Jefferson; César Prates, Rafael Marques, Scheidt, Oziel; Túlio, Jonilson, Almir (Joilson), Glaúber (Juca); Alex Alves, Guilherme.

ATLÉTICO: Danrlei; Evanílson, André Luiz, Henrique, Rubens Cardoso (Leonardo Smith); Ataliba (Zé António), Walker, Ramon; Rodrigo Fabri, Euller (Quirino), Fábio Júnior.

GOALS: 1-0, César Prates (27'); 2-0, Túlio (47'); 2-1, Euller (60')

SERIE A

Pos. Team Pld Pts
1. Botafogo 4 12
2. Santos 3 9
3. Fluminense 3 9
4. São Paulo 4 7
5. Ponte Preta 4 6

River missed the opportunity of taking the lead of the Clausura tournament, loosing at home to Olimpo. A doubtfull penalty (the referre signaled penalty, charging a supposedly hand-ball by Ahumada, changed the decision to a corner kick, after indication of the linesman, and changed back to a penalty kick) gave Olimpo the lead, that no longer lost the control of the game.

RIVER PLATE: Germán Lux; Pablo Barzola, Horacio Ameli, Eduardo Tuzzio, Lucas Mareque; Oscar Ahumada, Cristian Ledesma, Rubens Sambueza; Marcelo Gallardo; Federico Almerares, José Sand.

OLIMPO: Julio Gaona; Diego Cogliandro, Luis Asprilla, Javier Páez, Walter Vilchez; Diego Galván, Marcelo Sarmiento, Rogelio Martínez, Hernán Buján; Maximiliano Estévez, Alejandro Delorte.

GOALS: 0-1, Gálvan (44', pen); 0-2, Gálvan (64')

TORNEO CLAUSURA

Pos. Team Pld Pts
1. Vélez Sarsfiel 12 25
2. Estudiantes LP 13 25
3. Racing 12 23
4. River Plate 13 23
5. Rosario Central 12 21

VfL Wolfsburg ended their home season with a 2-2 draw against Bayer Leverkusen, in the penultimate round of the Bundesliga season in front of 24,771 in the VOLKSWAGENARENA on Saturday (14.5.05). After a superb first half display, the Wolves carved out a 2-0 led thanks to goals by Miroslav Karhan (24.) and Thomas Brdaric (30.). After the break the visitors got a grip on the game and a spectacular volley by Franca gave them hope. On 86 minutes, Bierofka scored to deny the Wolves maximum points.

Two changes
Erik Gerets made two changes to his side which lost 1-3 away to Hertha in round 32. The Belgian dropped Hofland and Klimowicz, and replaced them with Karhan and D’Alessandro. Bayer-Coach Klaus Augenthaler welcomed back Roque Junior and Schneider to his first team. They replaced Dum and Callsen-Bracker in his starting line-up.

Wolves on top
VfL Wolfsburg began to take the game to the visitors from the off. On 3 minutes, Andres D’Alessandro fired an initial warning shot as he unleashed a fierce shot from well out side the Leverkusen penalty area. On 8 minutes, the visiting keeper Butt had a chance to shine as he superbly dealt with a well struck free kick by Fischer.

Karhan heads Wolves in front
On 22 minutes, a dead ball situation brought the lead for the home side. Fischer took a corner from the right which was met with a fine header into the top right hand corner of the net by Karhan, to give the Wolves a well deserved lead. The Wolves turned on the style and the football they played sometimes resembled their performances earlier in the season as they topped the Bundesliga table for 8 rounds.

Brdaric scores against old club
The opening goal unsettled the visiting side, and Thomas Brdaric used the opportunity to grab a goal against his former club on 30 minutes. Juan failed to control a harmless looking high ball on the edge of his own area. Brdaric, being the instinctive goal-getter that he is, anticipated Juan’s difficulties and picked up the loose ball, lobbing over the advancing Butt. After going two goals in front, the Wolves allowed Bayer back into the game but they were unable to stamp any kind of authority on the match which saw the Wolves go into the break with a deserved two goal lead

Augenthaler’s reaction pays off
The Leverkusen coach Klaus Augenthaler brought on Dum for Babic and Franca for the disappointing Voronin at the start of the second half, it was a move that was soon to pay off. The visiting side began to take control at the start of the second half and had the Wolves on the back foot. On 49 minutes, the Wolves keeper Simon Jentzsch made his first saves of the match as he parried a long distance effort by Ramelow and managed to parry the rebound by Freier. To their credit, the Wolves didn’t rest on their laurels and went close on 53 minutes as Petrov forced a fine save from Butt.

Bayer turn things around
Leverkusen seemed to grow in stature as the Wolves looked as if they were running out of steam. On 61 minutes the visitors pulled a goal back as Berbatov somehow managed to get the ball to the unmarked Franca following a corner. The want-away Brazilian let fly with a superb volley from 8 metres out which flew into the Wolfsburg net with Jentzsch rooted to the spot. Bayer put their foot down but were denied by Jentzsch and the post respectively.

Late flurry
The final ten minutes of the game saw the home side creating chances on the counter attack. On 83 minutes, D’Alessandro should have scored after superb build up by his compatriot Menseguez. Somehow the Wolves playmaker managed to blast the ball onto the bar from only 8 minutes out. Four minutes from time, the visitors were rewarded for their second half endeavour, as Schneider back heeled a pass into the path of Bierofka who left Hans Sarpei for dead, before finishing well with a low shot from inside the right hand side of the box.

As you were…
The 2-2 draw was in reality, no use to either side in their quest for European football next season. Both sides need a win on the final game if the season. Leverkusen need 3 points to reach the UEFA Cup, the Wolves will probably have to beat Bielefeld away if they are to at least qualify for the Intertoto Cup.

WOLFSBURG: Jentzsch; Rytter, Franz, Schnoor, Sarpei; Karhan, Thiam, Fischer; D'Alessandro, M. Petrov; Brdaric.

BAYER LEVERKUSEN: Butt; B. Schneider, Juan, Roque Junior, Castro; Ramelow; Freier, Babic, Krzynowek; Berbatov, Voronin

GOALS: 1-0, Karhan (24'); 2-0, Brdaric (30'); 2-1, Franca (61'); 2-2, Bierofka (86')

BUNDESLIGA

Pos. Team Pld Pts
1. Bayern 33 74*
2. Schalke 33 60
3. Stuttgart 33 58
4. Hertha 33 57
5. Bremen 33 56
...
9. Wolfsburg 33 45

*Champion

Source: vfl-wolfsburg.de

The group stage of the Copa Libertadores is completed. the best 16 teams have qualified for the knock-out rounds, that will start on May 18th

Group Stage

Group 1
Pos. Team Pld Pts
1. Indep. Medellín (COL) 6 10
2. Atl. Paranaense (BRA) 6 10
3. América Cali (COL) 6 9
4. Libertad (PAR) 6 6

Group 2
Pos. Team Pld Pts
1. Santos (BRA) 6 12
2. Liga Universitaria (ECU) 6 8
3. Danubio (URU) 6 7
4. Bolívar (BOL) 6 7

Group 3
Pos. Team Pld Pts
1. São Paulo (BRA) 6 12
2. Universidad Chile (CHI) 6 9
3. Quilmes (ARG) 6 5
4. The Strongest (BOL) 6 5

Group 4
Pos. Team Pld Pts
1. Cerro Porteño (PAR) 6 12
2. Palmeiras (BRA) 6 9
3. Sant André (BRA) 6 8
4. De. Táchira (VEN) 6 3

Group 5
Pos. Team Pld Pts
1. River Plate (ARG) 6 16
2. Júnior (COL) 6 9
3. Olmedo (ECU) 6 7
4. Nacional (URU) 6 3

Group 6
Pos. Team Pld Pts
1. Tigres (MEX) 6 12
2. Banfield (ARG) 6 11
3. Alianza Lima (PER) 6 5
4. Caracas FC (VEN) 6 4

Group 7
Pos. Team Pld Pts
1. Chivas (MEX) 6 11
2. Once Caldas (COL) 6 9
3. Cobreloa (CHI) 6 8
4. San Lorenzo (ARG) 6 3

Group 8
Pos. Team Pld Pts
1. Boca Juniors (ARG) 6 13
2. Pachuca (MEX) 6 10
3. Sporting Cristal (PER) 6 7
4. Dep. Cuenca (ECU) 6 3

Knock-out Rounds

River Plate (ARG) - Liga Universitaria (ECU)
Indep. Medellín (COL) - Banfield (ARG)
Palmeiras (BRA) - São Paulo (BRA)
Once Caldas (COL) - Tigres (MEX)
Atl. Paranaense (BRA) - Cerro Porteño (PAR)
Universidad Chile (CHI) - Santos (BRA)
Chivas (MEX) - Pachuca (MEX)
Boca Juniors (ARG) - Júnio (COL)

Top Goalscorers
1. Santiago Salcedo (Cerro Porteño) 8
2. Omar Bravo (Chivas) 5
3. Martín Arzuaga (Júnior) 5

The Bundesliga is coming to an end. With only two games to play Hamburg SV is standing on the 7th place. After the horrible start of the season, with the Hamburg team fighting to avoid relegation, it might seem that the 7th place it´s a good position. But we expected more. After coach Doll took over the team they came from 18th place to find themselves in the 8th place at the winter brake.



But the second round of Bundesliga went even greater to Doll´s boys. Hamburg managed to be on the top of the table for several rounds fighting for the last spot that ensures Champions League football next season (3rd). But the last 5 games of the season bring disappointment for Hamburg Fans. Hamburg only manage to win one and draw two and find themselves now on 7th, two points behind Leverkusen (that stands in the last uefa cup spot) with only two games to play. Europe it´s still possible and for sure Hamburg will not finish worst than last season (8th), but this last games showed that the team need some more quality players.



Because of that the manager Beiersdorfer is already on the market. Clearly Hamburg need a playmaker and the chosen one is Rafael van der Vaart from Ajax. The player had been in Hamburg last Sunday negotiating the contract and the transfer will be around 6 Million Euros. But since a playmaker it´s a top priority (to feed Emile Mpenza and Lauth in the attack) Beiersdorfer is negotiating with Wolsfburg for D´Alessandro as a second choise.



For the back Timothee Atouba from Tottenham is the chosen one, with Hamburg whiling to pay 2 Million Euros for the left full back.

Botafogo remains unbeaten, after defeating Vasco da Gama, in a Rio derby, with a penalty goal on the second half.

VASCO DA GAMA: Everton; Thiago Maciel (Diego), Ciro, Alemão, Jorginho Paulista; Ygor, Coutinho, Róbson Luís; Abedi (Neto), Alex Dias, Romário.

BOTAFOGO: Jefferson; César Prates, Rafael Marques, Scheidt, Oziel; Túlio, Jonilson, Ramón (Glauber), Caio (Marcelinho), Almir; Alex Alves (Ricardinho).

GOALS: 0-1, Alex Alves (63, pen)

BRASILEIRÃO

Pos. Team Pld Pts
1. Santos 3 9
2. Botafogo 3 9
3. Fluminense 3 9
4. Ponte Preta 3 7
5. Coritiba 3 6

Nacionality: Argentinian
Age: 22
Position: Left Back
Club: River Plate

When, in October 2004, Leonardo Astrada was having problems in finding left backs to line-up, Lucas Mareque was seen as another resource player, brought from the reserve team. But Mareque grabbed the oportunity, and with a great performance, was flagged as man of the match. After that, the short and unknown player lined-up in the starting eleven until the end of the Apertura Tournament, playing all 90 minutes of the matches, and scoring once. In this year's Clausura, he has been eqqually sharing the starting call with more experienced Frederico Dominguez.

Lucas Mareque is another product of the River's cantera, a very agressive player, with great working rate. As a modern defender, Mareque easily joins the team's offensive play, and his left foot can do wonders in front of goal.

PAÇOS FERREIRA: Pedro; Ricardo André, Pinheiro, Paulo Sousa, Rincón; Pedrinha, Júnior (Djalma, 58'), João Duarte, Júnior Bahia (Adalberto, 92'); Rui Dolores (Nuno Sousa, 77'), Tiago.

ESTRELA AMADORA: Veiga; Zamorano, Hugo Carreira (Nuno Charila, 77'), Carlos, Hugo Luz; Semedo, Jordão, Pedro Simões (Hugo Machado, 81'), Rui Borges; Henrique, João Moreira (Bruno Mauro, 53').

GOALS: 1-0, Júnior Bahia (21'); 2-0, Júnior Bahia (24')

II LIGA

Pos. Team Pld Pts.
1. Paços Ferreira 32 67
2. Naval 32 61
3. Est. Amadora 32 57

*All three teams are alredy promoted

Juventus FC took a major step towards clinching the Serie A title today as David Trezeguet helped Fabio Capello's side to a 1-0 win away against title rivals AC Milan, to move three points clear at the summit.

Del Piero brilliance
Milan booked a place in the UEFA Champions League final with an aggregate victory against PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday, but were sent crashing back to earth at the San Siro as they saw their chances of regaining the domestic title dwindle. In a predictably nervy encounter, it took a moment of individual brilliance from Alessandro Del Piero to separate the sides.

Zambrotta deflection
The Italy striker delivered a spectacular bicycle-kick cross on 28 minutes, for Trezeguet to head in his sixth of the season. The Rossoneri responded well, and almost levelled 12 minutes after half-time when Juve defender Gianluca Zambrotta deflected Filippo Inzaghi's shot just wide. But it was Del Piero who had the best chance to add to the scoreline but saw his header rattle the crossbar.

MILAN Dida; Cafu, Nesta, Stam, Maldini; Gattuso, Pirlo (Serginho, 46'), Seedorf (Rui Costa, 66'); Kaká; Shevchenko, Tomasson (Inzaghi, 56')

JUVENTUS: Buffon; Pessotto, Thuram, Cannavaro, Zambrotta; Camoranesi (Birindelli, 60'), Emerson, Appiah (Blasi, 80'), Nedved; Del Piero, Trezeguet (Zalayeta, 75')

GOALS: 0-1, Trezeguet (28')

SERIE A

Pos. Team Pld Pts
1. Juventus 35 79
2. Milan 35 76
3. Inter 35 65
4. Udinese 35 59
5. Sampdoria 35 59

Source: uefa.com

CELTIC: Douglas; Agathe, Balde, Varga, Laursen (Beattie, 46'); McNamara, Petrov, Lennon, Thompson; Hartson, Sutton.

ABERDEEN: Esson; Anderson, Diamond, Considine (Dempsey, 66'); Hart, Severin, Clark, Byrne (Winter, 82'); McNaughton (Blaha, 64'), Mackie, Muirhead.

GOALS: 1-0, Hartson (47'); 2-0, Hartson (70')

PREMIER LEAGUE

Pos. Team Pld Pts
1. Celtic 36 89
2. Rangers 36 87
3. Hibernian 36 61
4. Aberdeen 36 55
5. Hearts 36 50

SOPRON: Balogh; Fehér, Horváth, Szekeres; Sira (Szabo, 54'), Lazic, Pintér, Kanák; Bárányos (Csórdas, 78'), Tóth, Balaskó (Somorjai, 72').

HONVÉD: Erdélyi; Kovács, Mészáros, Baranyai, Takács; Lázár (Lobo, 46'), Vadócz; Dancs (Borgulya, 75'), Genito, Vén; Kozarek (Herczeg, 46').

GOALS: 1-0, Tóth (11'); 2-0, Bárányos (34')

NB1

Pos. Team Pld Pts
1. Debrecen 27 56
2. Fernecváros 27 50
3. Újpest 27 38
4. MTK 26 48
5. Györi 27 48
...
9. Honvéd 27 34

Ismael Urzaiz celebrated his new contract by hitting the opener in Athletic Club Bilbao's 2-0 win against Real Zaragoza. Jesus Maria Lacruz added the second with seven minutes to go to put the Basque side in eighth with 52 points.

ATHLETIC: Aranzubia; Iraola, Lacruz, Prieto, Del Horno; Orbaiz, Gurpegui; Etxeberria (Murillo, 86'), Tiko, Ezquerro (Yeste, 59'); Urzaiz (Llorente, 71')

ZARAGOZA: Luis García; Ponzio, Alvaro, Milito, Aranzabal; Movilla; Cani (Galletti, 46'), Generelo (Oscar, 66'), Zapater (Camacho, 85'), Savio; Villa.

GOALS: 1-0, Urzaiz (54'); 2-o, Lacruz (83')

PRIMERA DIVISIÓN

Pos. Team Pld Pts
1. Barcelona 34 78
2. Real Madrid 35 75
3. Sevilla 35 58
4. Betis 35 55
5. Villareal 34 55
...
8. Athletic 35 51

Source: uefa.com

The recent run of decent Wolves form came to an abrupt halt in front of 58,075 in the Olympic stadium in Berlin on Saturday afternoon, as they lost 1-3 to Hertha in round of the Bundesliga. The capital city club survived an early scare as Petrov put the visitors ahead. Goals by Friedrich, Marcelinho and Madlung made sure that the points stayed in Berlin. The Wolves remain in 9th position in the Bundesliga table. They have only two games left to salvage something from what has been a topsy turvey season to say the least...

Quiet start
The home side finally pulled the Wolves’ teeth, although it must be said that for long periods of the game it didn’t look likely that they would. Both sides made a quiet start to the game, and Hertha rarely threatened the goal being kept by Simon Jentzsch. The home side seemed to be lacking ideas in midfield and were at first unable to put Wolfsburg under any kind of early pressure.

Petrov does it again!
On 17 minutes, the Wolves won a free kick near the right edge of the Hertha box. Hertha’s keeper Fiedler demanded a two man wall, which as it turned out wasn’t big enough, because as he did against HSV last week, Martin Petrov took aim and scored with a beautifully struck shot which rocketed into the near side of the net with Fiedler groping at air. The goal did not serve as a wake up call for the capital city side and they only went close through free kicks by Marcelinho (20. 36, 39.). The game dragged on until half time and the Wolves took their slender one goal lead with them into the half time break.

Captain's goal
Hertha coach Falko Götz brought on his Polish striker Wichniarek on fort he start of the second half, and it was a decision which would bear fruit. Hertha began to move forward with purpose and on 63 minutes, Wichniarek fed a superb short ball to Friedrich who stole into the Wolves penalty area from where he scored with a low shot into the bottom left hand corner which left Simon Jentzsch no chance.

Marcelinho scores his 18th of the season
The score remained at 1-1 until 9 minutes from time. Hans Sarpei brought down Wichniarek in the area and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Up stepped Marcelinho to hammer the ball home for Hertha’s second and his 18th goal of the season.

Madlung grabs killer goal
Three minutes from time, the game was all over bar the shouting. Late second half substitute Alexander Madlung latched onto a superb 50 metre pass from Friedrich to score with a shot for a change, as opposed to his usual headers. The win sees Hertha go 4th in the table, at least for the time being. They could even have gone third, but Stuttgart beat Hanover at home. The Wolves now face a tough home clash against Bayer Leverkusen in round 33. Leverkusen beat almost-relegated Hansa Rostock 3-0 in round 32.

HERTHA: Fiedler; Friedrich, van Burik, Simunic, Fathi (Zecke, 62'); Kovac, Marx (Wichniarek, 46'), Bastürk, Gilberto; Marcelinho; Rafael (Madlung, 79')

WOLFSBURG: Jentzsch; Rytter, Hofland (Karhan, 79'), Franz, Schnoor; Sarpei, Thiam; Fischer (Maric, 84'), Petrov; Brdaric, Klimowicz (Makiadi, 66')

GOALS: 0-1, Petrov (17'); 1-1, Friedrich (63'); 2-1, Marcelinho (81' pen); 3-1, Madlung (87')

BUNDESLIGA

Pos. Team Pld Pts
1. Bayern 32 71
2. Schalke 32 60
3. Stuttgart 32 58
4. Hertha 32 56
5. Bremen 31 53
...
9 Wolfsburg 32 44

Source: vfl-wolfsburg.de

The World's Club Team for the Month for April is Milan ahead of Bayern Munich. The Milanese achieved 52 points and improved from 9th place to 2nd, while "Bayern" amassed 48 points and improved from 19th to 10th.

Source: iffhs.de

April's Club of the Month

AC Milan (ITA)

Club World Ranking

1. (2.) Manchester United FC
2. (9.) AC Milan (ITA)
3. (4.) CA Boca Juniors (ARG)
4. (3.) FC Internazionale Milano (ITA)
5. (1.) Newcastle United FC (ENG)
...
7. (7.) Chelsea FC (ENG)
...
13. (13.) PSV Eindhoven (NED)
...
16. (17.) CA River Plate (ARG)
...
23. (22.) SL Benfica (POR)
...
25. (35.) FK Austria-Memphis Wien (AUS)
...
31. (28.) Olympiakos Pireas (GRE)
...
34. (32.) Athletic Club Bilbao (SPA)
...
36. (36.) Glasgow Celtic FC (SCO)
...
43. (44.) Shakhtjor Donetsk (UKR)
...
53. (59.) Fenerbahçe SK (TUR)
...
73. (63.) Paris Saint-Germain FC (FRA)
...
83. (66.) CA Peñarol (URU)
...
89. (97.) FC Basel
...
158. (170.) RSC Anderlecht (BEL)
...
177. (200.) Botafogo FR (BRA)
...
203. (246.) Wisla Kraków (POL)
...
215. (234.) Hamburger SV (GER)
...
298. (296.) Kispest Honvéd FC (HUN)
...
323. (301.) VfL Wolfsburg (GER)
...
337. (328.) FC Utrecht (NED)

Source: iffhs.de

Former Spanish international Ismael Urzaiz has signed a two-year contract extension with Athletic Club Bilbao which will see the striker end his career with the Basque club in June 2007.

Seasoned campaigner
The 33-year-old has been a stalwart in Athletic's attack since his arrival from RCD Espanyol in 1996 and has scored eleven league goals this season. He has made 353 appearances in total for the San Mamés side, registering 117 goals. Urzaiz has also won 25 Spain caps, scoring nine times.

Press conference
Urzaiz becomes the fourth player to agree new terms with UEFA Cup-chasing Athletic this year following the contract renewals of Javi González, Ander Murillo and Luis Prieto. The striker and club chairman Fernando Lamikiz will give a press conference detailing the agreement on Friday. Athletic are currently ninth in the Primera División.

Source: uefa.com

Four days after booking their tickets for the Istanbul final, AC Milan face another crucial test in their attempt to win a Serie A and UEFA Champions League double - taking on joint league leaders Juventus FC at home on Sunday.

Cup success
The Rossoneri defeated PSV Eindhoven on away goals on Wednesday to join Liverpool FC in the Champions League final. It is sure to be a great morale boost ahead of the title showdown at the San Siro.

Play-off possibility
In recent years Milan and Juventus have dominated the Italian scene, winning eleven of the last 13 Serie A championships - the Rossoneri six, the Bianconeri five - but never before has the race between them been so tight. Should they remain level on points, the Scudetto would be decided by a 'spareggio', or play-off, for the first time since 1964.

Back on home ground
The game is special for Fabio Capello and Carlo Ancelotti, who have each coached both two teams during their careers. Capello claimed four league titles and the Champions League with the Rossoneri; Ancelotti was twice a Serie A runner-up with Juventus in 2000 and 2001.

Captain recovers
Milan might be more tired than Juventus after their midweek exertions, but Ancelotti can at least draw on his full squad. Paolo Maldini is ready to play after recovering from the head injury that forced him off against PSV at half-time. "I feel much better now and I think I'll be able to play against Juventus," said the captain. "It's one of those games nobody wants to miss."

Trezeguet back
Meanwhile, Capello has more selection problems as Zlatan Ibrahimovic is serving a suspension, while Jonathan Zebina has not yet overcome his thigh injury. However, David Trezeguet's 20-minute cameo against Bologna FC last week means the Frenchman is likely to start alongside Alessandro Del Piero in attack.

Source: uefa.com

CRACÓVIA: Cabaj; Radwański, Węgrzyn, Skrzyński, Baster; Przytuła (Nowak, 73'), Baran, Giza (Wacek, 87'); Bojarski, Bania, Moskała (Szczoczarz, 73)

WISLA KRAKÓW: Majdan; Baszczyński, Kłos, Głowacki, Stolarczyk; Błaszczykowski (Mijailovic, 81'), Cantoro, Sobolewski, Zieńczuk (Kuzera, 90'); Żurawski, Frankowski (Ekwueme, 85')

GOAL: 0-1, Frankowski (21')

ROZGRYWKI LIGOWE

Pos. Team Pld Pts
1. Wisla Kraków 21 53
2. Groclin Grodzisk 20 38
3. Legia Warszawa 20 34
4. Cracóvia 21 31
5. Amica Wronki 20 30

HONVÉD: Takács; Kovács, Baranyai, Mészáros, Takács; Dobos (Dancs, 70'), Genito, Vadócz, Vén; Herczeg (Kozarek, 58'), Szili (Borgukya, 90').

VASAS: Posza; Janjic, Györi (Weitner, 77'), Tóth; Molnár, Balog, Kovrig, Schultz (Rosa, 86'), Gaál; Waltner (Szanyó, 64'), Gyánó.

GOAL: 1-0, Zoltan Takács (74')

NB1

Pos. Team Pld Pts
1. Debrecen 26 55
2. Ferencváros 26 49
3. Györi 26 48
4. Újpest 26 45
5. MTK 25 45
...
9. Honvéd 26 34

RIVER PLATE: Germán Lux; Javier Gandolfi, Eduardo Tuzzio (Javier Mascherano, 46'), Fernando Crosa, Lucas Mareque; Oscar Ahumada, Cristian Ledesma, Jesús Méndez (Luís González (83'); Rubens Sambueza; Federico Almerares (Marcelo Salas, 89'), José Sand.

OLMEDO: Jorge Corozo; Orfilio Mercado, Arlín Ayoví, José Luis Perlaza, Marlo Moreno; Fredy Brito, Luis Caicedo, Juan Manuel Zandoná, Christian Gómez (Roberto Burbano, 43'); Eduardo Hurtado, Fernando Rodríguez.

GOALS: 1-0, Sand (39'); 1-1, Zandoná (77')




COPA LIBERTADORES

Group 5

Pos. Team Pld Pts
1. River Plate (ARG) 6 16
2. Junior (COL) 6 9
3. Olmedo (ECU) 6 7
4. Nacional (URU) 6 3

River Plate and Junior qualify for the next stage of the competition

The points were shared in the capital where Club Atlético de Madrid were held 1-1 by Athletc Club Bilbao. The home side went behind on 65 minutes when Joseba Etxeberria cut inside to fire low inside Leo Franco's near post. Atlético reacted quickly and pulled level soon through Gonzalo Colsa, who tapped into an empty net. Neither team's position in the table changes - both share 48 points but Atlético lie a place ahead of the Basque side in eighth due to their superior goal difference.

ATLÉTICO: Leo Franco; Velasco, García Calvo, Perea, Antonio López; Ibagaza, Colsa, Sosa (Raúl Medina, 66'), Gronkjaer (Nano, 46'); Salva (Braulio, 58'), Fernando Torres.

ATHLETIC: Aranzubía; Murillo, Gurpegui, Lacruz, Casas; Orbaiz, Tiko; Ezquerro, Yeste (Luis Prieto, 76'), Del Horno (Iraola, 46'); Llorente (Etxeberría, 46').

GOALS: 0-1, Etxeberría (66'); 1-1, Colsa (78')

PRIMERA DIVISIÓN

Pos. Team Pld Pts
1. Barcelona 33 75
2. Real Madrid 34 72
3. Sevilla 33 55
4. Valencia 34 53
5. Espanyol 33 53
...
8. Athletic 34 48

Source: uefa.com

Estrela Amadora has achieved promotion to the portuguese Superleague, just one year after relegation. In a great football match, Estrela defeated 4th placed Feirense, and took advantage of the draw of the 5th placed Aves. With these results, Naval 1º de Maio has also achieved promotion, for the first time in it's history.

EST. AMADORA: Veiga; Quim Berto, Hugo Carreira, Carlos, Hugo Luz; Jordão; Zamorano, Rui Borges, Semedo (Pedro Simões, 70'); Henrique (Bruno Mauro, 59'), Rómulo (Nuno Charila, 90').

FEIRENSE: Rui Correia; Fábio Terra (Adelino, 49'), Daniel, Vitinha, Hernâni; Tamoukini, Mamadi, Hélder Sousa (Davigor, 52'), Riça; Serginho (Márcio, 72'), Hélder.

GOALS: 1-0, Rui Borges (2'); 1-1, Vitinha (4'); 2-1, Rómulo (30'); 2-2, Mamadi (34'); 3-2, Henrique (42'); 4-2, Adelino (92', og)

II LIGA*

Pos. Team Pld Pts
1. Paços de Ferreira 31 64
2. Naval 31 58
3. Est. Amadora 31 57

*All three teams are already promoted

Two second-half goals from Andriy Shevchenko enabled Milan to fight back from a goal down to defeat Fiorentina. Coach Carlo Ancelotti brought Alessandro Costacurta into the left-back position following the suspensions to Paolo Maldini and Kakha Kaladze, Rui Costa was handed the playmaker role in place of Andrea Pirlo while Serginho came on the left for Clarence Seedorf. Wednesday’s Champions League hero, Jon Dahl Tomasson partnered Shevchenko in attack.

Milan had to do some early defending as Dida watched a Luca Ariatti shot clear the bar while at the other end Kaka put a cross too close to Cejas. Rino Gattuso was shown a yellow card for a challenge on Martin Jorgensen but the midfielder could count himself unfortunate as he seemed to get the ball first. Dida then dealt easily with Fabrizio Miccoli’s free-kick. Milan had a let-off on 18 minutes when Pazzini sent a close-range header against the bar and Alessandro Nesta was on hand to clear. Cafu was then booked for a late tackle on Miccoli as the home side continued to grow in confidence. The Rossoneri did not heed the warning and on 25 minutes Enzo Maresca dived in from close range to head home following a Giorgio Chiellini flick-on from Miccoli’s corner on the right. The goal finally galvinised Milan and the Viola were pegged back in their own half but the defence had to get back quickly to halt a quick counter-attack. Shevchenko summed up Milan’s first-half frustrations as the striker sent a long-range free-kick well over the bar.

The second period got off to the perfect start after just 45 seconds as Shevchenko ghosted in at the far post to meet a Serginho cross from the left to side-foot home the equaliser. Then on 55 minutes, in almost a mirror image of the first goal, the Ukrainian found himself free once again at the back post to head in Serginho’s inswinging right-footed cross. Miccoli had a great chance to draw Fiorentina level, but from close range somehow dragged his shot wide of the post. Rui Costa was replaced by Seedorf on 60 minutes and then Pirlo came on for Tomasson as Milan looked to play on the break. Cafu had a close range effort parried away by Cejas as Ancelotti’s side started to exploit the space on the flanks. However, Costacurta had to make a timely intervention to divert a Pazzini goalbound shot. Serginho made way for Giuseppe Pancaro with five minutes to go. Dida had to be alert at his near post to scoop away a Valeri Bojinov shot for a corner. The game ended with Milan on the attack once again as Pirlo hit a fierce drive that Cejas had to beat away.

FIORENTINA: Cejas; Maggio, Ujfalusi, Viali, Chiellini (Bojinov, 78'); Ariatti, Maresca, Donadel, Jorgensen; Miccoli, Pazzini

MILAN: Dida; Cafu, Nesta, Stam, Costacurta; Kakà, Gattuso, Rui Costa (Seedorf, 60'), Serginho (Pancaro, 84'); Shevchenko, Tomasson (Pirlo, 69')

GOALS: 1-0, Maresca (25'); 1-1, Schevchenko (46'); 1-2, Schevchenko (55')

SERIE A

Pos. Team Pld Pts
1. Milan 34 76
2. Juventus 33 76
3. Internazionale 33 59
4. Sampdoria 33 55
5. Udinese 33 53

Source: acmilan.it

Marcelo Salas returned to scoring, preventing River Plate to drop all three points to Lanús. River lost the lead, and is now one point behind Estudiantes La Plata.

RIVER PLATE: Franco Costanzo; Carlos Diogo, Horacio Ameli, Eduardo Tuzzio, Lucas Mareque (Rubens Sambueza, 61'); Luis González, Javier Mascherano, Víctor Zapata (Oscar Ahumada, 82'); Marcelo Gallardo; Gastón Fernández (Marcelo Salas, 29'), Ernesto Farías

LANÚS: Carlos Bossio; Mauricio Romero, Leandro Gioda, Lucas Alessandria (SO, 48'), Maximiliano Velázquez; Diego Valeri (Rodolfo Graieb, 49'), Gabriel Iribarren, Ezequiel Carboni, Román Díaz (Matias Pelletieri, 65'); Rodrigo Díaz, Cristian Fabbiani (Mauro Obolo, 74')

GOALS: 0-1, Díaz (50'); 1-1, Salas, (72')

TORNEO CLAUSURA

Pos. Team Pld Pts
1. Estudiantes LP 11 24
2. River Plate 11 23
3. Veléz Sarsfiel 11 22
4. Rosário Central 11 21
5. Racing 11 20

With Craig Bellamy, Chris Sutton and Didier Agathe all out injured, Martin O'Neill's side got off to the worst possible start when Garry O'Connor gave the visitors the lead on seven minutes.

Hibernian hopes
Substitute Craig Beattie equalised for Celtic just before the hour mark, but two goals in the last ten minutes from midfield players Ivan Sproule and Scott Brown gave Hibernian their first win at Celtic Park in 13 years. The Edinburgh outfit are now five points clear of Aberdeen in third and are favourites to secure a UEFA Cup spot next season.

CELTIC: Marshall; McNamara, Balde, Varga, Valgaeren; Petrov, Thompson, Lennon, McGeady (Wallace, 68'); Hartson, Maloney (Beattie, 46').

HIBERNIAN: Brown; I. Murray, Smith, Caldwell, Whittaker; Brown, A. Murray, Glass; Riordan (Sproule, 70'), Konte (Shiels, 71'), O'Connor (Morrow, 76').

GOALS: 0-1, O'Connor (6'); 1-1, Beattie (61'); 1-2, Sproule (80'); 1-3, Brown (82')

Source: uefa.com