AC Milan and Roma join Juveat the top
Wins for the two title challengers took them level on 10 points with reigning campions Juventus, 2-0 winners at Reggina on Saturday.
Andriy Shevchenko scored twice, his fourth and fifth league goals of the season, as European champions Milan saw off Lecce, while Roma endured a goalless first-half before thrashing Ancona. Parma missed out on joining the top trio after drawing 1-1 at home to Siena and remain tied on eight points with Inter Milan, who were held to a 0-0 draw at Udinese.
Milan laid siege to Lecce’s goal from the opening whistle and went ahead in the 22nd minute. Manuel Rui Costa’s shot cannoned off the post and rebounded out to Cafu. The Brazilian drove a low cross across the face of the goal and Shevchenko rifled the ball high into the net. Shevchenko doubled his tally in the 68th minute for his fifth goal of the season. Danish striker Jon Dahl Tomasson rounded off the scoring with a tap-in.
In the capital, Vincenzo Montella scored three minutes after coming on as a second-half substitute to put Roma in front at the Olympic stadium.
Brazilian winger Mancini drove at the heart of the Ancona defence with a penetrating run and laid the ball off for Montella, who turned his marker to poke the ball past Alessio Scarpi.
Ancona grew in confidence as Roma spurned several good chances, but captain Francesco Totti’s eased the home side’s nerves by scoring 12 minutes from time with a low angled shot before Marco Delvecchio’s diving header wrapped up the points.
On Saturday, Juve maintained their unbeaten start to the season by winning in Reggio Calabria. Marco Di Vaio gave Juventus a 13th minute lead in before dynamic Czech midfielder Pavel Nedved sealed a comfortable victory five minutes after half-time.
Inter remain unbeaten but lost ground on their title rivals after being held to a second consecutive goalless draw. Hector Cuper’s men were forced to play with 10 men for over an hour following the 17th minute dismissal of Brazilian winger Luciano and were thankful for a second-half penalty miss by Udinese’s Chilean midfielder David Pizarro. Valencia went to the top of the Spanish first division with a 2-0 victory over Real Madrid as Deportivo La Coruna lost their 100% record by going down 3-2 at Osasuna.
Valencia have 13 points from their unbeaten five games while Deportivo slip to second, one point behind.
The 2001-’02 champions took the lead over reigning Spanish champions after just five minutes when Mista Ferrer put Valencia ahead against his former club when he latched onto a Jorge Lopez cross. The hosts could easily gone further ahead shortly after but both Vicente Rodriguez and David Albelda fluffed good chances.
Real rarely threatened during the first 45 minutes and were not helped by Zinedine Zidane having one of his worst games in a Madrid shirt.
Valencia themselves had a setback when their inspirational Argentine playmaker Pablo Aimar limped off injured, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise as his replacement Ricardo Oliveira sealed the triumph with the second goal after 72 minutes. The Brazilian’s first league goal for his new club, after arriving from Santos during the summer, was stabbed in after Roberto Carlos had headed clear an initial effort from Ruben Baraja.
Osasuna had Deportivo beaten within 25 minutes after going 3-0 ahead, helped principally by errors.
Francisco Punal got the Pamplona-based side’s first goal from the penalty spot on 20 minutes, after Hector Belenguel del Pino had brought down Moha El Yaagoubi.
Three minutes later, Moha's centre was fumbled by Deportivo goalkeeper Francisco Molina and the ball fell to the feet of Ibrahima Bakayoko, who laid it on for Ivan Rosado to tap into the net. Hector’s miserable night continued on 25 minutes when he headed an effort from Osasuna’s Valdo into his own net. Deportivo got one back when Albert Luque headed home a Victor Sanchez cross, taking advantage of a lax Osasuna defence.
Both sides had chances to add to their tally during the second half before Walter Pandiani got a second for Deportivo one minute into injury-time, the sixth consecutive game in which the Uruguayan has scored.
Bundesliga leaders VfB Stuttgart warmed up for their Champions League clash against Manchester United with a stylish 3-0 win at TSV 1860 Munich. An early effort from midfielder captain Zvonimir Soldo and a penalty from defender Fernando Meira put Stuttgart 2-0 up at the interval. Belarus playmaker Alexander Gleb wrapped it up after a superb solo run five minutes into the second half.
Bayern Munich needed a late goal from Dutch striker Roy Makaay for a 2-1 win at Hansa Rostock.
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