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| Saturday, November 16, 2002 18:00 EST |
Bayern Munich triumphs 1-0
[Reuters]
BERLIN -- Leader Bayern Munich marched on
toward another Bundesliga crown with a 1-0 victory over VfL
Wolfsburg on Saturday.
The 17-time German champion, condemned to chase domestic
glory after bowing out of Europe, needed a headed goal from
Paraguay striker Roque Santa Cruz before the break to stay five
points clear of second-placed Borussia Dortmund.
Champion Dortmund, which had lost its last three
competitive matches, including a 2-1 defeat by Bayern in a
top-of-table clash last weekend, returned to winning ways by
beating TSV 1860 Munich 1-0 courtesy of an early effort from
Brazilian striker Ewerthon.
Bayern, which was eliminated from the Champions League after
failing to win any of its six matches, dominated the game, but
Wolfsburg remained dangerous throughout from counter-attacks.
The visitors came close to scoring when Bulgarian striker
Martin Petrov raced into the box unchallenged in the 53rd
minute, only to lose his duel with goalkeeper Oliver Kahn.
Bayern kept pushing and wasted several chances to double
its advantage, notably when playmaker Michael Ballack fired
just wide from 14 meters out on 60 minutes.
Former Bayern playmaker Stefan Effenberg, who joined
Wolfsburg in August, was in fighting mood at his old hunting
ground but failed to shine.
"It was a highly emotional game," said Bayern coach Ottmar
Hitzfeld, who has heard club president Franz Beckenbauer say
that he wanted him to stay on until his contract expires in
2004.
"We played really well in the first half. In the second we
were a bit more nervous. Wolfsburg took of a lot of risks and
ended up playing with three men up front but I think we were the
better side."
Dortmund bounced back from its defeat to Bayern and
elimination from the German Cup by second division SC Freiburg
with a fighting display.
They would have beaten TSV 1860 by a wider margin had it not
been for a string of superb saves from the visitors' goalkeeper,
Simon Jentzsch.
"The atmosphere was a bit tense after the Bayern
game ... (but) we managed to deal with that pretty well," said
Dortmund coach Matthias Sammer, who had to make do without
goalkeeper Jens Lehmann and midfielder Torsten Frings, both
suspended after being sent off against Bayern.
"The team showed character and played good football,
especially in the first half."
At the other end of the table, Energie Cottbus lifted
itself off the bottom spot by beating fellow struggler
Arminia Bielefeld 2-1 for its second victory of the season.
There was a bizarre scene at the game when Energie defender
and captain Christian Beeck was sent off for a second booking
because he took too long celebrating after putting his side 2-0
ahead.
Cottbus moved one point clear of troubled four-times German
champions Kaiserslautern, which visits Werder Bremen on Sunday.
FRANCE: Two last-gasp goals by substitutes Adekanmi Olufade and Sammy Traore helped French league leader Nice
snatch a 2-0 victory at AJ Auxerre.
Olufade came on for Serge Ayeli with just five minutes left and volleyed home in the 88th before Troare, a replacement for Kaba
Diawara, doubled the scoreline in the injury-time.
Nice, who returned to the first division four months ago, handed the Burgundy side their first league home-defeat this season.
A disciplined defence helped the team from the French Riviera hold off challenges from Auxerre's Djibril Cisse, Benjani and Olivier
Kapo.
Cisse squandered Auxerre's best chance on the hour when his volley from inside the box was stopped by goalkeeper Damien
Gregorini.
Nice, who have conceded just seven goals from 15 matches, retained the top spot in the French first division with 29 points.
ITALY: An 89th-minute header from Turkish
midfielder Okan Buruk gave Serie A leaders Inter Milan a 2-2
draw at AS Roma in an enthralling match on Saturday.
The result means Inter could lose top spot on Sunday if
Juventus win their Turin derby against Torino.
Inter went ahead in the 57th minute of a frantic and often
bad-tempered game when a Domenico Morfeo shot looped over Roma
goalkeeper Francesco Antonioli.
Roma protested that two Inter players were in offside
positions early in the move but their appeals were waved away.
Two minutes later Roma struck back when Gianni Guigou headed
a Christian Panucci cross into the path of Vincenzo Montella who
made no mistake from close range.
Roma's Argentine substitute Gabriel Batistuta then put Fabio
Capello's side ahead with a delightful goal in the 73rd minute.
Uruguayan midfielder Guigou floated a ball towards the Inter
area and Batistuta's side-footed volley was placed perfectly
wide of the sprawling Francesco Toldo.
It was a goal worthy of winning the game but Roma, who were
without injured captain Francesco Totti, were left kicking
themselves at the end as Okan was left unmarked to head in a
corner.
Tempers boiled at the end of the match when a scuffle broke
out between the players as they walked off the pitch.
Inter lead with 23 points with Juventus two points behind
and third-placed AC Milan, who host Parma on Sunday, on 19.
A fine individual goal from former Italy international
Giuseppe Signori, his 100th for the club, helped Bologna keep
pace with the frontrunners with a 2-1 win over Perugia on
Saturday.
Bologna move above Roma into sixth place, level on 18 points
with Chievo and Lazio.
Perugia, who drop to 12th, had Iranian defender Rahman
Rezaei sent off in injury time for an elbow on Argentine striker
Julio Ricardo Cruz.
Cruz put Bologna ahead in the 31st minute with a low shot
which Perugia's Brazilian defender Ze Maria was unable to stop
on the line.
Ex-Lazio striker Signori doubled the advantage seven minutes
later with a trademark goal -- bursting down the left channel
before unleashing a fierce and perfectly placed left-foot drive
from more than 20 metres.
Perugia pulled a goal back just before the break when Andrea
Caracciolo sprung Bologna's offside trap and beat the advancing
Gianluca Pagliuca with a fine lofted shot.
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