Spanish clubs score victories in UEFA Cup matches
(sportinglife.com)
Updated: 2004-10-22 09:42

Tommaso Rocchi scored a late equaliser to help Lazio for a 1-1 home draw with Villarreal while other two Spanish teams won their first-night actions in the new group stage of the UEFA Cup on Thursday.

Lazio's Luciano Zauri is challenged by Cesar Arzo (L) and Santiago Cazoria (2nd-R) of Villarreal during their UEFA Cup Group E soccer match at the Olympic Stadium in Rome October 21, 2004. [Reuters]

Spain, who won the competition through Valencia last season, celebrated its victories as Athletic Bilbao beat Parma 2-0 and Real Zaragoza defeated Utrecht by the same score.

16 games were in action in the new stage where 40 teams play in eight groups with each playing the other four teams once only over the next two months.

Sevilla, the fourth Spanish club to qualify, was one of the eight sides not in action on Thursday.

After four games, two home and two away for each club, top three in each group progress to the knockout stage, together with eight third-placed finishers from the Champions League group stage.

In a heavyweight tie in Rome between Lazio and last year's beaten semi-finalists Villarreal in Group E, Jose Mari put the visitors ahead in the fourth minute by beating three defenders. However, he was sent off in the 75th minute for elbowing Giuliano Giannichedda.

Thus, Lazio took advantage six minutes from time when Simone Inzaghi set up Rocchi for the equaliser.

In the other Group E game, Middlesbrough continued its first European campaign with a 1-0 win against Greek outsiders Egaleo from a late strike by Stuart Downing.

Newcastle United, semi-finalist last season, made it an English north-east double when it won 1-0 at Panionios in Group D with an 87th-minute penalty by Alan Shearer.

Robert Elliott of Newcastle (L) is challenged by Mario Breska of Panionios during their UEFA Cup Group D soccer match in Athens New Smyrni stadium October 21, 2004 [Reuters]

Athletic Bilbao scored early in each half through Carlos Gurpegito and Asier del Horno for a Group B victory over Parma.

In Group C, Zaragoza beat Dutch side Utrecht 2-0 as David Villa got both goals in 77th and 82nd minutes.

Rangers raised some European cheer with a 5-0 win at Poland's Amica Wronki in Group F, with goals from Peter Lovenkrands, Nacho Novo, Fernando Ricksen, Shota Arveladze and from the penalty spot.

In Group H, Zenit St Petersburg won on style, beating AEK Athens 5-1 as striker Alexander Kerzhakov scored a 20-minute hat- trick while three Greek clubs all suffered their defeats on Thursday.

VfB Stuttgart also won 5-1, away at Belgium's Beveren in Group G, as Brazilian Cacau got two together with goals from Kevin Kuranyi, Philipp Lahm and Imre Szabics.

The other Group G game also produced six goals as Benfica beat Heerenveen 4-2 in Lisbon.

Dos Santos and Nuno Gomes put Benfica 2-0 at halftime before the Dutch tied the game 2-2 with a Ugur Yildirim strike and a Jan Huntelaar penalty after 53 minutes.

Benfica surged back to win the match with two more goals in five minutes through Azar Karadas and a second from Nuno Gomes.

Feyenoord, UEFA Cup winners in 2002, had its Group A 3-0 home win over Hearts with two goals for Dirk Kuijt and one for Bart Goor.

The second round of fixtures takes place on November 4.

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