Mon, Nov 08, 2004 - Page 19 News List

Blues rise to top of league standings

EUROPEAN FOOTBALL Chelsea battled to a 1-0 victory over Everton to move the high-payed group of strikers past Arsenal, which has struggled during recent games

AP , LONDONAP, GLASGOW, SCOTLANDAP, MADRID, SPAINAP, BERLINAP, ROME

Lowly Reggina handed league leader Juventus its first loss of the season Saturday, beating the Turin powerhouse 2-1 in the 10th round.

One player down for the last 23 minutes, the team from southern Italy withstood steady pressure as Juventus struck one post and had one goal disallowed in extra time as it attacked with all its men looking for a late equalizer.

It was the second win of the season for Reggina, which lifted itself to 10 points and out of the relegation zone.

La Juve (8-1-1) still leads the Serie A standings ahead of Sunday's matches, five points ahead of second-place AC Milan. However, the loss prevented Juventus from equaling a 1954 AC Milan record of 9-1-0 in the first 10 rounds.

Reggina opened the scoring with a fluke in the 13th minute when midfielder Giuseppe Colucci bounced the ball into the net. He hit the ball with his thigh as Juventus defender Fabio Cannavaro tried to clear.

Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who joined Juventus in the off season, leveled the score after one minute on a defensive blunder by the home team.

Ibrahimovic rushed unmarked into the area and easily scored his fifth goal this season.

Defender Marco Zamboni netted the game-winner in the 26th on a long distance free kick. Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon slapped the ball which still ended into the net. La Juve commanded play throughout the second half, helped by the ejection of Colucci, who received his second yellow card in the 73rd.

Uruguay striker Marcelo Zalayeta struck the post with a powerful header in the 53rd. His substitute Alessandro Del Piero, Pavel Nedved and Emerson then missed some easy chances.

French midfielder Olivier Kapo, fielded in the closing minutes, scored in the fourth minute of extra time but the referee disallowed the goal, after consulting with the linesman, for a dubious offside position.

"No doubt we were unlucky tonight," Juventus coach Fabio Capello said. "There were some dubious calls and some dubious actions."

This story has been viewed 2636 times.
TOP top