Barcelona, Juve clear

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October 25, 2004 10:33 IST

Round-up of action from Europe's leading leagues:

SPAIN

Barcelona stayed five points clear at the top of the Primera Liga following a comfortable 3-0 win over Osasuna on Sunday.

Two goals by Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o and Brazilian Ronaldinho's penalty sealed Barca's seventh victory in eight league matches.

Sevilla climbed to second place on 17 points after spectacular goals from Aitor Ocio and Julio Baptista sealed a 2-1 victory over Atletico Madrid.

Real Madrid recorded their first league win in four matches when they beat champions Valencia 1-0 at the Bernabeu thanks to a second successive winning goal from England striker Michael Owen.

Valencia are third on 14 points, ahead of a bunch of teams on 13, including Real.

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ITALY

Alessandro Del Piero struck twice as Juventus won 3-0 at Siena to move five points ahead at the top of Serie A.

All three goals came in a 10-minute spell midway through the second half, Mauro Camoranesi getting the third.

Lecce continued their great start by climbing to second spot with a 4-1 win at promoted Messina, who had been unbeaten at home for two years. Sasa Bjelanovic scored two goals, Mirko Vucinic and Sam Dalla Bona one each.

Champions AC Milan slipped to third, behind Lecce on goal difference, following a 0-0 derby draw with Inter, who climbed a place to fifth.

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GERMANY

VfL Wolfsburg went a point clear in the Bundesliga with a 3-0 home win over VfL Bochum as VfB Stuttgart lost for the first time this season, 2-0 at SC Freiburg.

Wolfsburg, written off by some after last week's 3-0 derby defeat by Hanover 96, hit all three goals in a 15-minute first-half spell, Pablo Thiam, Diego Klimowicz and Andres D'Alessandro the scorers.

They are top on 21 points from nine games, one ahead of Stuttgart, who lost to goals from Alexandre Iashvili and Soumaila Coulibaly.

Bayern Munich, beaten by Schalke 04 last week and Juventus in the Champions League, snatched two late goals from Willy Sagnol and Mehmet Scholl to win 2-0 at Hansa Rostock and move up to third.

Champions Werder Bremen, 4-1 winners over Nuremberg, lead three teams on 15 points.

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ENGLAND

The most-eagerly awaited fixture of the season produced late fireworks as Manchester United beat Arsenal 2-0 at Old Trafford to end the champions' 49-match unbeaten Premier League run.

A controversial 73rd-minute penalty by Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy and a stoppage-time breakaway goal from England's Wayne Rooney on his 19th birthday secured United's victory.

It was Arsenal's first defeat since they lost 3-2 to Leeds United in May 2003 but they remain top on 25 points, two clear of Chelsea, who beat Blackburn Rovers 4-0 with a hat-trick by Iceland striker Eidur Gudjohnsen.

Everton maintained their surprise start with a fourth away win, 3-2 at Norwich City, to stay third on 22. Bolton Wanderers are fourth on 18 after a 2-1 win at Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United climbed to fifth. ----

FRANCE

Leaders Olympique Lyon were held to a goalless draw at lowly Istres, while second-placed Lille's six-game winning streak ended with a 1-0 defeat at Toulouse.

Lyon, looking weary from their midweek Champions League exertions, remain top on 23 points, one ahead of Lille, who lost to Eduardo's injury-time goal for Toulouse.

AJ Auxerre are third after their game at fourth-placed Monaco also ended goalless. Olympique Marseille were held to a 0-0 draw at Racing Lens and stay fifth.

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