ROME, 15 March 2004 — AS Roma’s challenge for the Serie A title suffered a heavy blow when they could only draw 0-0 at relegation-threatened Reggina yesterday. The result left Roma with 57 points from 25 games, four behind leaders AC Milan who can increase their cushion at the top by beating champions Juventus.
Roma had scored 14 goals while disposing of Inter Milan, Parma and Siena in their last three matches but lacked their usual fluency against the southerners.
In the Italian capital Roma’s city rivals Lazio seemed to be cruising to victory after going 2-0 up in the first six minutes of their game against Udinese. Ex-Udinese player Roberto Muzzi headed Lazio ahead in the fifth minute and then crossed for strike partner Simone Inzaghi to nod past visiting keeper Morgan De Sanctis a minute later.
The visitors pulled one back in the 11th minute through midfielder Lucas Castroman and poured forward in search of an equalizer as the game entered its final minutes.
Udinese striker Vincenzo Iaquinta blazed a shot wildly over an empty goal and Dino Fava hit the post before Iaquinta snatched the point, heading in from a Marek Jankulovski cross three minutes into injury time. Lazio held on to fourth place, however, by virtue of Brescia’s 2-2 draw with fifth-placed Parma.
Twice Parma took the lead through striker Benito Carbone and midfielder Marco Marchionni, and twice they were pegged back, the first time by Brescia midfielder Luigi Di Biagio and the second time by the experienced Roberto Baggio.
Baggio’s 74th-minute strike was the 200th Serie A goal of his career and arrived 17 years after his first, scored in a 1987 match between Napoli and Fiorentina.
At the San Siro stadium Inter Milan picked up their first point in five games when they drew 0-0 with Chievo Verona but failed to capitalize on a host of scoring chances. Midfielder Georgios Karagounis hit the bar with a powerful free kick in the 30th minute, Brazilian striker Adriano headed over an open goal on the hour and a late shot by striker Obafemi Martins was cleared off the line by Chievo defender Lorenzo D’Anna.
City End Man. United’s Title Hopes
Manchester United’s slim hopes of retaining the premier league title disappeared in the most painful way possible yesterday when they were beaten 4-1 away by arch rivals Manchester City.
With 10 games left, United are now 12 points behind league leaders Arsenal and three behind second-placed Chelsea. Unbeaten Arsenal were 2-0 winners at Blackburn Rovers on Saturday while Chelsea triumphed 2-0 at Bolton Wanderers.
After yesterday’s defeat, United have only the FA Cup, where they face Arsenal in the semifinals, as a realistic chance of silverware this season.
The result ended a traumatic week for United boss Alex Ferguson, who had a heart pacemaker fitted after their Champions League exit on Tuesday.
City took a surprise lead with a close-range goal by Robbie Fowler after three minutes and, after United looked to be taking control, doubled the lead when Jon Macken hooked the ball in from just inside the box after 32 minutes.
United pulled one back three minutes later when superb work by Ryan Giggs set up Paul Scholes to drive home his fourth goal in three games against City this season.
Giggs and Cristiano Ronaldo, a constant threat on the left, could have added more but, after City tightened up in the second half, they got their third in the 73rd minute, a blunder by Mikael Silvestre allowing Trevor Sinclair a chance he gleefully took.
The hosts finished in style when Shaun Wright-Phillips lashed a spectacular shot into the roof of the net from wide on the right in stoppage time.
Earlier, Aston Villa cruised to an easy 4-0 win at midlands rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers. They took the lead after six minutes through German midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger and doubled in the 18th with an Olof Mellberg header.
Another blunder by the home side six minutes later gifted Villa a third goal to Juan Pablo Angel and the Colombian got his second on the hour after Villa keeper Thomas Sorensen had saved an Ioan Ganea penalty.
Newcastle United’s hopes of climbing back into the top four were foiled at White Hart Lane when an 86th-minute own goal by Andy O’Brien gave Spurs a 1-0 win.
Larsson Strike Preserves Celtic Home Record
Substitute Henrik Larsson helped preserve Celtic’s 75-match unbeaten home record with a goal 20 minutes from time to earn a 1-1 draw against Motherwell yesterday.
The point extended Celtic’s league lead over champions Rangers, who drew 1-1 with Hearts on Saturday, to 16 points with both sides having played 27 games.
Celtic boss Martin O’Neill rested several regulars and a shadow home side fell behind to a 26th minute goal from Derek Adams.
But Celtic raised the pace after Larsson’s arrival early in the second half and the Swedish striker headed them level 20 minutes from time from Ross Wallace’s corner. It was Celtic’s first dropped points since their 0-0 draw at Dunfermline Athletic on the opening day of the season and halted their British record of successive league wins at 25.
