LONDON, 28 October 2004 — Aston Villa lost 3-1 to second division Burnley in the League Cup third round on Tuesday as the top Premier League clubs made their first appearance in this season’s competition. A Manchester United reserve side won 3-0 at Crewe Alexandra, Liverpool beat Millwall by the same scoreline and there were also victories for Portsmouth, Nottingham Forest, Watford and Cardiff City.
Villa, five-time League Cup winners, fell behind at Burnley after 10 minutes when Graham Branch scored for the hosts.
David O’Leary’s team rarely threatened to equalize and, after Villa goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen saved a penalty, Mohammad Camara scored following a short corner routine to double Burnley’s advantage.
Colombia striker Juan Pablo Angel pulled a goal back for Villa with a header nine minutes from time but Jean-Louis Valois made the game safe for Burnley in the dying minutes.
Manchester United, showing 11 changes from the side that started Sunday’s league victory over champions Arsenal, eased past Crewe in the first competitive match between the near neighbors, which pitted English soccer’s two longest-serving managers in Alex Ferguson and Dario Gradi. United took the lead after only 10 minutes through England striker Alan Smith.
Crewe held their own until 12 minutes into the second half when Ireland midfielder Liam Miller grabbed his first goal for United, and the Premier League side added a third through a Steve Foster own goal. Liverpool, record seven-time League Cup winners, took the lead at second division Millwall on 17 minutes when midfielder Salif Diao rammed the ball home from 10 meters.
Portsmouth beat Leeds United 2-1 at Fratton Park. Striker Diomansy Kamara and midfielder Eyal Berkovic put the Premier League side 2-0 up and although veteran striker Brian Deane reduced the deficit Portsmouth held on.
Second division Nottingham Forest triumphed 2-0 at third division Doncaster Rovers, Watford won the all-second division game against Sheffield United 4-2 on penalties at Bramall Lane after a 0-0 draw, and visitors Cardiff City defeated Bournemouth 5-4 on spot-kicks following a 3-3 draw.
Bayern Rein in Wolfsburg
With Pizarro Double
In Berlin, Bayern Munich reined in Bundesliga leaders Wolfsburg on Tuesday with a 2-0 victory, courtesy of a double strike from Peruvian striker Claudio Pizarro in his first match in a month. Bayern drew level with VfB Stuttgart on 20 points, just one behind Wolfsburg, but remained third on goal difference.
Pizarro showed he has lost none of his poaching instincts with both goals coming from close range, the first from a pass by Bastian Schweinsteiger in the 24th minute and the second on the stroke of halftime off an Owen Hargreaves free kick.
Bayern coach Felix Magath, who is missing several players through injury, including playmaker Michael Ballack, was full of praise for Pizarro in only his third match for Bayern this season. Wolfsburg coach Erik Gerets recognized his side had been a clear second best.
Hanover 96 climbed to fourth with a 3-1 home win over Kaiserslautern, a defeat that left the visitors rooted to the bottom of the table.
Kaiserslautern chairman Rene Jaggi said after the match that coach Kurt Jara would remain in place at least until Sunday, despite mounting pressure.
VfL Bochum and Borussia Dortmund each gained their second victories of the season. Bochum beat Borussia Moenchengladbach 3-0, helped in part by the dismissal of Moenchengladbach’s Jeff Strasser just before the hour mark.
