Sports

Thursday October 1, 2009

Roma, Lazio looking for a change of fortunes

LONDON: Neighbours AS Roma and Lazio seek to overturn losing starts in the Europa League today as the under-achieving Italian capital chases a rare European title.

Winners of the defunct Fairs Cup back in 1961, Roma tumbled 2-0 at FC Basel in Group E. Lazio, who won the last Cup Winners Cup in 1999 followed by the lightly-regarded Super Cup, lost 2-1 at home to Salzburg in Group G.

Roma are reviving in Serie A, however, after Claudio Ranieri replaced Luciano Spalletti at the beginning of September and hope to bounce back from their Europa League defeat with a home victory over CSKA Sofia. Lazio visit another Bulgarian club, Levski Sofia, who also lost their opening game 1-0 away to Villarreal.

Group A leaders Anderlecht, winner of two Cup Winners Cups in the 1970s and the 1983 UEFA Cup, are facing injury problems against four-time European champions Ajax.

Argentine midfielder Lucas Biglia is struggling with a hip injury and the Belgian club might miss defender Jelle Van Damme, whose wife Elke Clijsters could deliver a baby any moment.

Anderlecht have had the best possible start to Group A with a 2-0 victory at Dynamo Zagreb, while Ajax stuttered to a goalless home draw against Romania’s Timisoara. Anderlecht beat Germinal Beerschot 1-0 to extend their Belgian League lead to two points over FC Brugge while Ajax come off a morale-boosting 3-0 win over ADO Den Haag.

Germany have not won European football’s second tier Cup competition since 1977, Werder Bremen losing in last season’s final to Shakhtar Donetsk of Ukraine. The Bundesliga has three teams chasing the trophy at this stage.

Bremen began Group L with a 3-2 victory at Portugal’s Nacional and hope to make it two wins in two games by beating Athletic Bilbao at home.

Hertha Berlin, who qualified for the competition after finishing fourth in last season’s Bundesliga, fired coach Lucien Favre on Monday after six straight domestic losses and now go to Group D leaders Sporting Lisbon.

Hamburg, who hosts Hapoel Tel Aviv and are last in Group C, have been boosted by a 1-0 victory over Bayern Munich 1-0 on Saturday. — AP

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