Parma find their form

Parma bounce back
Parma recovered from losing their opening group game against Athletic, claiming a first Italian league win of the season at home to fellow UEFA Cup contenders S.S. Lazio. Marco Marchionni and Mark Bresciano gave Parma an early first-half lead before Tommaso Rocchi pulled one back for the visitors. However, Alberto Gilardino struck to secure a 3-1 success despite Domenico Morfeo having a penalty saved by Matteo Sereni. Parma are up to 17th in Serie A.

Athletic slip
Athletic, fresh from victory against Parma, were beaten 1-0 at Albacete Balompié. Against a much-changed Athletic side fielding young talents Javier Casas, Gorka Azkorra, Endika Bordas, Felipe Guréndez and César Fernández, Rubén Castro headed the only goal to leave the visitors in 14th place in Spain's Primera División. Javi González underwent surgery last week to repair damaged cartilage in his right knee and is expected to be out for a month. Striker Santiago Ezquerro continues to recover from a thigh problem ahead of the Matchday 2 trip to Besiktas, as do centre-back Óscar Vales (calf) and midfielder Tiko (ankle).

Standard fall
Standard, who lost 2-0 at Steaua on Matchday 1, were defeated again at the weekend away to KFC Germinal Beerschot Antwerpen. Mohamed Messoudi headed the only goal early in the second half, and Standard had Eric Deflandre sent off seven minutes from time. However, on the plus side, midfielder Sérgio Conceição returned after a month out with a knee injury to play the final 38 minutes. Forward Wamberto should also be fit within a week, although the Belgian club sit out Matchday 2.

Steaua strike
With a second win in four days, Steaua overcame high-flying CFR Cluj 2-0 to remain within three points of Romanian First Division leaders FC National Bucuresti. Daniel Oprita opened the scoring within 54 seconds - the quickest goal in the division this term - and after both teams had been reduced to ten men, with Steaua's Sorin Paraschiv dismissed early in the second half, George Ogararu clinched victory two minutes from time. Midfielder Florentin Dumitru suffered another knee injury on his comeback appearance against Standard and sat out the weekend match, while goalkeeper Vasili Khomutovski and defenders Tiberiu Curt and Mirel Radoi remain sidelined.

Bestikas in form
Besiktas, not in action on Matchday 1, defeated MKE Ankaragücü 4-1 to rise to ninth place in the Turkish Superleague. Although they fell behind to a Faruk Namdar penalty, the Istanbul team rallied with goals from John Carew, Mustafa Dogan, Ibrahim Akin and Juanfran to claim a second consecutive victory for the first time this season. There was more good news when physio Ayhan Optur revealed that Daniel Pancu, Sergen Yalçin and Tümer Metin would be fit to play leaders Fenerbahçe SK on Saturday 30 October, though defender Ronaldo Guiaro remains sidelined through injury.