Mixed fortunes for group rivals

Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough went fourth in the Premiership with a 2-1 victory at West Bromwich Albion FC on Sunday. Manager Steve McClaren recalled Mark Schwarzer, Anthony McMahon, Gareth Southgate, Ray Parlour and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink following the 2-0 loss at Liverpool FC in the English League Cup the previous Wednesday. Although Ugo Ehiogu was still sidelined by a calf problem, the central defender should return in time for Saturday's league game against the Merseysiders. A Darren Purse own goal and Boudewijn Zenden's header secured three points at The Hawthorns.

Villarreal
Villarreal suffered their third defeat of the season at Athletic Club Bilbao to fall to 12th in the Spanish top flight. Ismael Urzaiz scored a stunning double, while José Mari Romero pulled back a consolation for Villarreal on the hour. Left-back Rodolfo Arruabarrena returned after shaking off a thigh strain and midfielder Josico is close to fitness, but Roger García and Javier Calleja remain absent with knee injuries.

Lazio
A patched-up Lazio defeated Bologna FC 2-1 on Sunday with a late penalty from second-half substitute Paolo Di Canio, despite being reduced to ten men by Ousmane Dabo's dismissal. Coach Domenico Caso was without Angelo Peruzzi, Luciano Zauri, Sebastiano Siviglia, Roberto Muzzi and Giuliano Giannichedda, all through injury, while Fernando Couto and Massimo Oddo were suspended. Tommaso Rocchi's fifth-minute strike had been cancelled out by Igli Tare before Di Canio registered to lift the Rome side up to ninth, level on points with AS Livorno Calcio, whom they had lost to in the league three days before.

Partizan
There were no games in Serbia and Montenegro this weekend because of the national team's forthcoming FIFA World Cup qualifier in Belgium. Partizan therefore remain top of the First Federal League, and could be on course for a domestic double after a 1-0 win against FK Obilic in the Serbo-Montenegrin Cup quarter-finals. Coach Vladimir Vermezovic will be glad of the break after blaming tiredness for his charges' below-par performance in a tie won by Saša Ilic's 76th-minute penalty. Defender Dragoljub Jeremic is the only injury concern.

Egaleo
Egaleo FC also had a free weekend and will have an extra seven days to recover for the visit of fellow UEFA Cup challengers Panionios NFC next Sunday. Georgios Barkoglou will be suspended for the game, but coach Stefan Demol's biggest worry is Günter Friesenbichler's ongoing injury trouble. The Austrian striker has a haematoma and must wait to discover whether or not he needs an operation to remove it.