Victorious pair taste domestic defeats

FC Shakhtar Donetsk 0-1 FC Dynamo Kyiv

Shakhtar suffered their first league defeat this season as they lost at home to Dynamo, the visitors therefore leapfrogging their rivals to take a one-point lead in the Ukrainian Premier League. The only goal was scored on 74 minutes by Ukrainian international - and former Shakhtar striker - Serhiy Rebrov. The forward had another clear chance in the first half, but failed to beat goalkeeper Dmytro Shutkov.

"Often the game is decided by one chance when two even sides meet," said coach Mircea Lucescu, who fielded his usual 4-4-2 formation. "Today fortune smiled on Dynamo while we lacked aggressiveness. However, I have nothing to blame my players for. The race for the title is still ahead. We will try to drop as few points as possible although it will be harder for us as the UEFA Cup take its toll."

CF Gloria 1922 Bistrita 2-1 AFC Rapid Bucuresti

Rapid's run of four unbeaten league games came to an end at Gloria on Sunday. Rapid went ahead on 39 minutes when Robert Ilyes scored from the penalty spot, but the hosts hit back in the second half, drawing level through Claudiu Sarmasan on 75 minutes before Razvan Paduretu clinched the points with a last-gasp goal. Coach Razvan Lucescu was sent off on 90 minutes for dissent, and was quickly followed by Gloria's Daniel Muresan and Rapid's Lucian Burdujan who were dismissed for fighting three minutes into stoppage time.

Lucescu said: "We were tired and could not do more. We struggled physically after so many busy weeks in the UEFA Cup and reaching the quarter-finals of the Romanian Cup so the result seemed normal. It's a pity, but that's it." Rapid are seventh on 19 points, ten points behind leaders FC Dinamo Bucuresti.

1. FC Nürnberg 0–1 VfB Stuttgart

Stuttgart recovered from their midweek reverse against Shakhtar with a 1-0 win at Nürnberg on Sunday. Both teams disappointed for most of the game but Christian Tiffert helped his side climb into eighth place in the Bundesliga by scoring the only goal on ten minutes. Timo Hildebrand returned from illness for Stuttgart, who also welcomed back Jon Dahl Tomasson after a three-match domestic ban. Daniel Bierofka is their only injury concern - he will be out until next year after breaking his ankle.

"It was important to get a win here today," coach Giovanni Trapattoni said. "My players lacked confidence but we managed to create a lot of chances. We have played a number of games recently and I think some of the players were a bit tired. I hope the win will give us confidence."

PAOK FC 1-0 Panionios NFC

Dimitrios Salpingidis scored from the penalty spot as PAOK got back to winning ways with a 1-0 victory against lowly Panionios at the Toumba Stadium in Thessalonika on Sunday. Salpingidis struck on 45 minutes, after Marcin Mieciel had been brought down in the area, to decide an otherwise uneventful encounter. PAOK are now fifth in the Alpha Ethniki with 15 points from nine matches, six behind leaders Olympiacos CFP.

Coach Georgios Kostikos was without injured left-sided midfielder Pantelis Konstantinidis, who was replaced by Egyptian teenager Sikabala. "When we play at home, the majority of our opponents play with two zones in defence, but no matter how many defenders they deploy, they won't stop us scoring," Kostikos said. "It's true we weren't that good in the second half, but what matters is we got the three points."

ES Troyes Aube Champagne 2-1 Stade Rennais FC

Rennes lost to Troyes on Sunday as the promoted French side won for the first time since 10 September. Yoann Gourcuff put the visitors ahead on 16 minutes at the Stade de l'Aube when he connected with Olivier Monterrubio's free-kick, but Troyes levelled eleven minutes later through Ziad Jaziri before Carl Tourenne struck the winner with 13 minutes remaining. Rennes, in tenth, are struggling with a lengthy injury list that deprives coach Laszlo Bölöni of midfielder Cyril Jeunechamp (cruciate), Swedish internationals Andreas Isaksson and Kim Källström (both thigh), full-back Jean-Joël Perrier Doumbé (ankle) and midfielder Youssouf Hadji (thigh).

Bölöni rested striker Alexander Frei for the trip to Troyes, bringing in French Under-21 international Jimmy Briand. The coach said: "I'm very disappointed. This game was easy but at this level you can't miss the four or five clear opportunities we had. Those three points will weigh heavy at the end of the season."