Inter Milan's aversion to Europa League football continued with a 3-1 defeat at Sparta Prague, while AS Roma ended a continental hoodoo stretching back seven games with a 4-0 home win over Romanian side FC Astra on Thursday.
A round-up of matches played in the Serie A and French Ligue 1 on Sunday
Chelsea have another chance to show off their new expansive style on Wednesday when AS Roma visit Stamford Bridge in the Champions League.
The world champions face Belgium in a friendly in Florence on Friday ahead of their Euro 2008 Group C matches against the Netherlands, Romania and France.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored a brace as champions Inter Milan thrashed struggling AS Roma 4-0 at the Stadio Olimpico.
Third-placed Inter Milan scored twice in the last six minutes through Stefan De Vrij and Alessandro Bastoni to snatch a 2-1 win at Parma in Serie A on Sunday despite a subdued display. The scarcely-deserved victory left Inter eight points behind leaders Juventus and four adrift of second-placed Lazio with 10 games each to play.
The goal machines of Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Shakhtar Donetsk cranked into top gear on Tuesday as the Champions League captivated its continental audience with a record 40 goals in one eight-game night.
Substitute Lionel Messi scored two late goals, including one in stoppage time, to lead 2006 winners Barcelona to a 2-1 victory at Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Wednesday. Last season's runners-up Chelsea were held to a 0-0 draw at surprise packages CFR Cluj, who were playing in Romania's third division just six years ago.
New strikers Carlos Bacca and Luiz Adriano bagged their maiden Serie A goals to give AC Milan their first points of the season with a 2-1 home win over Empoli on Saturday.
Alessandro Florenzi ran more than half the length of the field to score and cap a 2-0 win for AS Roma over Genoa which took them back into second place in Serie A on Sunday.
Manchester United completed a 3-0 aggregate win over AS Roma while Barcelona beat German side Schalke 04 by a single goal at home to secure a 2-0 aggregate victory in the quarter-final of the Champions League.
Inter Milan signed Ricardo Quaresma from Porto on a five-year deal on Monday after the Portugal winger passed a medical, the Serie A champions said on their website (www.inter.it).
Francesco Valiani scored a stunning goal as promoted Bologna beat AC Milan 2-1 at the San Siro on Sunday to spoil Ronaldinho's Serie A debut.
Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool switch their attention away from European glory and back to the English title race at the weekend.
Goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney gave Manchester United a 2-0 win at AS Roma in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final. In the other match of the night, Barcelona struck early through teenager Bojan Krkic for a 1-0 win over Schalke 04.
AS Roma captain Francesco Totti will miss Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg against Manchester United at the Olympic stadium with a thigh injury.
A Christian Panucci goal gave 10-man AS Roma a 2-1 home win over strugglers Empoli on Saturday, cutting Inter Milan's lead in Serie A to four points before the champions take on Juventus.
AS Roma produced a stunning comeback to beat AC Milan 2-1 and move within three points of Serie A leaders Inter Milan.
The result continued a dismal streak for Madrid, who have won only two of their last five games in all competitions
Serie A leaders Inter Milan went nine points clear on Saturday after celebrating their centenary with a regulation 2-0 win over second-from-bottom Reggina.
Raul scored his 200th league goal to move Real Madrid eight points clear in the Primera Liga after a 2-1 comeback win over Espanyol on Saturday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
AS Roma ended a five-match winless run against arch-rivals Lazio with a 2-0 win on Sunday which maintained their 100 percent record after four games in Serie A.
Giorgio Chiellini's last minute header gave Juventus a 3-2 win at Cagliari in Serie A.
AC Milan playmaker Kaka was named the Italian players' association player of the year.
AS Roma moved to within four points of Serie A leaders Inter Milan with a 2-0 home win over Catania on Sunday but third-placed Juventus lost ground.
On a good night for English clubs in the Europa League, Manchester United hammered AZ Alkmaar 4-0, while Wolverhampton Wanderers also thrashed Besiktas 4-0 in Group K, and Arsenal came from two goals down to draw 2-2 away to Standard Liege and finish first in their pool. The upset of the night came in Group J as Crivelli scored a 90th-minute winner against Borussia Moenchengladbach to send Basaksehir through and knock the Germans out, with AS Roma grabbing the runner-up spot thanks to a 2-2 home draw with Wolfsberger as the Europa League group stage concluded on Thursday.
The Italian federation (FIGC) is determined to complete the season and its president Gabriele Gravina has been presenting new ideas on an almost daily basis of how that can be done. Meanwhile, Turkmenistan in Central Asia is set to resume its soccer season with spectators at the weekend, making it only the second country in the world to let fans attend matches as the new coronavirus shuts down almost all of world football.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored twice as Inter Milan retained their Serie A title with a 2-0 win at Parma.
Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney will captain the side for their Champions League game at AS Roma, manager Alex Ferguson said.
Inter Milan again wasted the chance to retain their Serie A title when they were held 2-2 at home by Siena on Sunday with Marco Materazzi having a penalty saved.
Holders AS Roma will meet Inter Milan in the Italian Cup final for the fourth consecutive season after drawing 1-1 at Catania on Thursday to progress 2-1 on aggregate. Serie A leaders Inter and second-placed Roma are assured of a Champions League place next season so Italy's third UEFA Cup spot will now go to the seventh-placed team in the league.
A dominant AC Milan beat Serie A leaders Inter Milan 2-1 on Sunday to blow open the title race with second-placed AS Roma winning 3-0 at Sampdoria.
Inter Milan will retain their title if they defeat AC Milan in next weekend's derby after the Serie A leaders beat Cagliari 2-1 on Sunday.
Leicester City's Kelechi Iheanacho scored two poacher's goals as they beat Manchester United 3-1 in their FA Cup quarter-final on Sunday to set up a last-four clash against Southampton.
AS Roma will be without injured captain Francesco Totti when they take on Manchester United in Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg.
Second-half goals by Mauro Camoranesi and David Trezeguet gave Juventus a 2-1 win at Serie A leaders Inter Milan on Saturday, while second-placed AS Roma beat Empoli 2-1 to move within four points of the champions.
AS Roma captain Francesco Totti has taken some of the heat out of Wednesday's city derby with Lazio by stating he would prefer to win the Champions League this season rather than Serie A.
Marcelo Zalayeta capitalised on an early blunder by Inter Milan keeper Julio Csar as Napoli ended the leaders's unbeaten record in Serie A on Sunday with a 1-0 home win.
AS Roma thrashed Parma 4-0 at home to cut Inter Milan's lead in the Italian Serie A to six points.
