Palace Takeover OK
Crystal Palace 3 West Ham 3
Wright On Time For Gunners Record Bid
Thomas On Gunners
United Fixture Headache
Reds Lose Out On Del Piero
Christian Gross Exclusive Interview
U-21 Snub Boosts Rio Hopes
Premiership Round-Up
Division One Round-Up
Division Two Round-Up
Scottish Round-Up
UEFA Cup Preview - Inter v Lazio
PSG Win Cup
Real Slip Up
World Cup Countdown
TV And Radio
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Wednesday 06 May 1998
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 News 6 
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RONALDO FACES ULTIMATE UEFA TEST
UEFA CUP FINAL PREVIEW LAZIO V INTER MILAN
IF INTER Milan need a good omen for their all-Italian UEFA Cup final against Lazio in Paris tonight, they should look no further than their super-striker Ronaldo. The hopes of Inter winning their third UEFA Cup and equalling the records of both Barcelona and Juventus, clearly rest on the shoulders of their £18million Brazilian striker. But there are few other players any team would want to be spearheading their attack in a final than the current World Footballer of the Year.
Ronaldo, nicknamed ‘The Phenomenon' for the goalscoring exploits that have netted him 30 goals this season - has an equally phenomenal record in cup finals, having never lost once in his admittedly brief professional career. The buck-toothed Brazilian has won the Dutch Cup with PSV Eindhoven, the Spanish Cup and Cup-Winners' Cup with Barcelona (where he scored the winner) and the Brazilian Cup with Cruzeiro. And his incredible talisman's touch extends to Brazil as well, after the national side lifted the Copa America last summer and the Confederations Cup in December with Ronaldo leading the line. And the man can even boast a World Cup winner's medal from 1994, even though he didn't appear for one single minute in the competition.
It was Ronaldo, 21, who naturally made sure Inter reached this final, their fourth of the decade. He rescued the Milanese giants from a losing position in the semi-final as he scored twice on a frozen Spartak Moscow pitch with the only two chances that came his way to clinch the game 2-1, the tie 3-2 and put his side through to the final.
Blocking Ronaldo's way to yet another cup triumph, however, is the formidable figure of Lazio's central defender Alessandro Nesta. The Inter striker may have scored against most of Serie A's defences this season, but has had little joy against the Italian international in their confrontations this season. Having drawn and lost against the Romans in the championship, Ronaldo says: Lazio will have Nesta against us and to my mind he has been the best defender this season. High praise indeed from the world's finest centre forward.
While Inter are one of Italy's great clubs, accustomed to domestic and European success, Lazio form part of a group of perennial, high-spending non-achievers in Serie A. This clash will be their first ever European final, but the club is on a high just one week after winning the Italian Cup. The trophy, only Lazio's third ever domestic honour, is their first since winning the league championship back in 1974.
But Nesta, 22, believes his club are finally on the verge of great things. He says: This is a unique final and a completely new experience for us, if not for Inter. We hope it's the beginning of a great period in the club's history. While Ronaldo is most defenders' idea of a 90-minute nightmare, Nesta relishes the prospect of facing him. He had the striker in his pocket in both league games and said: It would be wonderful to face each other for the next ten years in important games like this; both with Lazio and our respective national teams.
Of course it would be foolish to underestimate Ronaldo. He hasn't scored in his last three games for club and country, but has already issued an ominous warning shot of his own: We are ready to win. This final is important for me so I can forget the last three games. The fans are expecting something special from me. I will do everything I can so as not to disappoint them.
Inter's main injury worry concerns Beppe Bergomi, their captain and vitally important defensive lynch-pin, who has a thigh strain, while Lazio are without 15-goal striker Alen Boksic, who is suffering from a knee injury. Yugoslav midfielder Vladimir Jugovic, a double European Cup winner, will need a pain-killing injection on a broken toe, but expects to play.
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SPANISH ROUND-UP
Real Pushed Out Of Second Spot
The race is on to finish second behind Barcelona in the Spanish League and qualify for next season's Champions League with Real Madrid slipping up badly on Monday night.
Athletic Bilbao leapfrogged Real Madrid into second place at the weekend with an emphatic 3-0 home win over Oviedo. Ziganda, Ursaiz and Lasa got the goals for Bilbao, who have been impressive all season under French coach Luis Fernandez. Real Sociedad and Mallorca also increased the pressure on Real Madrid, with wins over Sporting Gijon and Atletico Madrid respectively.
Mallorca overcame Atletico despite the return from injury of Juninho. The Brazilian midfielder was playing his first game after three months out with a broken leg but was unable to stop Atletico's 2-1 defeat, which left them in eighth place, adrift of the UEFA Cup places. Arrigo Sacchi is now set to be there new manager for next season. Sociedad moved up into fourth with a 2-0 victory at Sporting Gijon thanks to goals from Igor Cvitanovic and Aldeondo.
So Real had to win at home to Zaragoza but went down 2-0. A penalty on the hour from Jamelli, and a goal from Gustavo Lopez ten minutes from time leaves them trailing Bilbao. They can still reach the Champions League by winning this year's final against Juventus, but if they miss out completely it will be viewed as a catastrophe.
Newly-crowned champions Barcelona, though, can take things easy after completing the double when they beat Mallorca on penalties to win the Cup last week. To prove it they went down 3-1 at home to Real Betis on Sunday. Dutch defender Winston Bogarde put Barca ahead in the first half, but second-half strikes from Alfonso and Finidi George (twice) gave Betis a valuable victory.
RESULTS
Deportivo La Coruna 1 Valencia 2
Sporting Gijon 0 Real Sociedad 2
Tenerife 2 Salamanca 0
Mallorca 2 Atletico Madrid 1
Barcelona 1 Real Betis 3
Racing Santander 1 Espanyol 1
Valladolid 0 Merida 0
Atheltic Bilbao 3 Real Oviedo 0
Celta Vigo 3 Compostela 3
Real Madrid 0 Real Zaragoza 2
LEADING POSITIONS
1 Barcelona 74pts
2 Athletic Bilbao 61pts
3 Real Madrid 60pts
4 Real Sociedad 59pts
5 Mallorca 59pts
FRENCH ROUND-UP
PSG Win Cup - And Change Manager
Paris Saint-Germain completed a Cup double when their beat League leaders Lens 2-1 in the French Cup Final at the Stade de France.
PSG, already winners of the League Cup, looked to be a cruising to victory after goals from Rai and Marco Simone. But they had to withstand a late, desperate rally from Lens, who pulled a goal back through Vladimir Smicer and almost equalised in injury time.
Rai had not been expected to be in the PSG starting line-up after only returning to France on Friday following his appearance for Brazil against Argentina in Rio. But his 25th-minute header put the Parisiens on the way to victory after Lens had had the better of the opening encounters.
Eight minutes into the second half Italian striker Marco Simone appeared to put the contest beyond the reach of Lens when he fired home PSG's second.
However, Lens rallied with a goal from Smicer seven minutes from time. There were further chances for Smicer and Marc Vivien Foe, who was watched by Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, but PSG held out.
The defeat was a bitter blow for Lens, who had dreams of a League and Cup double despite never having won a major honour in their 92-year history. A victory at Auxerre next weekend in the final round of League matches will give Lens the title ahead of second-placed Metz.
For PSG's officials, though, it has been a decidedly mixed week. The Brazilian Ricardo, who managed the side, and club president Michel Denisot are stepping down after failing to win the league title for the fourth season in succession. French midfield legend Alain Giresse has been named as the new coach for next season.
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EURO ROUND-UP: Romania and Turkey
Steaua Bucharest have won their sixth successive title in Romania - and 20th in all after a tense final day to the domestic season.
Going into the last game of the campaign, Steaua and local rivals Rapide Bucharest were level on points with an almost identical goal difference.But the Championship was finally decided when Steaua thrashed Gloria Bistrista 4-2 while Rapide could manage only a 2-2 draw with Universitatea Craiova.
Meanwhile in Turkey it was Galatasaray who emerged Championship winners with a game to spare after beating Istanbulspor 4-1 to spark a night of mayhem in the capital amid wild celebrations. The mood was not so upbeat at rivals Fenerbahce. Their 1-1 draw with Sekerspor ended any chances of them overhauling Galatasaray and their disappointment was deepened when the opposition goalkeeper claimed he had been offered 00,000 to throw the game.
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