Oxford 2 - Rushden & Diamonds 1 (Conference, October 4, 2008) A goal in each half from Barry Quinn and Phil Trainer was enough for Oxford to claim the points, although they had a nervous finish after Daryl Clare fired home a sweet free-kick.

***

Leixoes 1 - Benfica 1 (SuperLiga, October 6, 2008) Benfica went to high flying Leixoes and they took a 33rd minute lead when Oscar Cardozo took advantage of a lack of concentration in the defence to fire home inside the near post. But Leixoes equalised in the final minutes, Wesley headed home a corner to earn a point.

Vitoria Guimaraes 0 - Braga 0 (SuperLiga, October 6, 2008)

***

Besiktas 2 - Hacettepe 1 (Super Lig, October 6, 2008) Karadeniz exposed some poor Hacettepe defending to give Besiktas the lead. Bekmezci levelled with a fabulous strike into the bottom corner from the edge of the box after a corner was only partially cleared. But Besiktas hit back after the break, Nobre heading home the winner.

***

Unirea 0 - Poli Iasi 1 (Liga I, October 6, 2008) Poli scored a fabulous goal on the counter-attack on the stroke of halftime, breaking from defence the ball finally fell at the feet of Bratu who fired home a shot into the far top corner.

***

Red Star Belgrade 0 - Partizan Belgrade 2 (Serbian Superliga, October 5, 2008) (Longer highlights here.) Partizan Belgrade went 13 points clear of bitter city rivals Red Star after a fine away win. Lamine Diarra fired the champions ahead in the 56th minute and Antonello Juca sealed the win in the final minute after both sides had a player sent off after exchanging blows.

You don’t always need to be a brilliant goalscorer to hit the back of the net. That point was proved in the last seven days by some shocking mistakes from goalies who should have known better. Firstly there was Jens Lehmann’s cock-up for Stuttgart against Cherno More Varna in the UEFA Cup. And that was followed by Kalmar’s Petter Wasta, who looked like he had oil on his gloves as he let the first of Feyenoord’s two goals embarrassingly slip through his grasp.

Yet, rather than focusing on the negatives, Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s goal (goal 7) made mouths water this weekend. As described by Susy Campanale, “It looked for all the world like a taekwondo move, the martial art Zlatan practised as a young man. The power and control in the way the leg snapped back was not something often seen on a football field.”

In this week’s list watch out for stunning volleys (goals 1 & 5), sublime individual skills (goals 3, 4 & 6), some cracking free-kicks (goals 2, 8, 9, 10 &13) with an overhead-kick (goal 11) and a long distance cracker (goal 12) thrown in for good measure.

As always, sit back and enjoy!

1. Conor Clifford (v Ipswich U17, Sept. 28, 2008) (second goal on the video)

2. Steven Gerrard (v PSV, Oct. 1, 2008)

3. Franco Zuculini (v Rosario Central, Oct. 3, 2008) (first goal on the video)

4. Terror Fanteni (v Maccabi Petah Tikva, Oct. 4, 2008)

5. Christian Trasch (v Werder Bremen, Oct. 4, 2008)

6. Teemu Pukki (v Real Sociedad, Oct. 4, 2008)

7. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (v Bologna, Oct. 4, 2008)

8. Javier Garrido (v Liverpool, Oct. 5, 2008)

9. Geovanni (v Tottenham, Oct. 5, 2008)

10. Matthew Taylor (v West Ham, Oct. 5, 2008)

11. Peter Crouch (v Stoke, Oct. 5, 2008)

12. Mickael Pagis (v Lyon, Oct. 5, 2008)

13. Bruno Alves (v Sporting Lisbon, Oct. 5, 2008)

***

Narrowly missing this week’s cut were the following: Braga, Marcos Senna, Dimitar Berbatov, Maicon Douglas Sisenando, Bafetimbi Gomis, Pedro Morales, Ribas da Cunha, Maxi Rodriguez, Thierry Henry, Grant Leadbitter, Stephen McGinn, and Klaas Jan Huntelaar.

Manchester City 2 - Liverpool 3 (Premier League, October 5, 2008) (MOTD highlights here.) Dirk Kuyt missed a great chance to give Liverpool the lead after fine work by Riera on the left hand side, and Manchester City soon punished the Reds as Steven Ireland volleyed home a loose ball after slack defending by Arbeloa. Alonso tried his luck from distance, but it was City who scored next, a fabulous curling free-kick from Garrido nestled in the top corner to make it 2-0. After the break Liverpool quickly halved the deficit, Arbeloa crossed in to Torres who scored his third goal in two games. With City looking to reassert themselves Robinho belied his reputation by missing a glorious chance from 3 yards out (offside?). Matters then worsened for City when Pablo Zabaleta was shown a straight red for a horror challenge (studs up) on Xabi Alonso. And Liverpool made their numerical advantage count when Gerrard’s corner was powered home by Torres, who seemed to have the freedom of the box. Torres then managed to miss a sitter from under the bar, but as the game entered six minutes of injury time Liverpool pulled off the comeback of the season, Benayoun cut-back for Torres, his shot was blocked and Dirk Kuyt popped up to net the winner. (All three Liverpool goals can be seen here.)

Chelsea 2 - Aston Villa 0 (Premier League, October 5, 2008) (MOTD highlights here.) A depleted Chelsea side, so short on numbers that Ivanovic got a debut, moved ahead of Aston Villa when Joe Cole smashed home at the near post after a smart pass from Frank Lampard. The Blues doubled their lead minutes before the break, a fine move down the left hand side eventually saw Ballack’s shot brilliantly saved by Friedel, but Nicolas Anelka was there to score the rebound. (First half highlights here.)

Tottenham 0 - Hull 1 (Premier League, October 5, 2008) A stunning first half free-kick from Geovanni piled further pressure on Juande Ramos as Tottenham have now endured their worst opening to a league season since 1912.

West Ham 1 - Bolton 3 (Premier League, October 5, 2008) (Longer highlights here.) After dominating the early stages, West Ham shot themselves in the foot when Robert Green horrifically dropped the ball on the edge of the box and Kevin Davies knocked the ball home. Three minutes later Green was again at fault, spilling Steinsson’s shot and Gary Cahill was on hand to stab home the second. (Both goals here.) Carlton Cole repaid Zola’s faith in him after his recent run in with the law by scoring a brave header to give the Hammers hope. But Matty Taylor soon silenced the home fans again, smashing a 30-yard howitzer of a free-kick past Green for the third.

Portsmouth 2 - Stoke 1 (Premier League, October 5, 2008) (Longer highlights here.) A stunning Crouch overhead-kick and a fine Defoe individual goal, with Ricardo Fuller’s header sandwiched in between, gave Pompey the three points.

Everton 2 - Newcastle 2 (Premier League, October 5, 2008) (Longer highlights here.) Everton cruised into a two goal lead at Goodison Park thanks to Mikel Arteta’s penalty and Marouane Fellaini’s first for the club. But Steven Taylor pulled one back a minute from the break with a far-post header and then made the equaliser for Damien Duff a minute into the second period.

***

Charlton 2 - Ipswich 1 (Championship, October 4, 2008) (Longer highlights here.) Nicky Bailey fired the home side in front with a superb free-kick, before Martin Cranie’s own-goal restored parity. The result was settled with Moritz Volz’s second half own goal, helping to ease the pressure on Alan Pardew.

York 0 - Cambridge 0 (Conference, October 4, 2008)

***

St. Mirren 1 - Rangers 0 (SPL, October 5, 2008) Stephen McGinn curled home a fantastic 35-yarder to give St. Mirren their first victory over Rangers for 17 years.

***

Valladolid  0 - Valencia 1 (La Liga, October 5, 2008) A second-half goal from Manuel Fernandes gave Valencia a  victory and saw them regain top spot in Spain.

Real Madrid 2 - Espanyol 2 (La Liga, October 5, 2008) (Longer highlights here.) Raul twice pulled Real back level in the first half (first and second) after Raul Tamudo, from the penalty spot and Luis Garcia had put the visitors in front.

Sevilla 4 - Athletic Bilbao 0 (La Liga, October 5, 2008) (Longer highlights here.) Sevilla strolled to victory with Kanoute and Renato scoring in the first half and Correira and Chevanton scoring after the break.

Deportivo La Coruna 1 - Numancia 0 (La Liga, October 5, 2008) Angel Lafita Castillo’s 13th minute strike proved unlucky for Numancia as they hover nervously one place above the relegation places.

Osasuna 0 - Racing Santander 1 (La Liga, October 5, 2008) Jaroslav Plasil saw red for Osasuna for a hand ball in the box on 39 minutes, but Ezequiel Garay failed to convert the following penalty. But Racing eventually won when Juan Valera scored in added time to seal all three points.

Getafe 2 - Almeria 2 (La Liga, October 5, 2008) Uche had given Getafe a 69th-minute lead, before Casquero added a second for the hosts. Almeria’s Negredo headed home his fifth goal of the season in the 87th to cut Getafe’s lead before defenderFlores equalised with an injury-time header.

Recreativo Huelva 0 - Malaga 4 (La Liga, October 5, 2008) Goals from Nabil Baha, Duda and an Eliseu brace  gave Malaga a fine away win.

Mallorca 0 - Sporting Gijon 2 (La Liga, October 5, 2008) Goals from Carmelo and Roberto Canella proved the difference as Gijon picked up their first points of the season.

***

Cagliari 0 - AC Milan 0 (Serie A, October 5, 2008) Cagliari picked up their first point of the season after holding Milan in a dour match.

Juventus 1 - Palermo 2 (Serie A, October 5, 2008) Fabrizio Miccoli continued his fine form for Palermo by giving them the lead, tapping home the opener after Buffon had made a fine reflex save. But Del Piero brought the Bianconeri level with a free-kick which rocketed past the flapping keeper. Juve’s mood was soured minutes later with Sissoko’s dismissal. Palermo then shocked Juve in the second half, Mchedlidze was sent clear to bag the second and consign the Old Lady to a surprise defeat.

Genoa 3 - Napoli 2 (Serie A, October 5, 2008) Napoli took an early lead through Lavezzi, but Genoa levelled on the stroke of halftime when Papastathopoulos fired a low drive by the far post. Palladino put the hosts ahead, and after Rossi was dismissed, Milito added a third. Denis pulled a goal back late on before Papastathopoulos was sent off with one minute left.

Chievo 0 - Fiorentina 2 (Serie A, October 5, 2008) Goals in each half from Zdravko Kuzmanovic (32) and Alberto Gilardino (74) were enough for Cesare Prandelli’s men. Chievo had been reduced to ten-men in the first-half when Francesco Scardina was dismissed.

Siena 1 - Roma 0 (Serie A, October 5, 2008) Mario Frick scored the winner in first half stoppage time as he reached Maccarone’s cross just ahead Philippe Mexes. The defeat leaves Spalletti’s team in the bottom half of the table, with just seven points from six games.

Reggina 1 - Catania 1 (Serie A, October 5, 2008) Michele Paolucci put Catania ahead on 69 minutes but his day was ruined moments later when he was dismissed.Reggina took advantage of the extra man and levelled with ten minutes left through Andrea Costa.

Udinese 2 - Torino 0 (Serie A, October 5, 2008)

Atalanta 4 - Sampdoria 2 (Serie A, October 5, 2008) Cassano fired Samp ahead just seven minutes in but Atalanta had the lead at the interval thanks to Floccari (35) and Garics (39). Cassano then levelled matters up with a penalty (54) before Floccari second restored on 77 minutes restored Atalanta’s lead. Samp then had Accardi and Dessena dismissed before Atalanta wrapped up the win with Cristian Doni firing home.

***

Schalke 2 - Wolfsburg 2 (Bundesliga, October 5, 2008) Kevin Kuranyi connected with a knock-down to volley Schalke ahead. The visitors struck back after the break, a throw-in from the right was volleyed into the box where Dzeko headed home the equaliser. And Wolfsburg looked to have completed the turnaround when slick one-touch passing freed Silva who buried his shot in the near post. But a last-gasp leveller from Kuranyi earned Schalke a point.

Borussia Dortmund 1 - Hannover 1 (Bundesliga, October 5, 2008) Nelson Valdez opened the scoring for Dortmund in the 10th minute before Mikael Forssell grabbed in equaliser midway through the first half.

Energie Cottbus 1 - Hamburg 2 (Bundesliga, October 5, 2008) (Longer highlights here.) Ivica Olic’s 53rd minute opener was cancelled out by Branko Jelic in the 73rd minute, before Petric continued his purple patch in front of goal with a last minute winner, his fifth goal in the past three games. Hamburg return to the top of the Bundesliga.

***

Rennes 3 - Lyon 0 (Ligue 1, October 5, 2008) 35-year-old Mickael Pagis bagged a hat-trick to hand Lyon their first defeat of the season. He opened the scoring in the 17th with a low shot from close range, and then tapped in his second in the 56th on a pass from Olivier Thomert. The third though was spectacular, Pagis chested down a long pass and then struck a powerful half-volley past Lloris.

St. Etienne 2 - Monaco 0 (Ligue 1, October 5, 2008)

Nancy 1 - PSG 1 (Ligue 1, October 5, 2008) The Parisians got off to the best possible start as Guillaume Hoarau headed them into an early lead. But the hosts dominated for the rest of the first half deservedly equalised shortly after the half hour mark through Damian Macaluso.

***

Heerenveen 5 - Ajax 2 (Eredivisie, October 5, 2008) Heerenveen took the game to Ajax from the off, and Silva put them ahead after four minutes. And the Amsterdamers fell further behind after 8 minutes, Beerens ran unchallenged through on goal, hitting the bottom corner with a low left foot shot. Sibon netted the third with a sweet back post volley, before Pranjic added a fourth from the spot. Ajax then rallied through Huntelaar (perfect free-kick) and Suarez, but Pranjic added a fifth in the dying minutes to seal the emphatic Heerenveen win.

Feyenoord 0 - NEC 2 (Eredivisie, October 5, 2008) After a goalless first half (highlights here) NEC shocked Feyenoord by taking a 48th minute lead when Janssen took advantage of an unfortunate slip by his marking defender to slot home. And the shock levels were increased 8 minutes later when Ntibazonkiza scored a fine solo goal to double the advantage.

FC Groningen 3 - Ado Den Haag 0 (Eredivisie, October 5, 2008) Andersson’s back post header and Levchenko’s header from a free-kick gave Groningen a two goal lead at the break, before marksman Marcus Berg added the third with a cute near post volley from a right-wing cross. Berg has now scored five goals in fives games as Groningen have set the early pace at the top of the Dutch division.

Heracles 2 - Roda 0 (Eredivisie, October 4, 2008) Heracles grabbed the lead on the hour mark, Willy Overtoom had all the space to go one on one with Roda keeper and score. Vojtech Schulmeister decided the match in the 90th minute.

***

Sporting Lisbon 1 - FC Porto 2 (Superliga, October 5, 2008) Lopez fired the visitors to an 18th-minute lead with a close-range effort before Portugal midfielder Joao Moutinho equalised in the 28th from the penalty spot. Alves silenced the Jose Alvalade Stadium crowd three minutes later with the winner.

Academica Coimbra  1 - Nacional 1 (Superliga, October 5, 2008)

Rio Ave 3 - Pacos Ferreira 2 (Superliga, October 5, 2008) Gaspar gave the hosts a 33rd-minute lead but Pacos Ferreira would go ahead through Cristiano Moraes and a William Arthur penalty before substitute Mateus Fonseca equalised in the 73rd. Philip Chidi secured Rio Ave’s first victory of the season after his 77th-minute goal proved the winner.

Amadora 1 - Trofense 0 (Superliga, October 5, 2008) Amadora beat last-place Trofense thanks to Deme N’Diaye’s 62nd-minute goal.

***

Grasshoppers 1 - Basel 1 (Swiss Super League, October 5, 2008)

***

Panathinaikos 2 - Levadiakos 0 (Greek Super League, October 5, 2008) Pana won with first half strikes from Rukavina and Salpingidis.

Olympiakos 2 - AEK Athens 2 (Greek Super League, October 5, 2008) Darko Kovacevic and Diogo scored as Olympiakos reclaimed the top spot in the Greece.

***

Bursaspor 2 - Galatasaray 1 (Super Lig, October 5, 2008) Sarp collected a brilliant reverse pass to break through the middle and put the hosts ahead with a fine finish. Minutes after the restart slack passing out of the Gala defence left the backline three on three, and Yildirim eventually turned home the second. Milan Baros teed up Arda Turan for a Gala consolation goal.

Fenerbahce 1 - Kayserispor 4 (Super Lig, October 5, 2008) Aghahowa grabbed his first in the 21st minute and doubled his and his side’s tally four minutes from half-time. Roberto Carlos grabbed one back for the hosts just before the hour mark, but Turgay Bahadir restored Kayserispor’s two-goal advantage in the 63rd minute before Aghahowa completed his hat-trick 11 minutes later.

***

Zenit St. Petersburg 8 - Luch Energiya 1 (Russian Premier Liga, October 5, 2008) Danny (a brace), Arshavin and Shirokov put Zenit four up at the break, Tekke hit a second half hat-trick and Dominguez chipped in with the other.

***

Chornomorets 0 - Shakhtar Donetsk 3 (Vyscha Liga, October 5, 2008) Gladky put Shakhtar in control before Adriano bagged a brace in injury time at the end of the game to gloss over the scoreline.

***

Newcastle Jets 2 - Wellington Phoenix 2 (A-League, October 6, 2008) Shane Smeltz put the Phoenix ahead in the 51st minute from the penalty spot. But the defending champions leveled the scores courtesy of a stunning curling effort from Tarek Elrich before substitute Kaz Patafta put the Jets ahead eight minutes later. Smeltz had the final say however, slotting home his second penalty to earn a draw.

***

Kansas City Wizards 1 - Chicago Fire 1 (MLS, October 5, 2008) Blanco put the Fire ahead from the penalty spot, but Harrington scored a sweet right-foot curling effort in the 47th minute to earn a draw.

***

Huracan 1 - Independiente 0 (Argentinean Apertura, October 5, 2008) Leandro Diaz’s bicycle kick downed Independiente and caused Claudio Borghi to quit the club.

Boca Juniors 1 - Estudiantes 2 (Argentinean Apertura, October 5, 2008) Boca went ahead with a looping header from Lucas Viatri in the 33rd minute. Diego Galvan equalised in the 62nd minute before Leandro Benitez took advantage of a badly-placed defensive wall to score from a free kick.

Gimnasia Jujuy 2 - Godoy Cruz 1 (Argentinean Apertura, October 5, 2008)

Blackburn 0 - Manchester United 2 (Premier League, October 4, 2008) (MOTD highlights here.) United started brightly, Fletcher dragging a shot wide after 20 minutes. Jason Brown (who is a dead-ringer for a young John Barnes) made a fantastic save to tip over Giggs’ shot, but from the immediate corner Brown looked like he was impeded by Vidic and Wes Brown turned home a back post header to give United the lead. (First half highlights here.) After the break United scored a goal straight out of the top draw, Brown fed Ronaldo down the right, the Portuguese skinned Olsson, and his cutback was perfectly slotted home by Wayne Rooney (who had checked his run). United then chased a third playing Rovers off the park, but a combination of good goalkeeping from Brown and bad luck (Tevez hit the post late on) kept the score at just 2-0.

Sunderland 1 - Arsenal 1 (Premier League, October 4, 2008) (Longer highlights here and MOTD highlights here.) The first real chance of the game at the Stadium of Light fell to Djibril Cisse following a poor back pass from Walcott, but Almunia saved well. Before the break, Theo Walcott saw a fine effort saved by Gordon. Arsenal started the second half brightly, ten minutes after the break, van Persie thought he had scored, but the linesman ruled that the ball had crossed the line before Walcott crossed the ball - a decision likely to increase calls for video evidence. Late on, moments after coming on as a sub, Grant Leadbitter put Sunderland ahead with a cracking 25-yard effort which crashed in off the bar and looked to have given Sunderland the win. But, deep into injury-time Cesc Fabregas popped up with an equaliser from a van Persie corner.

West Brom 1 - Fulham 0 (Premier League, October 4, 2008) (MOTD highlights here.) After a goalless first half (highlights here) Roman Bednar prodded home his third goal of the campaign on the hour-mark to condemn Fulham to their third successive away defeat in the league.

Wigan 0 - Middlesbrough 1 (Premier League, October 4, 2008) (MOTD highlights here.) Jeremie Aliadiere pounced in the 89th minute to steal the points for Boro after Wigan had largely dominated with Amr Zaki seeing a powerful effort tipped around the post by Ross Turnbull, who also saved well from Wilson Palacios, Jason Koumas and Emile Heskey.

***

Celtic 4 - Hamilton 0 (SPL, October 4, 2008) Celtic replaced Rangers at the top of the SPL, thrashing newly-promoted Hamilton. Shunsuke Nakamura put the Hoops ahead before substitute Georgios Samaras doubled their lead. Scott McDonald made it 3-0 in the second-half before Aiden McGeady sealed the emphatic win with Artur Boruc saving a penalty in between.

***

Inter Milan 2 - Bologna 1 (Serie A, October 4, 2008) Inter Milan took the lead thanks to a wonder strike from Zlatan, Adriano broke down the left hand side, crossed into Ibrahimovic at the near post and the Swede acrobatically squeezed the ball into the near post. Inter appeared to put the game to bed early in the second half when Adriano swept home a penalty to double the lead, but a shocking defensive error from veteran Zanetti gifted Moras with the opportunity to pull a goal back, which he gladly accepted.

Lazio 1 - Lecce 1 (Serie A, October 4, 2008) (Longer highlights here.) Pace-setters Lazio fell behind to lowly Lecce when Tiribocchi got between two defenders to head home for the visitors after 26 minutes. But Lazio salvaged a point thanks to an 89th minute goal from Simone Inzaghi.

Cittadella 0 - Vicenza 1 (Serie B, October 4, 2008)

Ancona 5 - Rimini 0 (Serie B, October 4, 2008)

Sassuolo 2 - Treviso 0 (Serie B, October 4, 2008)

Pisa 3 - Triestina 1 (Serie B, October 4, 2008)

Avellino  0 - Ascoli 2 (Serie B, October 4, 2008)

Grosseto 2 - Albinoleffe 2 (Serie B, October 4, 2008)

Parma 0 - Modena 0 (Serie B, October 4, 2008)

Brescia 2 - Frosinone 1 (Serie B, October 4, 2008)

Piacenza 0 - Salernitana 1 (Serie B, October 4, 2008)

***

Barcelona 6 - Atletico Madrid 1 (La Liga, October 4, 2008) (Longer highlights here.) Barca came flying out the traps against Atletico, scoring an incredible three goals in the first eight minutes. Marquez headed home Xavi’s corner after four minutes, Eto’o added a second from the spot after Messi was fouled in the box, and Messi took a brilliant quick free-kick to complete the astonishing opening with the third. But Atletico hit back immediately, Maxi Rodriguez flashed a stunning 20 yard shot past Valdes to make it 3-1 after just 13 minutes. And it didn’t stop there, Eto’o ran clean through after 17 minutes and slotted home the fourth for Barca. And the madness continued, Iniesta’s shot hit the post and Gudjohnsen was on hand to register the fifth. The second half was a far tighter affair, but Henry came off the bench to fire home a beautiful sixth after slick build-up play.

Villarreal 2 - Real Betis 1 (La Liga, October 4, 2008) (Longer highlights here.) Villarreal fell behind at home to Real Betis when Damia connected with a left wing cross to steer the ball past Diego Lopez. Villarreal equalised just before in the 69th minute, Gonzalo looped a header into the far post from a free-kick. And just 60 seconds later Llorente turned the game on it’s head, sweeping home the second after Betis failed to clear a series of crosses.

Eibar 1 - Albacete 1 (Segunda Division, October 4, 2008)

Tenerife 3 - Alicante 1 (Segunda Division, October 4, 2008)

Sevilla Atletico 1 - Real Sociedad 0 (Segunda Division, October 4, 2008) Teemu Pukki scored a superb individual goal, finishing with a cracking 25-yarder into the top corner, to down Sociedad.

***

Stuttgart 4 - Werder Bremen 1 (Bundesliga, October 4, 2008) Werder Bremen’s excellent recent form counted for nothing in the first-half at Stuttgart as goals from Sami Khedira and Christian Trasch (stunning long-range volley) put the home side two-up at the break. Roberto Hilbert grabbed the third midway through the second-half after a fine throw from Lehmann had started the move. Minutes later Ribas da Cunha pulled one back from a sweetly stuck free-kick. Lanig added the fourth late on.

Hoffenheim 2 - Eintracht Frankfurt 1 (Bundesliga, October 4, 2008) Hoffenheim dream start to the Bundesliga continues with Ralf Rangnick’s side now sitting on top of the league after seven games. Demba Ba fired home the opener from close range, Frankfurt levelled when Spycher crossed and an unmarked Steinhofer headed in from inside the box, and five minutes Ba grabbed his second and the winner.

Bayern Munich 3 - Bochum 3 (Bundesliga, October 4, 2008) Bayern took the lead through Van Buyten after 15 minutes before Sinan Kaloglu equalised at the near post after a swift break down the left. Ze Roberto restored Bayern’s lead when he took a loose ball on his chest before shooting across goal and into the net just before halftime. The Brazilian got his second with another calm finish midway through the second half but Bayern then conspired to throw the game away. Bochum pulled a goal back when Christoph Dabrowski strolled through the middle to tap in a cross from the right and repeated the mistake when Dennis Grote was left alone to head in the equaliser at the far post.

Moenchengladbach 1 - Cologne 2 (Bundesliga, October 4, 2008) Cologne won the Rhein Derby, Ehret and Novakovic scored for the visitors after Daems had equalised for the hosts.

Bayer Leverkusen 0 - Hertha Berlin 1 (Bundesliga, October 4, 2008) Andriy Voronin struck in the 89th minute to hand Hertha a last-gasp victory and deny Bayer top spot in the Bundesliga.

***

Toulouse 1 - Auxerre 0 (Ligue 1, October 4, 2008) Andre-Pierre Gignac maintained second-placed Toulouse’s superb start to the season scoring a solo goal in the 55th minute to recorded their fourth straight win.

Marseille 2 - Caen 1 (Ligue 1, October 4, 2008) Hatem Ben Arfa opened the scoring for the home side, but Caen pulled level via Steve Savidan’s effort. Mamadou Niang was, however, on hand to restore Marseille’s advantage before they had to see out the final 20 minutes of the match with 10 men after Zarim Ziani was dismissed.

Lorient 1 - Bordeaux 2 (Ligue 1, October 4, 2008) Bordeaux came from behind to win as Menegazzo struck a quick-fire brace after Michael Ciani had given the home side the lead.

Grenoble 0 - Nantes 1 (Ligue 1, October 4, 2008) Grenoble slumped to a disappointing home defeat when Bekamenga collected a cross at the back post and fired low and hard into the far corner.

Nice 1 - Sochaux 1 (Ligue 1, October 4, 2008) Olivier Echouafni opened the scoring for the home side before sub-Birsa struck to ensure a share of the spoils.

Le Havre 1 - Le Mans 2 (Ligue 1, October 4, 2008)

Lille 1 - Valenciennes 0 (Ligue 1, October 4, 2008) Abardonado unfortunately looped a header over his own goalkeeper to wrap up the points for Lille.

***

PSV 3 - De Graafschap 0 (Eredivisie, October 4, 2008) Danko Lazovic scored with a diving header in the 15th minute and then added another just after halftime. Ibrahim Afellay scored PSV’s third goal with a powerful shot in the 79th after a through ball from Danny Koevermans. PSV are top in Holland.

***

Associacao Naval 1 - Belenenses 1 (Superliga, October 4, 2008) Baradji gave Naval the lead in the 72nd minute, but Porta found a 90th minute equaliser, firing home after the keeper had made a fine save.

***

Aris 1 - Iraklis 0 (Greek Super League, October 4, 2008) Aris won the game in the 94th minute as Lebo stabbed home the winner after the keeper spilled a cross.

***

Tomsk 0 - Lokomotiv Moscow 1 (Russian Premier Liga, October 4, 2008) Sychev’s overhead volley was the difference between the two sides.

Dynamo Moscow 2 - Saturn 1 (Russian Premier Liga, October 4, 2008) Karyaka put Saturn ahead from the penalty spot, but a late second half rally for Dynamo reversed the score. Kokorin equalised before Kerzhakov’s wonderful, low arrowed shot completed the turnaround.

***

Konyaspor 2 - Trabzonspor 3 (Super Lig, October 4, 2008)

Antalyaspor 1 - Gaziantepspor 4 (Super Lig, October 4, 2008)

Ankaraspor 2 - Sivasspor 0 (Super Lig, October 4, 2008)

***

Maccabi Haifa 3 - Maccabi Petah Tikva 1 (Ligat ha’Al, October 4, 2008) Haifa took a deserved lead after 26 minutes when a Boccoli free-kick was headed into his own net by Ganon under pressure from Harazi.  Petah Tikva struck back four minutes into the second half, Lior Asulin latched onto sub-Stevanovic’s through-ball and finished with aplomb. But Haifa then killed the game with two second-half goals by Fanteni to go top of the table.

***

Racing Genk 2 - KV Mechelen 1 (Jupiler League, October 4, 2008) Tozser scored a beauty for Genk to get them off to a flying start after two minutes. Caillet made it two after 12 minutes, and although Ivenspulled a goal back Mechelen failed to find an equaliser.

Anderlecht 2 - Mouscron 1 (Jupiler League, October 3, 2008) The Brussels outfit went ahead through Boussoufa after 29 minutes and Chatelle converted a penalty kick to make it 2-0 seven minutes after the break. Baseggio got one back for Excelsior in the 70th minute, but Anderlecht professionally held on to their narrow lead.

***

Steaua Bucharest 1 - CS Otopeni 1 (Liga I, October 4, 2008) Otopeni looked to have stolen the points when Negru struck in the 87th minute after a fine one-two sent him clear, but Steaua got an injury time winner through Kapetanos.

***

Arsenal reserves 1 - Aston Villa reserves 4 (Barclays Premier Reserve League, September 30, 2008) Marc Albrighton and Zoltan Stieber (the second was a beauty) got two goals apiece as Kevin MacDonald’s youthful side swept to a comprehensive victory against a side supposedly bristling with teenage talent. Randall’s 20-yard strike was only a consolation for the Gunners.

***

Columbus Crew 1 - Los Angeles Galaxy 0 (MLS, October 4, 2008) Alejandro Moreno scored in the 43rd minute against his old club to hammer a nail into the Galaxy’s playoff hopes.

Colorado Rapids 1 - Houston Dynamo 3 (MLS, October 4, 2008) The Dynamo scored three goals in the first 19 minutes as Ching got them started netting a goal two minutes in. Conor Casey tied the game for Colorado, before Ching scored again in the 9th minute to make it 2-1. Ricardo Clark added a goal in the 19th minute to cap the scoring as the Dynamo clinched a playoff spot.

New England Revolution 2 - Real Salt Lake 2 (MLS, October 4, 2008)

New York Red Bulls 1 - Toronto FC 3 (MLS, October 4, 2008) Chad Barrett scored two goals to lift Toronto FC over the Red Bulls. Abdus Ibrahim also scored for Toronto , while Dane Richards had the lone goal for New York, who fell to their fourth loss in five matches.

DC United 0 - Chivas USA 3 (MLS, October 4, 2008)

***

Melbourne Victory 4 - Perth Glory 0 (A-League, October 4, 2008) The Glory fell to yet another defeat, it’s now just one win in seven, as the Victory continued their charge for the title. Two goals to Danny Allsopp and one each to Grant Brebner and Rodrigo Vargas completed the rout for Melbourne against some appalling Perth defending.

Sydney FC 1 - Queensland Roar 1 (A-League, October 4, 2008)

***

Lanus 4 - Argentinos Juniors 2 (Argentinean Apertura, October 4, 2008)

Newell’s Old Boys 2 - Tigre 0 (Argentinean Apertura, October 4, 2008)

Velez Sarsfield 0 - San Lorenzo 1 (Argentinean Apertura, October 4, 2008)

***

Ipatinga FC 1 - Sao Paulo 3 (Campeonato Brasileiro, October 4, 2008)

Gremio 2 - Botafogo 1 (Campeonato Brasileiro, October 4, 2008)

Palmeiras 3 - Atletico Mineiro 1 (Campeonato Brasileiro, October 4, 2008)

Nautico 0 - Flamengo 2 (Campeonato Brasileiro, October 4, 2008)

Arminia Bielefeld 1 - Karlsruhe 2 (Bundesliga, October 3, 2008) (Longer highlights here.) Karlsruhe pulled ahead in the 16th minute when Porcello scored, and Freis doubled the advantage in the 52nd. Nico Herzig’s header pulled one back for Bielefeld in the 86th, but it was not enough to stop Karlsruhe from winning its second straight match.

Oberhausen 2 - Augsburg 1 (Bundesliga II, October 3, 2008)

FSV Frankfurt 0 - 1860 Munich 3 (Bundesliga II, October 3, 2008)

Freiburg 2 - Duisburg 0 (Bundesliga II, October 3, 2008)

***

AZ Alkmaar 6 - Sparta Rotterdam 0 (Eredivisie, October 3, 2008) Mounir El Hamdaoui got AZ off to the perfect start, before three goals in seven minutes effectively killed the match. Moussa Dembele bagged a brace and Gill Swerts netted the other. There was still time for El Hamdaoui and Dembele to add the fifth and sixth goals before the end in a game Sparta will want to instantly forget.

***

Bari 1 - Mantova 0 (Serie B, October 3, 2008) The match was decided on 77 minutes when substitute Rivas was at full stretch to turn in Masiello’s assist, but the midfielder was clearly in an offside position, as Bari maintain their hold at the top of the table.

***

Galway 3 - Cork City 2 (Eircom Premier, October 3, 2008) Jay O’Shea got Galway off to a good start on seven minutes when he linked up with Jonathan Keane. Cork levelled on 20 minutes through Timmy Kiely but Galway hit back via Ciaran Foley on 46 minutes. And when Devine fouled Jesper Jorgensen inside the area on 64 minutes, O’Shea sealed it from the spot. Cork gained some late hope through an 86th-minute Lawrie Dudfield strike, but it was too little too late.

***

Jagiellonia 2 - Slask 2 (Ekstraklasa, October 3, 2008) Jagiellonia took a sixth minute lead through Zawistowski only to be forced back onto level footing when Mila slotted home a penalty three minutes later. Pesir restored the home advantage just before the end of the first half (highlights here) but three minutes from time Szewczuk popped up to earn a share of the spoils.

***

Gaz Metan Medias 2 - Gloria Buzau 0 (Liga I, October 3, 2008) First half goals from Prodan and Curtean (fine left foot shot) sealed the win.

Arges 1 - Universitatea Craiova 1 (Liga I, October 3, 2008) Tames put the hosts ahead with a penalty, but Costea equalised after 66 minutes. The game turned nasty in the final minutes as Craiova lost Bornescu and Baird, while Arges lost Balasa, for straight red cards.

***

Adelaide United 3 - Central Coast Mariners 3 (A-League, October 3, 2008) (Longer highlights here.) First half goals captain Travis Dodd and defender Robert Cornthwaite and a 50th minute strike from Brazilian Cristiano had Adelaide cruising towards victory. But Mile Jedinak hit a double, including a penalty, and Matt Simon struck an 84th minute equaliser to stun the Adelaide crowd.

***

Atlante 0 - Joe Public 1 (CONCACAF Champions League, October 2, 2008)

Tauro 2 - Santos Laguna 0 (CONCACAF Champions League, October 2, 2008)

***

Arsenal Sarandi 0 - Estudiantes 0 (Agg. 1-2) (Copa Sudamericana, October 2, 2008)

***

Millonarios 4 - Deportivo Pasto 0 (Campeonato Ecuatoriano, October 3, 2008)

***

San Martin 0 - Banfield 1 (Argentinean Apertura, October 3, 2008) A rash challenge from the home keeper gave away a penalty which Lucchetti converted with ease.

Racing Club 4 - Rosario Central 1 (Argentinean Apertura, October 3, 2008) Racing took the lead through a sublime goal from Zucculini, who held off attention from three defenders to jink his way into the box and score. Moralez added a second from the spot, and Luguercio made it three turning home a left wing cross. Gonzalez pulled a goal back for Rosario, but Moralez netted his second of the game to confirm the victory.

Wisla Krakow 1 - Tottenham 1 (Agg. 2-3) (UEFA Cup, October 2, 2008) Tottenham put their recent troubles to one side to take a crucial 58th minute lead away at Wisla Krakow, Gareth Bale fizzed in a left wing cross and, under pressure from Fraizer Campbell, Arkadiusz Glowacki steered a header into his own net. But shambolic defending from Tottenham failed to deal with a simple ball over the top, allowing Pawel Brozek to nip between King and Woodgate and lob the ball over the onrushing Gomes. Spurs saw out a nervous ending to progress into the group stages.

Vitoria Guimaraes 2 - Portsmouth 2 (Agg. 2-4) (UEFA Cup, October 2, 2008) The home side moved level in the tie thanks to first-half goals from Douglas and Joao Alves. But two extra-time goals from Peter Crouch sent Pompey through.

Standard Liege 2 - Everton 1 (Agg. 4-3) (UEFA Cup, October 2, 2008) Standard Liege knocked out Everton thanks to two excellent performances. On the night, the Belgian side took the lead Axel Witsel befoe Phil Jagielka knocked home a scrappy equaliser. Milan Jovanovic scored the winner from a pen after a debatable call on Leighton Baines.

Manchester City 2 - Omonia Nicosia 1 (Agg. 4-2) (UEFA Cup, October 2, 2008) A brilliant long distance shot from Elano and a second goal from Shaun Wright-Phillips eased City into the group stages. Alabi pulled a goal back with a header from a corner.

Aston Villa 1 - Litex Lovech 1 (Agg. 4-2) (UEFA Cup, October 2, 2008) Marlon Harewood fired the hosts into a first-half lead before Lovech managed a brief cheer with a dubious penalty converted by Willfred Niflor.

Zurich 0 - AC Milan 1 (Agg. 1-4) (UEFA Cup, October 2, 2008) Andriy Shevchenko grabbed the only goal in the 70th minute, finishing following a terrific through ball from Ronaldinho.

Udinese* 0 - Borussia Dortmund 2 (Pens. 4-3)  (Agg. 2-2) (UEFA Cup, October 2, 2008) Tamas Hajnal got both goals for the visitors, the second of which came in the 90th minute. Aleksandar Lukovic converted the decisive spot kick after Udinese goalkeeper Samir Handanovic blocked shots from Tamas Hajnal and Jakub Blaszczykowski in the shootout.

Valencia 2 - Maritimo 1 (Agg. 3-1) (UEFA Cup, October 2, 2008) Marcinho cancelled out Valencia’s away-goal from the first-leg to level the tie, but Asier del Horno put Los Che back in command 12 minutes from time before David Villa wrapped up the result with a stoppage-time penalty.

Motherwell 0 - Nancy 2 (Agg. 0-3) (UEFA Cup, October 2, 2008) Marc-Antoine Fortune’s close-range effort and Benjamin Gavanon’s free-kick killed the tie.

Schalke 1 - APOEL Nicosia 1 (Agg. 5-2) (UEFA Cup, October 2, 2008) Helio Pinto put the visitors in front with a fine left-footed effort into the corner, Christian Pander equalised in the second half.

Ajax 2 - Borac Cacak 0 (Agg. 6-1) (UEFA Cup, October 2, 2008) Substitute Jeffrey Sarpong (71) and Luis Suarez (90) netted the goals.

Kaunas 1 - Sampdoria 2 (Agg. 1-7) (UEFA Cup, October 2, 2008) Samp were stunned after 17 minutes as Irmamtis opened the scoring. However, Bruno Fornaroli equalised three minutes after the interval, before Emiliano secured the win with a second goal on the hour mark.

Benfica 2 - Napoli 0 (Agg. 4-3) (UEFA Cup, October 2, 2008) The Portuguese side were 3-2 down from the first leg in Italy, but goals from Jose Antonio Reyes (57) and Nuno Gomes (84) earned a place in the later rounds.

Spartak Moscow 1 - Banik Ostrava 1 (Agg. 2-1) (UEFA Cup, October 2, 2008)

Stuttgart 2- Cherno More Varna 2 (Agg. 4-3) (UEFA Cup, October 2, 2008) Two late goals from Hitzslesperger and Gomes made all the difference for the Bundesliga side.

Levski Sofia 0 - Zilina 1 (Agg. 1-2) (UEFA Cup, October 2, 2008) Adauto Da Silva got the only goal in the 61st minute to send the Slovakians through.

Saint Etienne 2 - Hapoel Tel Aviv 1 (Agg. 4-2) (UEFA Cup, October 2, 2008) Bafetimbi scored twice for the home side to ensure their progression to the group stages. The first on 25 minutes was a cracking overhead kick and the second on 76 was a fine finish after a lovely team move, Yeboah pulled a goal back for the Israelis in the 90th minute.

Heerenveen 5 - Vitoria Setubal 2 (Agg. 6-3) (UEFA Cup, October 2, 2008) Two goals apiece for Tarik Elyounossi and Gerald Sibon helped Heerenveen claim an emphatic 5-2 win over Vitoria Setubal to progress 6-3 on aggregate. Paulo Henrique was also on target for the Eredivisie side.

FC Twente 1* - Rennes 0 (Agg. 2-2) (UEFA Cup, October 2, 2008) Steve McClaren’s side pulled off a creditable result, grabbing a place in the group stages thanks to the only goal scored by Isetsima Blaise N’Kufo.

Kalmar 1 - Feyenoord 2* (Agg. 2-2) (UEFA Cup, October 2, 2008) Georginio Wijnaldum levelled the tie overall with the opening goal on the night after 18 minutes, but Feyenoord were pegged back two minutes into the second half by Lasse Johansson. However, Kalmar bowed out on the away goals rule after Ermin Nouri put through his own net in the 52nd minute.

Partizan Belgrade 1 - Poli Timisoara 0 (Agg. 3-1) (UEFA Cup, October 2, 2008)

FC Copenhagen 1 - FC Moscow 1 (Agg. 3-2) (UEFA Cup, October 2, 2008) Hector Bracamonte opened the scoring in the 37th minute, but a Alexander Shyeshukov own goal levelled the scoring on the night.

Lech Poznan 4 - Austria Vienna 2 (AET) (Agg. 5-4) (UEFA Cup, October 2, 2008) Rengifo gave the hosts a dream start by cancelling out Vienna’s 2-1 first leg advantage in the 10th minute. The Austrians got their noses back in front as Milenko Acimovic converted a 63rd-minute penalty, only for Slawomir Peszko to take the tie into extra-time. Robert Lewandowski (99) then gave Lech the lead, and although Matthias Hattenberger levelled just a minute later, Rafal Murawski won the tie in the last minute of extra-time.

Club Brugge 2 - Young Boys 0 (Agg. 4-2) (UEFA Cup, October 2, 2008)

Olympiakos 5 - FC Nordsjaelland 0 (Agg. 7-0) (UEFA Cup, October 2, 2008)

Sparta Prague 3 - Dinamo Zagreb 3* (Agg. 3-3) (UEFA Cup, October 2, 2008) After a goalless first leg, Pedro Morales gave the visitors the lead early in the first half. Marek Kulic breifly leveled the scores for Dinamo,  before Jiri Kladrubsky made it 2-1 to the home side. Dejan Lovren equalised midway through the first half to make it a lively start in the Czech Republic. Milan Badelj scored the crucial third for the visitors just past the hour mark, and despite Kladrubsky’s 90th minute penalty, Dinamo progres on the away goals rule.

Artmedia 0 - Braga 2 (Agg. 0-6) (UEFA Cup, October 2, 2008)

SV Salzburg 0 - Sevilla 2 (Agg. 0-4) (UEFA Cup, October 2, 2008) Frederic Kanoute scored both goals for the Spanish side, including one from the penalty spot.

Deportivo La Coruna 2* - Brann Bergen 0 (Pens. 3-2) (Agg. 2-2) (UEFA Cup, October 2, 2008) Diego Colotto scored a goal in each half to level the tie for Depor, who had Riki sent off after 30 minutes. Depor goalkeeper Daniel Aranzubia then saved three penalties to send the Galicians through.

***

FC Dallas 1 - San Jose Earthquakes 1 (MLS, October 2, 2008) Less than a minute after entering as a substitute, Ryan Johnson scored in the 58th minute to give San Jose the lead. BUt Dallas equalised with a controversial penalty in the last minute, the ref adjudged that Francisco Lima handled the ball, and Kenny Cooper levelled from the spot.

***

Fluminense 1 - Goias 1 (Campeonato Brasileiro, October 1, 2008) Goias took the lead in the 18th minute when defender Vitor headed home an Iarley free-kick. Dario Conca restored parity with a fine individual effort nine minutes before half-time. Goias had Fredson and Fernando sent off late, while Flu lost Maicon for a second second yellow card in stoppage time just before the interval.

***

River Plate 2 - Defensor Sporting 1 (Agg. 4-2) (Copa Sudamericana, October 2, 2008)

Botafogo 3 - America De Cali 1 (Agg. 3-2) (Copa Sudamericana, October 1, 2008) Botafogo raced to a 3-0 by the 56th minute, with two goals by striker Wellington Paulista and a bicycle kick goal by Carlos Alberto. America defender Jose Velez pulled one back in the 76th minute.

Palmeiras 1 - Sport Ancash 0 (Agg. 1-0) (Copa Sudamericana, October 1, 2008) In the pouring rain, Jumar scored an 89th minute winner with a powerful left-foot shot from inside the penalty area, past the wonderfully named Ancash goalkeeper, Johnny Vegas.