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Football: Del Piero perks up Juventus on two fronts

Monday 08 December 1997 00:02 GMT
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Alessandro Del Piero scored twice in a 2-1 win against Lazio to give Juventus a boost prior to this Wednesday's Champions' League match against Manchester United in Turin.

Finalists last season and champions in 1996, Juve must beat the English league leaders to keep alive their hopes of qualifying the later stages of the competition.

The Serie A win also moved Juve within two points of leaders Internazionale, who were lucky to come away with a 1-1 draw at Sampdoria. Del Piero slotted home from close-range in the 15th minute, then put the Turin team back on top from the spot after a Dario Marcolin penalty had levelled the score in the 25th minute.

Juve's cause was aided in the 60th minute when Lazio's Argentinian defender Jose Chamot was sent off for a violent tackle on striker Filippo Inzaghi.

In Genoa, Ronaldo put the Milan side ahead in the ninth minute after an elegant exchange with Argentinian midfielder Diego Simeone.

But the hosts equalised 21 minutes later when former Lazio star Giuseppe Signori, making his debut for the Genoa club, was fouled in the area by Francesco Colonnese. Vincenzo Montella converted the penalty.

The turning point came five minutes before the interval when Simeone left Inter with only 10 men after committing his second bookable offence.

Sampdoria tried to exploit the advantage but were left to rue a series of missed chances, the best coming when Jurgen Klinsmann sent a simple header wide of goal.

Roma swept to a 3-0 victory over Atalanta to stay third and keep the pressure on the leaders, Inter and Juventus. The win at the Olympic Stadium left Roma on 22 points, just three behind Juventus and five behind Inter.

Milan ended a run of draws with a 2-0 home win over Bari, with struggling Dutch striker Patrick Kluivert adding to an opening goal by Croatian midfielder Zvonimir Boban.

Barcelona beat Real Zaragoza 2-1 away to return to the top of the Spanish First Division after Real Madrid gave up a late equaliser in a 1-1 draw at Oviedo. Two weeks after being knocked off the top with a defeat at Oviedo, Barcelona went two points clear of their arch-rivals thanks to goals by Rivaldo and Sergi Barjuan.

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