Football: Nine-man Roma shock Fiorentina

EUROPEAN FOOTBALL

DMITRY ALENICHEV and Francesco Totti scored in the dying minutes to lead nine-man Roma to an extraordinary 2-1 comeback victory over Serie A leaders Fiorentina yesterday.

Totti scored the injury-time winner two minutes after Alenichev dramatically equalised in a match dominated by Fiorentina, who had taken the lead in the 31st minute through the Argentinian striker Gabriel Batistuta.

Fiorentina had appeared set to make it five wins in five league games after Roma had Luigi Di Biagio and France's Vincent Candela sent off midway through the second half. Fiorentina's Giulio Falcone was also shown the red card.

Elsewhere, late goals from Enrico Chiesa and Diego Fuser gave Parma a 2-0 win over Salernitana while Empoli and Bologna drew 0-0.

Two of the pre-season favourites for the Italian title will meet tonight as Internazionale play host to Lazio at the San Siro stadium in Milan. It will be a particularly special occasion for the Inter captain Giuseppe Bergomi, who will make his 500th league appearance for the club. Next month will see him break the all-comers' record of 501 appearances set by Gigi Rivera.

The Romans are without five injured players including the Spanish midfielder Ivan De La Pena, striker Alen Boksic, Yugoslavian Dejan Stankovic, defender Alessandro Nesta and Christian Vieri, Lazio's pounds 17m summer signing, who will be out for at least another three weeks with a knee ligament injury. Roberto Mancini will return to partner Marcelo Salas in attack while the Argentinian Matias Almeyda comes into midfield.

The Inter coach, Luigi Simone, will rest Ronaldo and Roberto Baggio to ensure that they fully recover from tendon trouble in time for next Wednesday's European Champions League tie here against Spartak Moscow. Youri Djorkaeff and Ivan Zamorano will step forward to take their places.

Milan, who face Cagliari today, have injury worries over Zvonimir Boban, defender Alessandro Costacurta and the Brazilian Leonardo. Cagliari are without Fabian O'Neill and defender Fabio Macellari, both suspended, as well as striker Gaetano Vasari and defender Matteo Villa, out injured.

Sampdoria, bouyed by their first win of the season last time out against Roma, are missing their first-choice strikers for their match against Piacenza. Vincenzo Montella and the Yugoslavian Zoran Jovicic as well as Portuguese defender Miguel Hugo have been ruled out through injury while the Brazilian striker Cate is suspended.

Despite being at full strength, Vicenza may have difficulty containing champions Juventus in their match today. History offers the home side some hope, however, since Juventus have not won at Vicenza since January 1975.

Bayern Munich extended their unbeaten run to eight matches with a convincing 3-1 victory away to Schalke 04 in the Bundesliga yesterday.

Bayern moved in front in the third minute when the Schalke defender Yves Eigenrauch kicked into his own net. The visitors went 2-0 up in the 14th minute with a fine free-kick from Mario Basler. Schalke, cheered on by over 60,000 fans, reduced the arrears in the 20th minute through the Dutch striker Rene Eijkelkamp, but saw Bayern seal victory on a counter- attack with a goal from striker Carsten Jancker in the 64th minute.