Football European round-up: Zamorano off as Inter's new coach made to sweat

A GOAL from Michael Silvestre spared Internazionale's new coach, Mircea Lucescu, a disastrous start with an injury-time equaliser at Vicenza in Italy's Serie A yesterday, while Juventus slipped to their second successive defeat at home to Lazio.

Silvestre's late goal may have cancelled out Pasquale Luiso's 20th-minute penalty for Vicenza - but it did not banish the memory of Inter losing their nerve, with the Nigerian international Taribo West angrily throwing his shirt to the ground when substituted and the Chilean centre-forward, Ivan Zamorano, dismissed for kicking an opponent.

In a desperate 67th-minute move to save the game against a Vicenza side who had two men sent off, Lucescu sent on Ronaldo, supposedly being rested before Wednesday's crucial Champions' League match at Sturm Graz. Three minutes into injury time, the Brazilian's free-kick provided the ammunition from which Silvestre fired Inter level.

Inter's hard-earned point was enough to edge them into fifth place ahead of Juventus, who conceded an 81st-minute goal to Zamorano's Chilean strike partner, Marcelo Salas.

Juventus, who must beat Rosenborg Trondheim on Wednesday to have a chance of qualifying for the quarter-finals of the European Cup, have not won in five league matches and have failed to score in their last four - their worst run under their coach, Marcello Lippi.

Both Juventus and Inter, who finished first and second in last season's Serie A, are seven points adrift of the leaders, Fiorentina. The pace- setters halted Bologna's 16-match unbeaten run with a 1-0 home victory on Saturday.

Milan's German striker Oliver Bierhoff brought his eight-match goal drought to a halt with his side's third in a 3-0 win over Udinese, the club where he made his name last season. Liberia's George Weah and Brazil's Leonardo, with a superb volley, scored Milan's other goals to keep their club in fourth place, a point behind Roma and Parma, who both won their matches on Saturday.

Real Mallorca climbed two points clear at the top of the Spain's Primera Division on Saturday as the champions, Barcelona, slipped to their third successive defeat and other leading teams dropped points.

Hector Cuper's unfancied Mallorca ground out a 1-0 victory over Real Betis thanks to a goal eight minutes from the end by Dani Garcia. Celta Vigo, who entertain Liverpool in the Uefa Cup on Tuesday, dropped to third place after being held 1-1 at Salamanca.

Deportivo La Coruna, who are now second, piled the pressure on Barcelona's Dutch coach, Louis van Gaal, as they snatched a late 2-1 victory at home to the Catalans.

Deportivo took the lead after 76 minutes through Mustapha Hadji. Barcelona's Patrick Kluivert won a debatable penalty after 88 minutes when he fell awkwardly in the box. Rivaldo sent Jacques Songo'o the wrong way with his spot-kick, but two minutes later the home side struck again. Three defenders on the line failed to clear a Tutu Flores cross and Fran Gonzalez was unmarked to score the winner.

In Germany, Bayern Munich, who face Manchester United on Wednesday, drew 2-2 at VfL Bochum on Friday.