At the end of the weekend, AS Roma, Manchester United and Real Madrid were the big winners from all the derby action that took place all over Europe.
Italy: AS Roma held on to their slim one-point lead over Inter Milan atop the Serie A with a 2-1 comeback victory over derby rivals Lazio. Mirko Vucinic scored both goals for the league leaders. AC Milan are virtually eliminated from contention after a 2-1 loss at Sampdoria.
England: Arsenal’s EPL title hopes were crushed on Sunday after Wigan scored three goals in the final 11 minutes to overturn a 2-0 deficit and win 3-2 in stunning fashion. A win would have taken the Gunners within three points of Chelsea with three matches remaining in the season. As it stands, it will be a two-horse race for the EPL crown between Chelsea and Manchester United, who sit one point behind Carlo Ancelotti's men after their 1-0 win in the Manchester derby.
Spain: There is also a one-point difference between first and second place in Spain. Gonzalo HiguaÃn and Cristiano Ronaldo were once again on the scoring sheet as Real Madrid defeated Valencia 2-0 on Sunday and climbed back to within a point of Barcelona, who were held 0-0 at derby rivals Espanyol on Saturday.
Germany: Bayern Munich hold a slightly larger lead of two points on second-place Schalke 04. However, Bayern’s 7-0 thrashing of Steve Cherundolo’s Hannover 96 on Saturday is a clear sign that two points may be enough for the Bavarians with three matches remaining in the Bundesliga.
France: An added time penalty allowed Marseille to maintain their five-point lead atop Ligue 1 by securing a 2-1 win at Boulogne. Second-place Auxerre still have five matches remaining to catch Marseille atop the table.
Americans Abroad: Maurice Edu didn't come off the bench in a 2-0 Rangers victory over Hearts while DaMarcus Beasley didn't even dress. A celebration of the Scottish Premier League championship could come as early as next Sunday. Brad Friedel’s Aston Villa won 2-1 at Portsmouth in EPL action on Sunday while Eddie Johnson and Aris dropped a 2-1 result to Olympiakos in Greece.
Other Countries: While Anderlecht won their 30th Belgian title on Sunday, FC Twente are one win away from taking the Dutch Eredivisie crown after a 2-0 win over Feyenoord. Seattle Sounders summer signee Blaise Nkufo opened the scoring. Benfica are also in the driver’s seat with a six-point cushion in Portugal with a 3-2 win over Academica.
UEFA Champions League: Reigning world and European champions Barcelona will be traveling more than 600 miles by bus to Milan after airport closings forced the club to make alternate plans for Tuesday’s Champions League semifinal showdown against Inter Milan. The journey will take two days with an overnight stop in Cannes, France, on Sunday night.
Injury News: Liverpool striker Fernando Torres is out for the remainder of his club’s season after undergoing knee surgery on Sunday to repair torn cartilage in his right knee. His recovery time is estimated at six weeks and participation in the World Cup is in slight doubt.
