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The Brazilian teamed up with Franck Leboeuf in an outstanding central defensive partnership that stood up admirably to the physical battering being handed out by Alan Shearer and Duncan Ferguson.

The only goal of the game came after 22 minutes when Uruguayan midfielder Gustavo Poyet dived in at the near post to head home a Jody Morris cross.

Manchester United went seven points clear after their entertaining draw with Liverpool at Old Trafford. Liverpool took the lead after 27 minutes when Czech Patrik Berger thumped home a swerving 30-metre free kick.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer nipped in front of Dominic Matteo to score the equaliser in first half injury-time when Liverpool were down to 10 men as Finnish defender Sammy Hyypia had an ankle cut stitched.

Bayern Munich lose
HAMBURG: Lothar Matthaeus on Saturday bowed out of the German Bundesliga 8211; but Stuttgart spoilt the party in magnificent style by handing mighty Bayern Munich a second defeat of the season.

Goals by Man-of-the-Match Krassimir Balakov and Hungarian whizkid Krisztian Lisztes gave the hosts a deserved 2-0 win over a Bayern side which was a pale version of that which dazzled against Real Madrid in their mid-week 4-2 Champions League triumph in Spain.

Bayer Leverkusen 8211; the only side that looks like challenging them for the title 8211; moved a crucial step nearer with a 3-1 away win at Kaiserslautern.

Bazilian Ze Roberto, Ulf Kirsten and Robert Kovac netted for Leverkusen to put them just two points behind Bayern.

Dani strikes
BARCELONA: Dani Garcia struck a second-half double as Barcelona eased to a 4-0 victory at home to Numancia, a win that took them back to second place in the Spanish First Division.

The former Real Mallorca marksman, who has started just 12 games since his 15.5 million move to the Camp Nou over the summer, took advantage of the absence of the suspended Patrick Kluivert to hit his ninth and 10th goals of the campaign.

Another reserve forward Gabri Garcia had earlier set Barca on their way with a neat finish on 28 minutes. Portuguese international Luis Figo wrapped up the scoring five minutes from time.

Victory for Barcelona gives them 44 points from 27 matches and second place in the table, five behind leaders Deportivo la Coruna.

Real Madrid trail Barca on goal difference after they could manage no better than a 1-1 draw at relegation strugglers Real Oviedo.

In other games, Valencia beat Athletic Bilbao 2-0 with goals from Oscar Garcia and Claudio Lopez.

Fiorentina win
ROME: Udinese and Fiorentina both earned useful victories against the bottom two clubs of the Italian Serie A in Saturday8217;s advance fixtures.

At the Stadio Friuli, Udinese hammered second-from-bottom Cagliari 5-2 in a match where virtually every created chance was converted into goals.

The hosts were two goals up at the end of the first half but Cagliari produced a vehement reaction in the opening minutes of the second to grab a 22 equaliser.

In the 70th minute, however, the visitors lost Fabio Macellari through injury. Having already made all three substitutions, the Sardinians were forced to play the rest of the game with 10 men and eventually succumbed by conceding three goals, two of which were scored by Italian international Stefano Fiore.

Earlier in the day, Abel Balbo and Manuel Rui Costa were both on target in Fiorentina8217;s 2-1 win over bottom-of-the-league Piacenza.