AC Milan go top, Real Madrid and Arsenal lose
Ed Osmond
AC Milan knocked their city rivals Inter off the top of the Italian standings on Sunday, the day after Real Madrid and Arsenal suffered their first defeats of the season.
Brazilian Rivaldo put Milan on course for a 4-1 win at Atalanta with his first Serie A goal, while Arsenal lost 2-1 at Everton and Real, the European champions, slumped to a 2-0 defeat at Racing Santander.
After Rivaldo's early free kick, Jon Dahl Tomasson scored one goal and Italy midfielder Andrea Pirlo two as Milan warmed up for Wednesday's Champions League match against Bayern Munich in style.
Milan moved top of Serie A on goal difference from Inter, for whom Italy striker Christian Vieri scored a last-gasp equaliser to earn a 1-1 draw with champions Juventus on Saturday.
Juve had looked on course for victory when Italian playmaker Alessandro Del Piero converted an 88th-minute penalty, but Vieri turned the ball into the net from close range deep into injury time.
Bologna moved into third after a 3-0 win over Brescia, with Lazio, 3-0 winners against Perugia, fourth and Juventus fifth.
Real Madrid suffered their first Spanish first division defeat of the campaign at Racing Santander, a performance described by their coach Vicente Del Bosque as the worst since he took charge.
Turkish striker Nihat Kahveci and Russian midfielder Valery Karpin scored the goals as Real Socieded drew 2-2 with Basque rivals Alaves to move a point clear at the top of the table. Previous leaders Celta Vigo slumped to a 1-0 home defeat by Real Vallecano.
On a weekend of surprises in the primera liga, champions Valencia were held to a 1-1 draw at Atletico Madrid, Deportivo Coruna suffered a 3-1 loss at Villarreal, and Barcelona went down 2-1 at Valladolid.
Arsenal's 30-match unbeaten run in England's premier league ended with a 2-1 defeat at Everton, whose winning goal was scored in the final minute by 16-year-old substitute striker Wayne Rooney.
YOUNGEST SCORER
Rooney became the premier league's youngest scorer when his dipping 25-metre shot flew over goalkeeper David Seaman and into the net off the crossbar.
The champions' loss allowed Liverpool to top the table following their 1-0 win at Leeds United.
Senegal midfielder Salif Diao scored the crucial goal midway through the second half to put Liverpool in good heart for their Champions League trip to Spartak Moscow.
Manchester United's unconvincing start to the campaign continued when they were held to a 1-1 draw at Fulham, Norwegian striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer rescuing a point after France international forward Steve Marlet had put the hosts ahead.
Bayern Munich warmed up for their trip to AC Milan with a 1-0 win at Hansa Rostock, Brazilian Ze Roberto scoring the goal that moved his team five points clear at the top of the German first division standings.
Ze Roberto pounced after Michael Ballack's shot had been blocked, boosting Bayern for the game in Milan, which they probably need to win to have a chance of progressing to the second phase of the Champions League.
Second-placed Borussia Dortmund, the defending champions, were held to a 0-0 home draw by Arminia Bielefeld, while Werder Bremen stayed third following a 4-4 draw at Hanover 96.
Nice moved back to the top of the French first division on goal difference, despite being held to a 0-0 draw by Nantes.
Previous leaders AJ Auxerre lost 3-0 at champions Olympique Lyon, who climbed to sixth place in the standings on the back of a hat-trick by Brazilian Juninho Pernambucano.
Paris St Germain rose to third with a 2-1 victory at Troyes, Brazilian Ronaldinho scoring the decisive goal, level with Olympique Marseille, who beat Racing Strasbourg 1-0 in Sunday's late match, a point behind the leaders.
