Soccer: Bad-tempered clash at top

Bayern Munich restored their wounded pride, fighting back from a goal down for a 2-1 win over nine-man Borussia Dortmund in an ill-tempered top-of-the-table clash in Germany.

Bayern are five points clear of the defending champions in the Bundesliga, at the same time handing their bitter rivals their first league defeat of the season.

Coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, under fire since Bayern's embarrassing elimination from Europe, badly needed a win against the club he guided to their 1997 Champions League triumph.

Brazilian striker Marcio Amoroso put the visitors ahead in the seventh minute, his effort from the edge of the box slightly deflected by fellow Dortmund forward Jan Koller and leaving Bayern goalkeeper Oliver Kahn no chance.

The Ruhr Valley side then had Germany midfielder Torsten Frings sent off for a second booking four minutes from the break.

Bayern stepped up after the interval and wasted a few chances before Paraguay striker Roque Santa Cruz put them level with a superb drive from just outside the area in the 62nd minute.

Peru striker Claudio Pizarro hit the winner from close range three minutes later. Dortmund goalkeeper Jens Lehmann got his marching orders for claiming Pizarro was offside and was replaced in goal by the towering Koller.

Stuttgart, 1860 Munich and Weder Bremen share third place a point behind Dortmund.

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Leeds United survived a strong West Ham comeback to earn a thrilling 4-3 victory at Upton Park in the English premier league.

West Ham, who have not won any of their eight home games this season, paid the price for an abysmal first-half performance when they conceded four goals.

The London side responded to manager Glenn Roeder's halftime team talk and pulled two goals back through Paolo Di Canio and Trevor Sinclair, but could not force a draw.

An angry Roeder said: "We gifted them four goals. It's demoralising."

In yesterday's other game, England striker Kevin Phillips scored his first goal in six months to help Sunderland to a 2-0 home victory over Tottenham Hotspur.

The win lifted Howard Wilkinson's side out of the relegation zone, with West Ham slipping into it.

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Celtic striker John Hartson scored his 11th goal of the season in a 2-0 win at Dundee United, but Rangers maintained their one-point lead in the Scottish premier league with a 2-1 victory over Hibernian.

Chris Sutton netted Celtic's second goal to give the Scottish champions a hard-fought win.

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First-half goals from Marco Di Vaio and Lilian Thuram gave Italian champions Juventus a 2-1 win over AC Milan in Serie A.

The win, the fourth successive year Juventus have beaten Milan at the Delle Alpi stadium, moves Juventus into second place and within a point of leaders Inter Milan, who went down to their first defeat of the season, at home to Udinese 1-2.

Inter have 22 points, Juventus 21 and AC Milan 19.

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Two goals from in-form Uruguayan striker Walter Pandiani helped Real Mallorca to a club-record sixth straight win as they beat Alaves 3-1 at Son Moix in the Spanish first division.

Mallorca are third on the table, level on points with second-placed Valencia.

But the game of the day was at the Calderon, where Atletico Madrid forward Jose Mari and Athletic Bilbao striker Ismael Urzaiz both notched hat-tricks as the two sides fought out a frenetic 3-3 draw.

Unbeaten Real Sociedad retain their three-point lead at the top of the table despite being held to a 1-1 draw at home to Deportivo Coruna after Valencia drew 1-1 against Real Betis at the Mestalla.

Sociedad lead the table with 21 points, Valencia and Mallorca follow on 18 and Celta are fourth, a point behind.

Real Madrid, who took a last-gasp 3-2 win over neighbours Rayo Vallecano, are five points adrift of the leaders in fifth place, while Barcelona follow a point behind in sixth.

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