In-form rivals raring to go

Middlesbrough FC and S.S. Lazio both had good weeks ahead of their UEFA Cup Group E fixture on Thursday, while FC Partizan and Egaleo FC will go into their game with unbeaten domestic records still intact.

Middlesbrough
A comfortable 3-0 midweek victory at home against Coventry City FC got Middlesbrough's English League Cup defence off to a fine start in the third round, and on Saturday Boudewijn Zenden's second-half goal gave them a 2-1 Premiership victory at Charlton Athletic FC. The Dutchman had also played a part in the opener, his shot taking two deflections and going in off Charlton's Talal El Karkouri. Three points took Middlesbrough up to fifth in the Premiership, and provided a tonic after Gaizka Mendieta was ruled out for the season with a knee injury. However, right-back Michael Reiziger is back in training following shoulder surgery while manager Steve McClaren has confirmed that he intends to continue as a part-time assistant to England coach Sven-Göran Eriksson until 2006.

Lazio
Lazio followed up a 2-0 midweek win against FC Messina Peloro with a useful point at FC Internazionale Milano. Argentinian defender Leonardo Talamonti equalised with a header six minutes from time to leave his team in eleventh position in Serie A. Coach Domenico Caso faces a goalkeeping emergency as Matteo Sereni suffered a thigh injury against the Nerazzurri. Regular No1 Angelo Peruzzi needs an extra week to recover from knee surgery, meaning Fabrizio Casazza will probably start at the Riverside. Luciano Zauri, Sebastiano Siviglia, César and Roberto Muzzi are also injured but forward Simone Inzaghi and midfield player Fabio Liverani could be available for the trip to England.

Partizan
Partizan remain in buoyant form ahead of their Group E bow at home against Egaleo after a 3-1 Serbo-Montenegrin Cup victory against FK Vojvodina in midweek was followed by a 1-0 triumph against the same opponents in the league on Saturday. Simon Vukcevic headed in Branimir Petrovic's 66th-minute cross to keep unbeaten Partizan four points clear at the top of the First Federal League. Coach Vladimir Vermezovic rested midfield players Albert Nadj and Dragan Ciric and only fielded key forward Pierre Boya for the second half. All will be back on Thursday, leaving Dragoljub Jeremic as the only absentee.

Egaleo
Like their opponents on Thursday, Egaleo remain unbeaten in their domestic league after they drew for the fourth time in their six Greek fixtures so far on Sunday. Georgios Barkoglou gave Egaleo the lead at home against Xanthi FC on 18 minutes before Luciano de Souza secured a 1-1 draw on the half-hour. Egaleo now lie sixth in the Alpha Ethniki, four points behind leaders AEK Athens FC, but are in fine fettle with no players injured or suspended as they seek their first Group E point in Belgrade.

Villarreal
Ahead of their rest day in the group, UEFA Intertoto Cup winners Villarreal CF were held to a scoreless draw by RCD Espanyol on Sunday and lie 12th in the Primera División. Striker José Mari Romero sat out the match after pulling a thigh muscle, but Villarreal's real headache came on Thursday when they lost 2-1 in the Spanish Cup first round to third division Girona FC. Xisco Nadal sat out that game with a throat infection, while Roger García is facing six months on the sidelines alter tearing an anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. Left-back Rodolfo Arruabarrena is expected to be back in training in a week's time as he overcomes a knee problem, but Marcos Senna remains provisionally suspended after a positive drug test.