AC Milan slashed Juventus's Serie A lead in half while Chelsea stretched 10 points clear of Premier League champions Arsenal in domestic European soccer action this weekend.
In Spain Barcelona maintained their seven-point lead over Real Madrid after both teams earned battling victories but champions Valencia lost ground.
Juventus's lead at the top of Serie A was cut to two points after they conceded a late equaliser in a 1-1 draw at Cagliari. Gianfranco Zola struck a minute from time to cancel out Emerson's 54th-minute goal for the Turin side, who have 44 points.
Champions AC Milan (42) are breathing down Juve's necks after coming from behind to beat third-placed Udinese 3-1 at the San Siro.
Andriy Shevchenko and Kaka scored for Milan either side of an own goal by Marek Jankulovski after Antonio Di Natale had given Udinese a ninth-minute lead.
Lazio suffered their first defeat under recently appointed coach Giuseppe Papadopulo when they lost 3-1 at home to Palermo, who moved up to fifth in the division on 28 points.
Zola's old club Chelsea look destined to become English champions for the first time in 50 years after a 2-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur left them clear at the top of the Premier League.
Two Frank Lampard goals and a shock 1-0 defeat for champions Arsenal at Bolton Wanderers means only a sudden collapse can deny Chelsea an historic end to their Centenary season.
Chelsea, who also became the first club to win six consecutive Premier League games without conceding a goal, did just what their title hopes needed after 10-man Manchester United won 1-0 at Liverpool with a Wayne Rooney strike.
They are now top with 58 points, with Arsenal on 48 and United third on 47, pressing Arsene Wenger's side for the second automatic slot in next season's Champions League.
ETO'O ATONES
Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o atoned for missing an early penalty by heading an 81st-minute winner to give his side a narrow 1-0 success over 10-man Real Sociedad at the Nou Camp.
Barca were also indebted to some fantastic saves by goalkeeper Victor Valdes.
Real Madrid had to dig deep to come from a goal down to claim a 3-1 win at home to 10-man Real Zaragoza.
Valencia are now nine points behind Barcelona after a 0-0 draw at Osasuna. The match was overshadowed by the sudden death of the young daughter of Valencia defender Marco Caneira shortly before the kickoff.
In France, two goals in the last six minutes by Juninho and Bryan Bergougnoux gave Olympique Lyon a 2-0 home win over Metz and kept them six points clear at the top of Ligue 1.
Lyon, the only unbeaten team, are on 45 points with Lille staying second after a 3-1 win at Girondins Bordeaux. Monaco are third, nine points adrift, after crushing Caen 5-2.
Peguy Luyindula scored twice to give fifth-placed Olympique Marseille a 2-0 home win over Nice.
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