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Soccer-Eastern European round-up

By Zoran Milosavljevic

ZAGREB, Aug 13 - Round-up of the weekend soccer
action in eastern Europe:

RUSSIA

Roman Pavlyuchenko scored the 10,000th goal in the history
of Russia's championship league to seal a 2-0 win for leaders
Spartak Moscow over Krylya Sovietov Samara.

The victory kept Spartak five points clear of Zenit St.
Petersburg, who maintained their own title hopes with a 3-1 home
victory over Luch-Energiya Vladivostok.

Nikita Bazhenov fired Spartak ahead with a 24th-minute
tap-in before Pavlyuchenko struck his milestone goal.

Third-placed FK Moscow dropped six points off the pace after
a 2-0 away defeat by defending champions CSKA Moscow, who are a
further three points adrift.

UKRAINE

Leaders Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk made it five wins out five
with a 2-0 home victory over Naftovyk Okhtyrka which kept them
two points ahead of Shakhtar Donetsk, who were 2-1 winners at
home to Vorskla Poltava.

Title-holders Dynamo Kiev laboured to their first win of the
season, beating Metalurg Zaporizhya 1-0 away thanks to a
31st-minute goal from Serbian right back Marjan Markovic.

Dynamo's city rivals Arsenal crushed Zakarpattya Uzhgorod
7-0, romping to a 4-0 lead in the opening 39 minutes. Evhen
Seleznyov netted a hat-trick and his strike partner Georgi
Demetradze scored twice in the rout.

POLAND

Legia Warsaw stayed top with a maximum nine points after a
fine solo effort by Bartlomiej Grzelak gave them a 1-0 home win
over Groclin Grodzisk.

Wisla Krakow are second, three points behind with a game in
hand, after Pawel Brozek scored twice to help them to a 4-0 win
over Korona Kielce.

Title-holders Zaglebie Lubin won 1-0 at last season's
runners-up GKS Belchatow after Maciej Iwanski rifled in a
long-range free kick on the hour.

CROATIA

Champions Dinamo Zagreb stretched their perfect start to
four matches after goals from international midfielder Luka
Modric and Bosko Balaban gave them to a 2-1 home win over
Cibalia Vinkovci.

Rijeka stayed second, two points behind Dinamo, two goals
from Ahmed Sharbini helping them to a 3-1 home win over
Medjimurje Cakovec.

Varteks Varazdin coach Josip Kuze resigned following a 1-0
home defeat by NK Zagreb, their fourth loss in a row.

CZECH REPUBLIC

Banik Ostrava, Slavia Prague and Teplice won to maintain
their 100 percent records from two matches, while champions
Sparta Prague fell two points behind after a 0-0 draw at
Viktoria Plzen.

Ostrava came from behind to beat Most 5-2 after scoring
three goals in the last four minutes.

Former Liverpool midfielder Vladimir Smicer converted a
second half penalty in Slavia's 2-0 defeat of SK Kladno, while
an early goal from striker Martin Fenin handed Teplice a 1-0
home victory over Jablonec.

HUNGARY

Surprise leaders Kispest-Honved made it four wins out of
four as Ivory Coast striker Abraham Guie scored two goals and
set up the third in a 3-0 away win over bottom team Paksi SE.

Champions Debrecen are second, two points behind Honved,
talented midfielder Balazs Dzsudzsak scoring two superb goals in
a 3-2 home win against Zalaegerszeg.

SLOVAKIA

FC Nitra went top as the only team with a perfect record
from five matches after substitute Ondrej Curgali scored with
his first touch of the ball and Andrej Hesek wrapped up a 2-0
home win over Zlate Moravce.

Champions Zilina slipped to third, three points behind
Nitra, after a 2-0 defeat by newly promoted Kosice. It followed
Zilina's elimination from the Champions League in the second
qualifying round last week.

SERBIsA

Champions Red Star Belgrade made a stuttering start to the
new season under new coach Milorad Kosanovic with a tepid 0-0
home draw against unfancied city rivals Cukaricki.

Traditional foes Partizan Belgrade, who have only domestic
honours to play for after their expulsion from the UEFA Cup, won
1-0 at Vojvodina Novi Sad thanks to a Stevan Jovetic strike.

ROMANIA

Teenager Eric Bicfalvi kept Steaua Bucharest in the driving
seat with three wins out of three after his thunderbolt from 20
metres gave them a 1-0 home win over Politehnica Iasi.

Champions Dinamo Bucharest bounced back from a shaky start
with a 3-0 win at Ceahlaul Piatra Neamt through Claudiu
Niculescu, Ionel Danciulescu and Andrei Cristea.

BULGARIA

Champions Levski Sofia kicked off their title defence with a
1-0 win at Vihren Sandanski after defender Zhivko Milanov headed
home a Dimitar Telkiyski corner early in the second half.

Fellow title favourites Litex Lovech and CSKA Sofia drew 1-1
in an ill-tempered derby marred by three red cards and 10
bookings, defender Georgi Chilikov cancelling out Brazilian
midfielder Tom's opener for Litex.