Associated Press

London, March 1,

Newcastle and Liverpool both let chances get away as they chase fourth place, the final qualifying spot for next season’s Champions League. Newcastle took a 1-0 lead on Craig Bellamy’s 34th-minute goal. It was his fourth goal in four games since returning from knee surgery. That held up until Lomana Lua Lua, technically a Newcastle player but playing on loan with Portsmouth, equalised in the 89th at Fratton Park on a 20 yard drive to frustrate his parent club.

The Magpies held on to fourth place but failed to strengthen their position.

Arsenal leads with 67 points followed by Chelsea and Manchester United on 58. Newcastle improved to 42 followed by Charlton (40) and Liverpool (39). In the day’s other matches, Liverpool drew 2-2 against Leeds and Middlesbrough defeated Bolton 2-1 in the final of the League Cup in Cardiff, Wales.Liverpool was forced to scramble for the 2-2 draw with last-place Leeds, needing a Milan Baros goal late in the first half to salvage the point. The draw left Leeds in last place with 21 points.

In the League Cup final, Middlesbrough claimed the club’s first major title in its 128-year history on goals in the first seven minutes by Joseph-Desire Job and Boudewijn Zenden.

Milan, Madrid win

PARIS: AC Milan and Real Madrid had victories to consolidate their leads in weekend action in Europe’s major leagues.

AC Milan retained their five-point lead at the top of Italy’s Serie A after defeating Lazio 1-0 at the Olympic stadium.

Midfielder Massimo Ambrosini scored the winner for the European champions 15 minutes from time, stooping low at the back post to head home Clarence Seedorf’s right-wing cross.

Defeat was cruel on Lazio who dominated for long periods without finding the final touch to some impressive approach play, but they still managed to hold on to fourth place thanks to slip-ups from the teams directly below them and remain firmly in the hunt for a Champions League place next season.

Milan, who did little more than they had to in the capital, have 58 points from 23 matches played, five more than second-placed Roma, comfortable winners at Parma, and six more than reigning champions Juventus, who defeated Ancona in Turin.

Roma dented Parma’s hopes of clinching a Champions League place next season with an impressive 4-1 victory in snowy Emilia Romagna, while three first-half goals gave Juventus an easy three points against the bottom club.

Inter Milan’s Champions League aspirations suffered a setback after losing 3-1 to Brescia at the San Siro where angry home fans vented their anger at the team’s performance by pelting the Inter players with missiles.

Spanish league leaders Real Madrid turned on the style with three second-half goals in 16 minutes to beat Celta Vigo 4-2.

The victory consolidated the reigning champions’ lead in the Spanish championship race after their nearest rivals Valencia had earlier gone down 2-1 at struggling Espanyol.

Celta’s Sasa Ilic got his first goal for his new club, firing home a Alexander Mostovoi corner after 18 minutes to silence the Santiago Bernabeu faithful but Real moved up a gear after the break.

Ronaldo got his 22nd goal of the season after 55 minutes, nipping in after Celta keeper Jose Manuel Pinto had failed to control a David Beckham header.

Real took the lead nine minutes later when Zinedine Zidane headed home a Luis Figo pass.

Figo himself was on the score-sheet seven minutes later after latching onto a deep pass from Beckham.