Inter win third straight title
Rishi Singh
Published: 12:00 am May 19, 2008
Rome, May 18:
Inter Milan have won their third straight Italian league title. Zlatan Ibrahimovic returned from a six-week injury layoff and scored twice in a 2-0 win over Parma in the final round of the season on Sunday. Inter finished with 85 points, three more than AS Roma, who drew 1-1 at Catania.
Also, Fiorentina beat Torino 1-0 to secure fourth place and Italy's final Champions League berth. AC Milan finished fifth, and will miss out on the top European competition next season. Empoli, Parma and Livorno were relegated.
French League
PARIS: Lyon won their seventh consecutive French league title on Saturday by beating Auxerre 3-1 to finish ahead of Bordeaux.
Lyon finished with 79 points from 38 rounds, while Bordeaux only drew 2-2 at Lens to end with 75 points. Lyon put any doubts to rest after just 24 seconds when Karim Benzema swapped passes with Fred and slotted home. Fred put Lyon up 2-0 in the 10th minute and Kim Kallstrom headed in Lyon's third goal in the 53rd before Frederic Thomas pulled a goal back for Auxerre in the 78th.
Marseille beat Strasbourg 4-3 to clinch third place. Lens were relegated to the second division.
In other results, it's: Lorient 1, Lille 1; Metz 4, Le Mans 3; Nancy 2, Rennes 3; Nice 3, Caen 1; Saint-Etienne 4, Monaco 0; Sochaux 1, Paris Saint-Germain 2; and Toulouse 2, Valenciennes 1.
MADRID: Giovani Dos Santos scored three goals to help FC Barcelona beat relegated Murcia 5-3 and conclude a disappointing Spanish league season on a high note. Samuel Eto'o and Thierry Henry also scored for Barcelona's second win in nine games, which ensured the team will finish the season in third place. Barcelona finished with 67 points. Champions Real Madrid have 82, eight more than runner-up Villarreal.
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