Titles decided in Italy, Germany, Holland, Belgium

By Vic Mills

LONDON (JP): It was crunch time over much of Europe on the weekend with titles decided in Italy, Germany, Holland and Belgium.

In France, the race for the runners-up spot went to the last minute, while on Sunday, Barcelona blew the Spanish title race wide open.

A first ever league goal for defender Mark Juliano gave Juventus the point it needed in a 1-1 draw against Atalanta to take its 24th Serie A title.

Juventus has already won the World Club Championship and European Super Cup this season and today goes in search of an unprecedented grand slam when it meets Borussia Dortmund in the European Cup final at Munich's Olympiastadion.

RCTI will broadcast live the match between Juventus and Borussia Dortmund at 1:30 a.m. Thursday morning Western Indonesian Time.

The race for the coveted runner-up spot in Italy, and with it qualification to the new-look European Champions' League, will go to the last weekend of the season as both Parma and Internazionale won on the weekend.

Having lost both the UEFA Cup final and its Blackburn-bound manager Roy Hodgson last week, Inter went behind in the 31st minute when Paul Ince deflected a shot from Ayala into his own net. The former Manchester United man made amends with a 50th minute equalizer before goals from Chilean Ivan Zamorano and Frenchman Youri Djorkaeff enabled Inter to run out a comfortable 3-2 winner.

Inter remains just two points behind second-placed Parma, which beat Bologna with a goal from Italian international Enrico Chiesa.

At the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Lazio made sure of a UEFA Cup place with a 4-1 win over relegated Verona thanks to two goals from Guieseppe Signori and one each from Igor Protti and Roberto Rambaudi. Sampdoria and Udinese look set to claim the two remaining UEFA berths after wins over relegation-threatened Cagliari and Piacenza respectively.

In Germany, Bayern Munich won the Bundesliga title for the 14th time Saturday after its 4-2 victory over Vfb Stuttgart. Two goals in each half secured the Bavarians an unassailable four- point lead over Bayer Leverkusen, which crashed 4-0 at Cologne.

There was a 14th title, too, for PSV Eindhoven as its clinched the Dutch league with a 3-1 win over Willem II Tilburg. Goals from Luc Nills, Wim Jonk and Gilem de Bilde ensured the victory. PSV last won the title in 1992. Second-placed Feyenoord also won, beating Heerenveen 4-2, but stands four points behind with one match remaining.

Across the border, Lierse tore up the form books to win the Belgian title for the first time in 37 years after its 3-0 win over Standard Liege. The win enabled it to finish two points clear of last season's champions, FC Bruges, despite Bruges's 1-0 win over AA Ghent.

But victory was bitter-sweet for Lierse coach Eric Gerets who switches to Bruges next season. By guiding Lierse to the top, he has excluded his new club from the lucrative Champions' League.

An 89th minute goal from Vincent Guerin earned Paris St Germain a 2-1 win over Strasbourg on Saturday to seal the runners-up spot in the French first division and with it a Champion's League place. Having gone behind to an Olivier Dacourt goal, Paul Le Guen set up the dramatic finish with a 63rd minute equalizer.

Away to the champions elect AC Monaco, third-placed Nantes had taken a fifth minute lead through Claude Makelele. Scotland's John Collins equalized in the 76th minute and Brazilian striker Anderson gave Monaco victory with an injury time goal, his 19th of the season. Nantes, Bordeaux, Metz and Strasbourg all qualify for the UEFA Cup.

Ten points clear at one stage in the Spanish first division, Real Madrid had its lead cut to just two points with three games to play as it lost to Athletico Madrid, while Barcelona beat third-placed Deportivo.

Carlos Garcia gave an inspired Athletico side a well-deserved lead midway through the second-half, but Fabio Capello's men nearly snatched a point five minutes from time when Roberto Carlos blasted a superb free-kick against the post.

Putting all thoughts of the rumored US$75 million transfer to Internazionale behind him, Ronaldo kept alive Barcelona's title hopes by scoring a last-grasp winner against Deportivo de La Coruna.

The Brazilian superstar struck his 34th goal of the season with just 30 seconds left, breaking away from a mass of defenders with a fine turn of speed then firing beyond goalkeeper Jacques Songoo.

Should the two sides finish level on points, Real Madrid will take the title on results of games between them during the season.

Cantona

Finally, in this last European roundup of the season, news that Manchester United's loss could be the French theater's gain. Eric Cantona, the football philosopher who quit English football last week, is planning to dedicate himself to thespian pursuits, according to rumors.

Jean-Jacques Gomila, a restaurant owner who founded a Parisian theater company with Cantona last year, said he hopes the footballer will be able to devote more time to the company.

Cantona is also negotiating to buy the rights to A Streetcar named Desire, the steamy Tennessee Williams play set in the American South. One French newspaper speculated that the footballer might even take the lead role.

At the same time Joel Cantona, the footballer's brother, last week told French radio that the player was planning to act in a short film about boxing. it would not be Cantona's first film, Last year he was in Happiness is in the Meadow, a drama set in southwest France. Although played a small role, critics agreed he had some acting talent.