Denilson's strike puts Real Betis in command with only

Denilson, the Brazilian international. scored in the 44th minute as Real Betis beat Viktoria Zizkov 1-0 in yesterday's first-leg of their Uefa Cup second-round tie in Prague.

The Czech club, who knocked out Rangers in the first round, created several chances. Ludek Straceny sent a cross into the area in the 13th minute but a shot by Marcel Licka failed to hit the target. Straceny again fired a free-kick into the area in the 27th minute to find Ales Pikl, who headed just wide.

The Spanish club, one of the favorites to win the Uefa Cup, spoiled a decent opportunity in the 40th minute when Denilson crossed to Gaston Casas from the left, but the Argentinian striker volleyed over the bar.

Betis' goal came a minute before half-time when Denilson capitalised on Zizkov's inability to clear the ball and his clever shot from the edge of the area found the right side of the net.

Casas squandered another scoring chance seven minutes into the second half after he beat Zizkov's offside trap but his shot went just wide. Zizkov had their best chance to equalise in the 77th minute but a header by the substitute Miroslav Sebesta from another Straceny cross hit the post.

Pascal Feindouno gave Bordeaux a 1-0 away victory in Stockholm over the Swedish side Djurgarden. Feindouno easily rounded the Djurgarden captain, Markus Karlsson, in the 64th minute and beat the goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson with a low shot.

Isaksson saved Djurgarden from a bigger loss at a chilly Rasunda stadium as the French side dominated. Feindouno had two scoring opportunities in the first half, both denied by Isaksson. The 21-year-old goalkeeper cleared a dangerous shot from Jean-Claude Darcheville at the start of the second. Johan Elmander came close to scoring for the hosts in the 69th minute but his shot hit Ulrich Ramé's right post.

The Swedes had trouble following Bordeaux's quick passing game and seemed to have their minds set on their upcoming league match on Saturday, when Djurgarden is expected to win its first Swedish championship title since 1966. The club is three points ahead of its closest rival, Malmo, with one round to go.

Ebbe Sand's injury-time winner means Schalke will take a slender advantage back to Germany for the return leg of theit tie against against Legia Warsaw.

The Gelsenkirchen side would have been satisfied enough with their two away goals before the Danish international's late intervention put them back in front after Legia had fought back from 2-0 down.

Gustavo Varela had scored twice at the start of the second half to put Schalke, the 1997 Uefa Cup winners, in the driving seat. But Dariusz Dudek and Stanko Svitlica hit back to draw Legia level, only for Sand to have the final say.

It brought to an end a scintillating second half, in stark contrast to a dull opening 45 minutes in which a weak overhead kick from Schalke's Nils Oude-Kamphuis was the only effort on goal worthy of note.

The Dutch midfielder, however, was involved in the first goal when it came five minutes after half-time. He crossed from the right for Varela, with his first-time volley proving too strong for Radostin Stanev despite the keeper getting a hand to the ball.

The Uruguayan doubled Schalke's lead four minutes later when he beat the offside trap following a pass from Sand and slid the ball past the on-rushing Stanev.

But it was just another four minutes before Legia restored the deficit to a solitary goal with Dudek, the brother of Liverpool keeper Jerzy, firing in a spectacular half-volley from the edge of the penalty area after a poor clearance by Oude-Kamphuis.

The home side levelled the score in the 63rd minute, Svitlica scoring from the penalty spot following Nico Van Hoogdalem's foul on Dudek.

However, it was still to be Schalke's night with Varela turning creator following his earlier double strike. The midfielder knocked a corner into the danger area and Sand reached the ball before the home defence to head home the winner.