European Football Friday Round-up

Portuguese Liga

Hugo Viana scored twice as Braga consolidated their place in the Portuguese Liga's top three with a 3-1 victory at Gil Vicente.

Former Valencia midfielder Viana gave his team the lead before the interval but that was cancelled out after 61 minutes by Hugo Vieira.

However, Viana's second nine minutes from time was quickly followed by a Ze Luis strike as Braga made sure of the win with some late pressure.

Braga are four points ahead of fourth-placed Pacos Ferreira in the race for Champions League football, while Gil Vicente lie just two points above the drop zone.

Russian Premier League

Volga Nizhny Novgorod moved further clear of relegation danger as Artur Sarkisov's double earned a 2-1 win at Rostov in the Russian Premier League.

Sarkisov opened the scoring in the 31st minute and made it two shortly after the hour mark.

Dmitri Kirichenko pulled one back for the hosts 10 minutes from time, but they could not find an equaliser.

The win moved Volga four points above the bottom three.

Dutch Eredivisie

PEC Zwolle did their hopes of preserving their Eredivisie status the power of good as they battled back from an early goal to run out 3-2 winners against fellow relegation strugglers Roda JC.

Visiting Roda took the lead through Sanharib Malki after six minutes but goals from Bart Van Hintum (10) and Youness Mokhtar (32) saw PEC come roaring back.

Roda equalised through Bart Biemans 10 minutes before the interval but the hosts made sure of a win that takes them four points clear of danger when Denni Avdic netted 17 minutes from time.

PEC, promoted last season as champions of the Eerste Divisie, began the night just one point and one place above Roda, but are now up to 12th place after their seventh win of the campaign.

Roda remain third-bottom, mired in the relegation play-off zone.

Turkish Super Lig

Pablo Batalla bagged a brace as Bursaspor put distance between themselves and fifth-placed Kasimpasa by edging out Trabzonspor 3-2.

Batalla opened the scoring in the second minute and had to level proceedings 10 minutes before the break after Paulo Henrique and Halil Altintop turned the match on its head midway through the half.

Sener Ozbayrakli scored what turned out to be the winner a minute before half-time as Bursaspor moved three points clear of Kasimpasa.

Elsewhere, Necati Ates' 90th-minute penalty gave Eskisehirspor a 2-2 draw at home to lowly Elazigspor.

The hosts went ahead in the 13th minute through Diomansy Kamara, but goals either side of half-time from Koksal Yedek and Serdar Gurler put Elazigspor on course for the three points - until Ates equalised in the dying stages.

Danish Superliga

FC Copenhagen continued their seemingly unstoppable march towards a fourth Superliga title in five seasons with a 2-1 victory over Horsens.

However, the home side did not have it all their own way at Parken Stadium, conceding an 18th-minute goal to Charles Takyi before Cesar Santin levelled 12 minutes later.

It then needed a last-minute strike from Claudemir to secure the win which takes them 17 points clear at the top of the table with 10 matches left.

Horsens remain five points above the bottom two, having played a game more than the teams around them.

French Ligue 1

Marseille's Ligue 1 title hopes continued to recede on Friday evening as they were held to an uninspiring goalless draw at home to mid-table Ajaccio.

The stalemate marks the third time in four Ligue 1 games that OM have failed to find the target and leaves them nursing a run of just two wins in eight stretching back to January 26.

The points sees Marseille close to within six of leaders Paris St Germain, but that gap could grow when the capital club travel to St Etienne to play their game in hand on Sunday.

Marseille will also be looking anxiously over their shoulders after their latest below-par display, with St Etienne and Nice three points back as the race for the final Champions League berth hots up.