Hearts boost as German rivals are hit by double trouble

Key midfielder Heiko Gerber looks set to miss the second leg at Tynecastle after limping out of the 1-1 weekend draw against Bochum.

Gerber departed with 19 minutes of the match to go and coach Ralf Rangnick rates the 28-year-old as very doubtful for the game in Edinburgh.

Gerber also missed the first match through suspension.

It was the second blow of the weekend for the Stuttgart coach after his side were booed from the field after their poor display against newly-promoted Bochum.

Former Liverpool striker Sean Dundee rescued a point for Stuttgart with a last-minute equaliser, but it was not enough to appease the home supporters.

The Germans hold a 1-0 lead from the first leg, but Rangnick admitted: ''This was not a good performance from the team and we will have to do better in Edinburgh.''

In Austria, Sturm Graz coach, Ivica Osim, has warned Champions League hopefuls, Rangers, not to rule his side of Group D.

The Austrian champions were written off as no-hopers after their dismal 5-0 thrashing at Ibrox.

However, Graz's superb 3-0 destruction of Galatasaray last midweek resurrected their hopes of qualification and Osim has warned that they can recover from the nightmare of Glasgow.

Osim said: ''The players were very disappointed after the Rangers match and wanted to show that they had not forgotten how to play football.

''Against Galatasaray, it was another team to the one which lost to Rangers.

''Our confidence has been restored a little and we are looking forward to this week's game against Monaco.''

Sturm face the French, who have lost both matches so far, knowing victory could lift them into joint leadership of the group if Rangers lose in Turkey.

In Spain, Valencia scored three goals in the last 15 minutes to beat battling 10-man Numancia 3-0 yesterday.

A neatly taken double from Juan Sanchez in 76 and 83 minutes, and a cleanly struck shot from Vicente two minutes later, gave Valencia a somewhat flattering victory - their first away from home in the league this season.

The match turned when Numancia midfielder, Miguel Soria, was sent off for a second booking seven minutes from the end of the first half.

Victory gave Valencia six points from three games and left them one behind leaders Deportivo Coruna and Real Madrid.

On Saturday, Real beat Athletic Bilbao 4-1, while Deportivo were held 1-1 at Real Sociedad.

Barcelona, level with Valencia on six points, defeated Racing Santander 3-1 thanks to a Patrick Kluivert double and a late Marc Overmars strike.

In Italy, Lazio, Inter Milan and Parma all reached the Italian Cup quarter-finals yesterday.

After the trio drew their first legs 1-1, Lazio defeated Serie B club Sampdoria 5-2, Inter Milan came from behind to win 3-1 at Lecce and Parma cruised through after a 5-1 win over another Serie B club, Venezia.

Lazio went a goal behind in 16 minutes when Gaetano Vasari beat Luca Marchegiani with a cool

finish.

However, two goals inside two minutes from former Sampdoria favourite, Attilio Lombardo, gave Lazio the lead at the break.

Fabrizio Ravanelli extended Lazio's lead with a header three minutes after the break and Nestor Sensini added the fourth.

Francesco Flachi pulled a goal back for Sampdoria in 72 minutes, but a penalty from Ravenelli seven minutes from time restored Lazio's three-goal advantage.

Inter Milan struggled for almost an hour against Lecce, going behind to a Cristiano Lucarelli penalty in 10 minutes after

Laurent Blanc brought down David Balleri.

However, Inter equalised through Colombian defender Ivan Cordoba.

Robbie Keane put Inter ahead four minutes later and Recoba, a halftime substitute, clinched the victory.