From Brazil to Bulgaria and beyond, it's time for your weekly fix from planet football.

BRAZIL

Palmeiras converted three penalties in the last 20 minutes on the way to a 4-1 win over arch-rivals Sao Paulo 4-1 in the Paulista championship on Sunday.

Adriano, on loan from Inter Milan, headed Sao Paulo in front in the 38th minute on a rain-soaked pitch, but Palmeiras, under former Real Madrid and Brazil coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo, equalised five minutes later with a goal from Kleber.

The game turned Palmeiras's way when flamboyant Chilean midfielder Jorge Valdivia went down in the penalty area in the 76th minute. After three minutes of Sao Paulo protests, former Brazil forward Denilson converted.

Five minutes later, it was Valdivia's turn to score after Kleber was judged to have been fouled by Juninho, who was sent off. Forward Diego Souza won and converted the third penalty in injury time.

Palmeiras, who have 28 points from 15 games, moved up to second in the Paulista, one of the numerous state tournaments that kick off the marathon Brazilian season. Guaratingueta lead with 31 points.

Brazilian champions Sao Paulo, who are focusing on the South American Libertadores Cup, are seventh with 26.

Flamengo finished with nine men in a 3-2 loss to Botafogo in the Carioca championship in Rio de Janeiro.

Jonatas and Obina were dismissed for violent conduct in the final five minutes as Botafogo avenged a defeat by the same opponents three weeks ago. The previous match produced three red cards and ended with bitter complaints from Botafogo that Flamengo's goal celebrations had been provocative.

ARGENTINA

Boca Juniors and River Plate were involved in goalless draws on Sunday as a weekend of violence in Argentine soccer came to an end.

South American champions Boca missed a chance to go top of the Clausura championship when they were held 0-0 at Huracan, despite dominating most of the game.

River drew at home to bottom club Racing Club, a result which left the hosts undefeated after five games and the visitors winless after six.

Huracan goalkeeper Marcelo Barovaro denied Rodrigo Palacio and Fabian Vargas after both were put clean through in the first half - then produced another brilliant stop from Palacio just before the interval.

In the second half, Boca striker Martin Palermo was close with a left foot shot and Sebastian Battaglia hit the post in a goalmouth scramble.

Around two hours before kick off, one man was stabbed and 174 were arrested as Boca fans fought amongst themselves near their club's headquarters.

Police said the fight involved rival factions of the organised supporters club known as The 12.

Boca dropped to third with 12 points from six games, one point behind Velez Sarsfield and Estudiantes. Velez lead on goal difference.

Velez's game at San Lorenzo on Saturday was called off minutes before kick off after a 21-year-old supporter was killed by unidentified gunmen who shot at a convoy of buses taking their fans to the game.

News of the incident sparked a riot inside the ground, where Velez fans attempted to break down fencing and invade the pitch.

Saturday's match in the northern city of Jujuy was postponed after police said they could not safeguard the match because they were needed at the headquarters of the state government, where employees have gone on strike to demand higher wages.

SERBIA

Partizan Belgrade won 1-0 at Hajduk Kula to stay five points clear of champions and city rivals Red Star, who maintained their challenge with a 2-0 home win over OFK Belgrade .

Former Serbia centre back Nenad Djordjevic kept Partizan in the driving seat with his second goal in as many 1-0 wins for the club after returning from a one-year spell at Japanese J-league side Jef United Ichihara.

Second-half goals from Ognjen Koroman and Ecuador midfielder Segundo Castillo kept Red Star two points ahead of third-placed Vojvodina Novi Sad, 1-0 winners at bottom side Bezanija.

RUSSIA

Zenit St Petersburg kicked off their title defence with a 0-0 home draw against last season's runners-up Spartak Moscow in a tepid opening day encounter.

Promoted Shinnik Yaroslavl, back in the top flight after a year, earned a 1-1 draw at CSKA Moscow after Juris Laizans cancelled out a Jo Alves opener for the home side.

Terek Grozny gave their fans in the Chechen capital nothing to cheer about in a 3-0 home defeat by Krylya Sovietov Samara.

HUNGARY

A tight title race continued with three points separating the top five after champions Debrecen, Honved, Gyori Eto and Ujpest all won to keep up the pressure on leaders MTK Budapest.

MTK, who were at home to struggling Diosgyor later on Monday, are level on points with Debrecen, 2-1 winners at Zalaegerszeg , and city rivals Honved, who beat Paks at home by the same score.

Fourth-placed Gyori are a point behind them after a 4-1 home rout of Siofok with Ujpest in fifth a further two points adrift following a 3-0 success at sixth-placed Kaposvar.

POLAND

Wisla Krakow stretched their unbeaten run to 21 matches after a 2-1 win at Lech Poznan left them 13 points ahead of Groclin Grodzisk, who won at LKS Lodz by the same score.

Wisla striker Pawel Brozek scored at both ends, grabbing a 70th-minute winner after bundling in a first half own-goal that cancelled out Marek Zienczuk's opener.

CROATIA

Champions Dinamo Zagreb extended their advantage at the top to 18 points with a 4-0 home drubbing of Cibalia Vinkovci after Rijeka drew 1-1 with NK Zagreb and slipped from second to third on goal difference.

Dinamo's traditional rivals Hajduk Split moved into second position after coming from behind to beat Sibenik 4-1 at home.

ROMANIA

Front-runners Cluj were held to a 0-0 draw at Ceahlaul Piatra Neamt and their lead was cut to six points after champions and closest rivals Steaua Bucharest eked out a 1-0 home victory over Unirea Urziceni.

BULGARIA

A late Evgeni Yordanov goal handed CSKA Sofia a 3-2 home win over Spartak Varna to keep them eight points ahead of Lokomotiv Sofia, who strolled to a 4-1 success at Marek Dupnitsa.

NETHERLANDS

Luis Suarez scored a hat-trick to inspire Ajax Amsterdam to a 4-1 victory over Willem II Tilburg.

The result narrowed PSV Eindhoven's lead to four points after they were held to a 1-1 draw at Roda JC Kerkrade.

Jefferson Farfan opened the scorings for PSV Eindhoven midway through the second half but Marcel Meeuwis struck from close range to salvage a point in stoppage time.

Third-placed Feyenoord cruised to a 4-1 home win over VVV Venlo and have 54 points.

PORTUGAL

Benfica missed the chance to consolidate second place in the Portuguese Premier League when they drew 1-1 at Maritimo on Sunday.

Porto, who beat struggling Leixoes 2-1 away on Saturday, hold a 16-point lead on 57 points with seven matches remaining.

Benfica and in-form Vitoria Guimaraes, who beat bottom club Uniao Leiria 1-0 on Friday, share second place with 41 points, but with the Lisbon team ahead on head-to-head results.

Vitoria Setubal, who lost 2-1 at relegation-threatened Pacos Ferreira, are fourth on 37 and Sporting, who host Nacional Madeira on Monday, are fifth a further three points behind.

Middle-of-the-table Maritimo took the initative in the opening minutes and Benfica keeper Quim twice produced fine saves to deny Brazilian midfielder Marcinho.

Benfica went in front against the run of play after 26 minutes when Paraguyan striker Oscar Cardozo, unmarked inside the box, headed home a cross from the right by Romanian defender Laszlo Sepsi.

The Madeira island team clinched the deserved equaliser when Brazilian winger Ytalo came off the bench to clip the ball past keeper Quim from a counter-attack after 76 minutes.

GREECE

Xanthi striker Tomasz Radzinski scored his second hat-trick of the season to inflict a 3-2 defeat on title hopefuls Panathinaikos in the Greek Super League on Sunday.

The Canadian international opened the scoring in the 10th minute before firing home again in the 58th and 68th minutes to give Xanthi a 3-0 lead.

Panathinaikos wasted a number of good scoring chances before Helder Postiga lashed home a shot from the edge of the penalty area in the 70th minute.

The Greens then ensured a nail-biting finish when Dimitris Salpigidis headed home a second in the 76th minute.The referee added on six minutes of injury time but even that was not enough for Panathinaikos to rescue a point.

The result meant Panathinaikos have now dropped a place to second, two points behind Olympiakos Piraeus, who have 58 points from 25 games.

Olympiakos supplanted Panathinaikos from the top thanks to their 2-0 win over Atromitos Athinon on Saturday.

AEK Athens, held to a 1-1 draw at home to Aris Salonika , are third with 53 points.

Edinho put AEK ahead on the stroke of halftime and they appeared to be heading for a win until Brazilian midfielder Thiago Gentil snatched an equaliser with two minutes remaining.

Giorgos Fotakis scored twice for Larissa as they demolished struggling OFI Crete 5-1.

Iraklis eased their fears with a 1-0 win over Panionios while Levadiakos also gave themselves a lifeline with a 2-0 win over fellow strugglers Apollon Kalamarias.

Apollon now prop up the table with 19 points, one behind Veria and two behind Ergotelis.

JAPAN

Asian champions Urawa Reds ditched German coach Holger Osieck on Sunday, just two games into the new J-League season.

The 59-year-old guided Japan's best-supported side to the Asian Champions League title last season but was fired 24 hours after Urawa were beaten 2-0 at home by Nagoya Grampus Eight.

Osieck's dismissal followed an emergency meeting by Urawa officials, still smarting from the team's failure to defend their J-League title in 2007.

Assistant coach Gert Engels, 50, will take over as manager.

Reuters