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Post by Bismarck on Feb 9, 2008 13:32:21 GMT
ROME, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Luis Figo is ready to return for leaders Inter Milan at Catania on Sunday after missing three months with a broken leg.
'I have healed. I'm not up to match rhythm, but I feel ready to return, maybe in the next league game, or the one after,' the Portuguese midfielder told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
'If I don't play, I can't regain the match fitness I lack.'
Brazilian defender Maicon and midfielder Cesar are injury doubts but defender Marco Materazzi should be available after missing Italy's 3-1 win over Portugual in a friendly midweek with a back problem.
France midfielder Patrick Vieira is suspended for being sent off against Empoli last week and Dejan Stankovic is sidelined with a leg muscle strain.
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Post by Bismarck on Feb 10, 2008 18:48:09 GMT
Juventus kept up their pursuit of the top two with a 2-1 victory over high-flying Udinese, while Milan made it four wins in a row.
Milan started the day 20 points behind city rivals and Serie A leaders Internazionale, and they were made to work hard before seeing off Siena 1-0.
Alberto Paloschi scored the crucial goal on 64 minutes, before Simone Vergassola was sent off for Siena eight minutes from time.
Juventus have been in fine form in recent weeks and they came from behind to defeat Udinese 2-1 and move to within four points of Roma in second.
Andrea Dossena put Udinese ahead after six minutes but Mauro Camoranesi drew Juve level on the hour mark and Vincenzo Iaquinta popped up with the winner in the 76th minute.
Sampdoria moved up to seventh with a hard-fought 2-0 win against Napoli.
It took until the 76th minute for Gennaro Delvecchio to break the deadlock, and Daniele Franceschini added a second after 82 minutes.
Palermo slipped to a 3-1 defeat against Torino despite taking the lead through Amauri after 36 minutes.
Almo Diana equalised in the 59th minute and David Di Michele fired Torino 2-1 ahead on 70 minutes.
Amauri was sent off five minutes later and Torino made the most of their extra man to seal the points with a second goal from Di Michele on 81 minutes.
Empoli boosted their chances of escaping relegation as they piled more pressure on out-of-form Lazio.
Ighli Vanucchi scored the only goal of the game after seven minutes for Torino, while Aleksander Kolarov was sent off for Lazio with three minutes of the match remaining.
Bottom club Cagliari were denied a crucial win as struggling Parma hit back from going a goal down to draw 1-1.
Jedaias Jeda opened the scoring for Cagliari after 34 minutes but Ferreira Reginaldo levelled just 60 seconds later.
Genoa rescued a point at Livorno as Marco Di Vaio's strike eight minutes from time cancelled out Francesco Tavano's opener (15).
Cagliari 1 Parma 1
Empoli 1 Lazio 0
Livorno 1 Genoa 1
Milan 1 Siena 0
Sampdoria 2 Naploi 0
Torino 3 Palermo 1
Udinese 1 Juventus 2
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Post by Bismarck on Feb 11, 2008 19:23:35 GMT
February 10, 2008
Catania Calcio 0-2 Inter Milan Livorno 1-1 Genoa Udinese 1-2 Juventus Cagliari 1-1 Parma Torino 3-1 Palermo AC Milan 1-0 Siena Empoli 1-0 Lazio Sampdoria 2-0 Napoli
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Post by Bismarck on Feb 11, 2008 19:24:08 GMT
MILAN, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Inter Milan battled to a 2-0 win at Catania on Sunday to remain eight points clear at the top of Serie A.
The hosts were the better side in the first half but Inter had a lucky break on 64 minutes when Esteban Cambiasso's tap-in from Javier Zanetti's header was allowed to stand despite him being just offside.
Substitute David Suazo netted with ease three minutes later to help the unbeaten champions up to 56 points and keep them clear of second-placed AS Roma, who put pressure on Inter by beating Reggina 2-0 on Saturday.
Cambiasso's strike is the latest in a number of controversial decisions which have gone Inter's way in recent weeks and following the goal Catania fans ironically applauded every decision of the referee.
Earlier substitute Alberto Paloschi finished superbly with his first touch in Serie A to hand a lethargic AC Milan a 1-0 win over Siena while Juventus won 2-1 at Udinese.
Paloschi, 18, found the far corner from the edge of the area on 63 minutes to help Milan in fifth go two points behind fourth-placed Fiorentina, who drew 2-2 at Atalanta on Saturday.
Milan have a game in hand against Livorno on Wednesday when they can jump into a Champions League spot having recently recovered from a woeful first half of the season.
'To score on your debut after 18 seconds on the field is incredible. I am very happy for him. He is a very determined and serious lad, the future is in his hands,' Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti told reporters of the youth team striker.
Ronaldo also started after recovering from another strain in an injury-ravaged season but he managed just 45 minutes in which he repeatedly looked dejected with his head down.
Milan, without injured Brazilian forwards Kaka and Pato, were hanging on at times with Mario Frick hitting the post and Tomas Locatelli having an effort ruled out for offside.
The pressure only eased when Siena captain Simone Vergassola was sent off for a handball which may have stopped a goalscoring opportunity on 82 minutes.
Third-placed Juventus also struggled until Mauro Camoranesi and Vincenzo Iaquinta netted in the second half after Andrea Dossena had given hosts Udinese an early lead.
Juve had won just once this year and looked likely to extend their bad run with sixth-placed Udinese bossing the first half.
Winger Camoranesi, fully fit after a thigh injury, headed in to spur on Claudio Ranieri's side before Iaquinta repeated Paloschi's trick by scoring straight after coming on.
The Turin side are 12 points adrift of Inter.
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Post by arover on Feb 12, 2008 11:39:26 GMT
Milan creeping up towards the top 4.
| Home | Away Team P W D L F A W D L F A GD PTS 1 Inter Milan 22 10 1 0 27 7 7 4 0 19 6 33 56 2 Roma 22 8 2 1 24 13 6 4 1 16 9 18 48 3 Juventus 22 7 3 1 23 4 5 5 1 19 15 23 44 4 Fiorentina 22 5 3 3 20 13 5 5 1 14 8 13 38 5 AC Milan 21 3 5 2 11 7 7 1 3 22 9 17 36 6 Udinese 22 5 3 3 15 15 4 3 4 10 12 -2 33 7 Sampdoria 22 7 3 1 20 7 2 1 8 9 19 3 31 8 Atalanta 22 4 5 2 21 16 3 4 4 13 16 2 30 9 Genoa 22 5 3 3 15 15 2 5 4 8 14 -6 29 10 Palermo 22 4 5 2 14 12 3 2 6 15 25 -8 28 11 Napoli 22 6 3 2 17 10 1 3 7 16 24 -1 27 12 Torino 22 3 6 2 12 9 1 6 4 11 17 -3 24 13 Lazio 22 4 2 5 14 16 1 6 4 10 15 -7 23 14 Catania 22 5 3 3 11 7 0 5 6 8 19 -7 23 15 Livorno 21 2 5 4 12 17 3 2 5 12 16 -9 22 16 Siena 22 2 6 3 16 13 2 2 7 9 19 -7 20 17 Parma 22 4 4 3 19 17 0 4 7 6 16 -8 20 18 Empoli 22 3 5 3 12 11 1 2 8 4 18 -13 19 19 Reggina 22 3 3 5 11 13 0 6 5 7 21 -16 18 20 Cagliari 22 2 3 6 8 15 1 3 7 9 24 -22 15
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Post by Bismarck on Feb 15, 2008 0:25:11 GMT
Juventus seek to ruffle Roma in title tilt ROME, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Juventus will look to show AS Roma on Saturday (1930 GMT) they must watch their backs in the race to challenge leaders Inter Milan for the Serie A title.
Juve have been surprisingly competitive on their return to the top-flight after an enforced spell in Serie B for a match-fixing scandal, but their chances of winning the championship have receded in recent weeks as they fell 12 points behind Inter.
Finishing second and earning automatic qualification for the group stage of the Champions League appears a more attainable target.
Juventus, with 44 points from 22 games, would pull within one of second-placed Roma by beating them in Turin this weekend.
The media have billed the match as a battle between Roma's slick soccer and Juve's character and determination.
Roma defender Christian Panucci insists his side also have plenty of grit allied to their technical ability.
'They are ballsy, but we are pretty ballsy too,' he told La Gazzetta dello Sport. 'Naturally, if they come in front of us at end, it means we have got something wrong'.
Brazilian defender Juan should be back from a foot injury for Roma.
Coach Luciano Spletti may rest some regulars ahead of Tuesday's Champions League clash with Real Madrid but captain Francesco Totti is expected to play, despite a bad back that has been troubling him in recent weeks.
Juventus boss Claudio Ranieri will be able to call on Guglielmo Stendardo as the defender has served a three-match ban he picked up with Lazio before moving on loan last month.
Inter, who lead Roma by eight points, are without suspended midfielder Patrick Vieira for Saturday's home game against Livorno (1500).
Fifth-place AC Milan will hope to put their bid for a top-four spot and Champions League qualification place back on track on Saturday at Parma (1700) after being held 1-1 by Livorno on Wednesday.
Milan striker Ronaldo will need surgery after suffering a knee ligament injury in the draw. Italian media suggested the injury could put an end to the 31-year-old's career.
Brazilian duo Kaka and Alexandre Pato are on the mend from their respective knee and ankle problems, but they may be saved for next week's visit to Arsenal in the Champions League.
Dutch midfielder Clarence Seedorf should be able to return from the knock that kept him out of the Livorno game.
Fiorentina, who are a point above Milan in fourth, host Catania on Sunday (1400).
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Post by Bismarck on Feb 15, 2008 3:23:31 GMT
Bad luck just seems to never end for Ronaldo. The first reports, released by SkySports just after the game, seem to suggest the Brazilian striker’s left knee suffered a crack in the rotulean tendon, something which at the age of 31, may put Ronaldo’s career seriously at risk (Gazzetta is talking about 9-12 months recovery time). At the end of the day it’s the piece of news that really stands out, making Livorno’s very good performance (and the draw they obtained at the San Siro) seem much less important.
Ronaldo’s diagnosis is very clear. Milan’s head of medicine Jean-Pierre Meersseman revealed: “After Ronaldo’s injury we decided at once to transfer the player to the Galeazzi hospital in Milan [one of the best orthopaedic hospitals in Europe]. There’s little to say about the seriousness of the injury - unfortunately they confirmed that it was a rupture to the tendons of his left knee. He will definitely need surgery. We are all distraught at what’s happened“. Recovery times for an injury like this span from 9 to 12 months.
Ronaldo’s immediate impression right after the injury, was to have sustained something similar which had happened on April 2000, when the Brazilian star severed the tendon in his right knee. Leonardo Araújo, the former Brazilian international now on the AC Milan staff list, declared: “He immediately realized it, the first words he uttered when he got to the changing room were ‘it’s the same thing as last time’. How do you think he’s feeling? We’ll see what to do now, but it will probably be all very quick“.
Indeed it will. As you are reading these lines, Ronaldo will have probably already left Milan, in order to meet with Dr. Saillant’s medical team in Paris, the same one that rebuilt his right knee 8 years ago. Milan’s head of medicine, Jean-Pierre Meersseman, and the head of the Sports trauma department, Dr. Walter Pascale, tried to reconstruct the events which lead to Ronaldo’s injury (”He was hit from behind, and likely lost balance on his standing leg“) and declared that the player’s left knee had been bothering him all year, despite the fact it didn’t prevent Ronaldo from training. Dr. Pascale however pointed out he DOES NOT consider this a career-ending injury for Ronaldo: “The previous surgery in 2000 had been a perfect success, and during the past 8 years medical techniques for these kinds of injuries have considerably improved. If everything goes well, he should make a full recovery“. Some much-needed optimism… for Ronaldo’s sake.
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Post by Bismarck on Feb 17, 2008 11:34:22 GMT
MILAN, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Inter Milan extended their lead at the top of Serie A to 11 points on Saturday after David Suazo's double earned a 2-0 win over Livorno while second-placed AS Roma lost 1-0 at Juventus in the late game.
In the day's top match Juve, who are third, took the lead when Alessandro Del Piero rifled in a free kick just before halftime to hand his side victory in an open game.
Roma's best chance came moments later when defender Nicola Legrottaglie diverted Rodrigo Taddei's cross onto his own post.
'We go on the field with aggression and determination and today we have played a good match,' Del Piero told Sky.
Manager Claudio Ranieri took a risk by playing Del Piero, David Trezeguet and Vincenzo Iaquinta in a three-pronged attack and the gamble almost paid off early on with Iaquinta going close.
Juve were more defensive in the second period but Roma could only muster a few opportunities with Gianluigi Buffon saving Daniele De Rossi's free kick.
Juve are now just a point behind Roma, who host Real Madrid in a Champions League last 16 first leg tie on Tuesday.
European champions AC Milan warmed up for Wednesday's Champions League clash at Arsenal with a 0-0 draw in Parma, which edged Carlo Ancelotti's men up to fourth.
Fiorentina could retake the Champions League qualifying spot if they manage at least a point at home to Catania on Sunday.
Milan welcomed back Kaka from injury but it was the struggling home side that threatened more in the first half with Andrea Pisanu missing his kick from a great position.
The visitors improved after the break with Kaka being denied by Parma goalkeeper Luca Bucci and Paolo Maldini coming on for his 1,000th career appearance.
Milan's keeper Dida was carried away on a stretcher after suffering from a back problem while sitting on the bench. They had already lost fellow Brazilian Ronaldo to a serious knee injury in Wednesday's 1-1 draw with Livorno.
Saturday's three matches were brought forward to allow Italy's three Champions League representatives more time to prepare for their midweek battles.
Inter's Suazo made the most of his chance with coach Roberto Mancini resting top strike duo Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Julio Cruz ahead of Tuesday's game at Liverpool.
The Honduran striker was virtually unmarked when he headed in Cristian Chivu's free kick after 14 minutes and soon netted his seventh goal of the campaign for the unbeaten champions after Livorno failed to clear Maxwell's cross.
'I'm worried. There were no doubts about our goals. What will they talk about tonight?' Mancini jokingly asked on Sky given recent controversies surrounding some of Inter's goals.
Inter received another boost for their trip to Anfield with Luis Figo coming as a substitute to make his first appearance since breaking his leg in November.
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Post by Bismarck on Feb 17, 2008 11:34:59 GMT
February 16, 2008
Juventus 1-0 Roma Parma 0-0 AC Milan Inter Milan 2-0 Livorno
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Post by Bismarck on Feb 22, 2008 1:49:22 GMT
February 17, 2008
Napoli 1-3 Empoli Reggina 1-3 Udinese Palermo 2-1 Cagliari Siena 0-0 Torino Fiorentina 2-1 Catania Calcio Genoa 0-1 Sampdoria Lazio 3-0 Atalanta
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Post by Bismarck on Feb 22, 2008 1:49:53 GMT
February 16, 2008
Juventus 1-0 Roma Parma 0-0 AC Milan Inter Milan 2-0 Livorno
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Post by Bismarck on Feb 22, 2008 1:50:40 GMT
MILAN, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Romania striker Adrian Mutu sent Fiorentina back up to fourth with a stunning second-half strike which secured a 2-1 home win over Catania in Serie A on Sunday.
Serbian Zdravko Kuzmanovic headed the hosts in front before Catania equalised through Juan Manuel Vargas, only for Mutu to conjure up his 14th goal of the league campaign when he chested down the ball, burst forward and shot from 25 metres.
The Florence side move three points ahead of AC Milan, who had temporarily gone up to fourth on Saturday following a 0-0 draw at Parma.
Udinese are two behind Milan in sixth after Italy's Antonio Di Natale scored twice in a 3-1 win at second-to-bottom Reggina.
Seventh-placed Sampdoria are two points further back after forward Antonio Cassano again pressed his case for an Italy recall with a superb display in a 1-0 win over Genoa in the city derby.
His expert cross set up Christian Maggio for the 87th-minute winner after Genoa's Danilo had been dismissed.
Leaders Inter Milan went 11 points clear on Saturday after they beat Livorno 2-0 and second-placed AS Roma lost 1-0 at Juventus in third.
The top teams played a day earlier because of midweek Champions League commitments, putting some of Serie A's other clubs in the spotlight on Sunday.
As well as the entertaining Genoa derby, Sicily's Palermo hosted bottom side Cagliari in a battle of the island capitals.
The Sardinians dominated the early exchanges but Palermo triumphed 2-1 to record only their second win in nine matches.
Lazio forgot their stuttering form to seal a 3-0 win over Atalanta thanks to Tommaso Rocchi's two penalties while Empoli moved out of the relegation zone after a surprise 3-1 win at Napoli.
Siena are level on points with third-from-bottom Parma after a dour 0-0 draw at home to midtable Torino.
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Post by Bismarck on Feb 22, 2008 2:12:30 GMT
PARIS, Feb 21 (Reuters) - AC Milan striker Ronaldo is due to leave hospital on Friday after the three-times World Player of the Year had knee surgery last week in Paris.
The Brazilian will attend a press conference at noon (1100 GMT) on Friday, the French hospital where he is recovering said in a statement.
Ronaldo, 31, had an operation on a ruptured left knee tendon after being injured playing for Milan in a 1-1 Serie A draw against Livorno.
He will not be able to do any sport for eight to nine months, doctors said. He should join a rehabilitation centre after leaving hospital.
Milan have yet to commit to a new contract for the player, who was making only his sixth appearance in an injury-plagued season.
Ronaldo's deal runs out in June and, with question marks hanging over his career, the European champions are not guaranteeing him a fresh contract despite saying they hope he plays for them again.
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Post by Bismarck on Feb 24, 2008 12:18:34 GMT
February 23, 2008
Reggina 2-1 Juventus Torino 4-4 Parma
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Post by Bismarck on Feb 24, 2008 12:19:19 GMT
MILAN, Feb 23 (Reuters) - A depleted Juventus missed the chance to go second in Serie A after a stoppage-time penalty gave lowly Reggina a 2-1 home win on Saturday.
Nicola Amoruso converted the controversial spotkick after Mohamed Sissoko had caught the striker in the head attempting an overhead kick. Juve midfielder Cristiano Zanetti was dismissed for protesting after the final whistle.
Forward Franco Brienza had put second bottom Reggina ahead when he latched on to Bruno Cirillo's mipoo effort and slotted home on 32 minutes.
Italy outcast Alessandro Del Piero equalised with his 11th goal of the league season when his long-range strike on 71 minutes squirmed under keeper Andrea Campagnolo, who otherwise had a good game.
Third-placed Juve are a point behind AS Roma, who host fourth-placed Fiorentina on Sunday. Inter Milan, 11 points clear at the top, visit in-form Sampdoria.
Claudio Ranieri's side felt hard done by after Pavel Nedved, Mauro Camoranesi and Sissoko, a January signing from Liverpool, had penalty appeals turned down.
Juve believe a number of key refereeing decisions have gone against them this season.
'If you have seen the whole match you can understand. We are just bitter. Three penalty episodes for us is only the tip of the iceberg,' Ranieri said.
The club are back in the top flight after spending last season in Serie B having been found guilty of gaining favourable referees in a match-fixing scandal.
Juve, who suffered their third league defeat, pressured in the second period but they lacked a cutting edge with strikers David Trezeguet and Vincenzo Iaquinta ruled out through illness and injury. Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon was also rested.
Earlier, Parma edged out of the relegation zone but threw away two points in a remarkable 4-4 draw at mid-table Torino.
Home striker David Di Michele grabbed the equaliser eight minutes from time after Parma had been 4-1 up in the first half with Andrea Gasbarroni netting twice and Stefano Morrone smashing in a stunning volley from outside the box.
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Post by arover on Feb 25, 2008 14:27:45 GMT
Home | Away Team P W D L F A W D L F A GD PTS 1 Inter Milan 24 11 1 0 29 7 7 5 0 20 7 35 60 2 Roma 24 9 2 1 25 13 6 4 2 16 10 18 51 3 Juventus 24 8 3 1 24 4 5 5 2 20 17 23 47 4 AC Milan 24 4 6 2 14 9 7 2 3 22 9 18 41 5 Fiorentina 24 6 3 3 22 14 5 5 2 14 9 13 41 6 Udinese 24 5 3 4 18 20 5 3 4 13 13 -2 36 7 Sampdoria 24 7 4 1 21 8 3 1 8 10 19 4 35 8 Genoa 24 5 3 4 15 16 3 5 4 13 17 -5 32 9 Atalanta 24 4 6 2 23 18 3 4 5 13 19 -1 31 10 Palermo 24 5 5 2 16 13 3 2 7 16 27 -8 31 11 Napoli 24 6 3 3 18 13 2 3 7 18 25 -2 30 12 Torino 24 3 7 2 16 13 1 7 4 11 17 -3 26 13 Lazio 24 5 2 5 17 16 1 6 5 10 16 -5 26 14 Empoli 24 4 5 3 14 11 2 2 8 7 19 -9 25 15 Catania 24 5 3 3 11 7 0 5 8 9 23 -10 23 16 Livorno 24 2 5 5 13 19 3 3 6 13 19 -12 23 17 Siena 24 2 7 3 16 13 2 3 7 11 21 -7 22 18 Parma 24 4 5 3 19 17 0 5 7 10 20 -8 22 19 Reggina 24 4 3 6 14 17 0 6 5 7 21 -17 21 20 Cagliari 24 3 3 6 9 15 1 3 8 10 26 -22 18
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Post by Bismarck on Feb 27, 2008 19:42:36 GMT
MILAN, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Juventus could only draw 0-0 with midtable Torino on Tuesday despite dominating the Turin derby.
Third-placed Juve, who had Pavel Nedved sent off for violent conduct in stoppage time, have endured an inconsistent February.
They are now three points behind AS Roma, who travel to leaders Inter Milan on Wednesday.
The first half was lively but Juve's Vincenzo Iaquinta had the only good opportunity when Matteo Sereni tipped over his strong header.
Juve coach Claudio Ranieri again opted for a front three at home, despite being without flu victim David Trezeguet, who scored the stoppage-time winner when Juve beat their rivals 1-0 in September.
Alessandro Del Piero, Raffaele Palladino and Iaquinta failed to really gel though, with Italy winger Mauro Camoranesi also looking unaccustomed to his central midfield role.
Del Piero had a second half effort and a free kick well saved by the excellent Sereni while Palladino was correctly flagged offside when he expertly netted. Iaquinta had three other half chances.
Alessandro Rosina hit the bar with a superb free kick but otherwise Torino, who drew 4-4 with Parma on Saturday, barely threatened Gianluigi Buffon. The keeper returned after missing the 2-1 defeat at lowly Reggina on Saturday with a back problem.
There was a small amount of trouble outside Turin's Stadio Olimpico but the derby was largely played in a good spirit before Nedved clashed with Torino players just before the final whistle.
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Post by Bismarck on Mar 2, 2008 3:47:38 GMT
ROME, March 1 (Reuters) - AS Roma thrashed Parma 4-0 at home on Saturday to cut Inter Milan's lead in Serie A to six points, while European champions AC Milan were held 1-1 by Lazio.
Strikes by Alberto Aquilani, Francesco Totti and Mirko Vucinic and a Giulio Falcone own goal gave second-placed Roma a win that puts them on 55 points from 26 games.
A Massimo Oddo penalty cancelled out Rolando Bianchi's opener at the San Siro and earned Milan a draw that leaves them one point behind fourth-placed Fiorentina and the Champions League qualification zone.
Inter can regain a nine-point lead by beating Napoli away on Sunday when third-placed Juventus also entertain Fiorentina.
In the capital, Italy midfielder Aquilani fired home in the 27th minute after Parma keeper Luca Bucci clumsily pushed a Marco Cassetti cross to his feet.
Roma doubled the advantage six minutes into the second half when Falcone found his own net in trying an overhead clearance while Christian Panucci lurked.
Parma had the ball in the other net from a free kick minutes later but a goal was disallowed for a foul that was hard to detect on TV replays.
Captain Totti drove in a thunderous strike from outside the box 10 minutes from time and Vucinic tapped in at the death to seal the win.
The result eased the Romans' disappointment at Wednesday's 1-1 draw away to Inter when Javier Zanetti's late equaliser denied them a win that would have opened up the title race.
It was also good preparation for next Wednesday's Champions League last-16 return leg at Real Madrid where Roma will defend a 2-1 advantage.
A shot from outside the area by 18-year-old Brazilian Alexandre Pato that did not trouble Lazio keeper Marco Ballotta was the highlight of a dour first half at the San Siro.
Dutch midfielder Clarence Seedorf came off in the 34th minute and Emerson was substituted at halftime, both because of muscular problems, which will be a concern for Milan in view of Tuesday's Champions League second leg against Arsenal.
Lazio took the initiative after the break and Milan keeper Zeljko Kalac had to produce fine saves to deny Goran Pandev and Tommaso Rocchi twice.
The visitors went ahead in the 54th when Bianchi tucked away a clever pass from Rocchi to score his second goal in two games.
Former Lazio full back Oddo levelled in the 66th after Valon Behrami brought down Kakha Kaladze in the area.
Lazio defender Lorenzo De Silvestri was sent off in the closing stages for cutting down Pato.
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Post by Bismarck on Mar 2, 2008 3:49:07 GMT
March 1, 2008
AC Milan 1-1 Lazio Roma 4-0 Parma
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Post by Bismarck on Mar 2, 2008 3:56:05 GMT
ROME, March 1 (Reuters) - Serie A basement side Cagliari have been deducted three points after taking unauthorised legal action against a former player for alleged defamation.
The club took action against defender Gianluca Grassadonia after he made a series of critical comments about Cagliari in a newspaper interview.
The Italian Soccer Federation (FIGC) has punished the club for breaking its rules on taking disputes outside the realm of sporting justice without permission.
Cagliari President Massimo Cellino said he would appeal.
'To the players and the squad I just say that the points have only been taken away temporarily,' he told La Gazzetta dello Sport on Saturday.
'This should not distract us from the road to safety (from relegation). I'm relaxed about how I handled things. I have always been careful to respect the rules. It's a big misunderstanding.'
Cellino was also banned for a year and fined 10,000 euros ($15,190), while the club received a fine of 20,000 euros.
The three-point deduction, if upheld, would be a huge blow to Cagliari's hopes of survival. It leaves them with 15 points from 25 games, nine points away from the survival zone.
'It's another body blow and a new hurdle to overcome, but I'm sure the three points will be given back,' coach Davide Ballardini told Cagliari's website.
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Post by arover on Mar 3, 2008 14:24:39 GMT
| Home | Away Team P W D L F A W D L F A GD PTS 1 Inter Milan 26 11 2 0 30 8 7 5 1 20 8 34 61 2 Roma 26 10 2 1 29 13 6 5 2 17 11 22 55 3 Juventus 26 8 4 2 26 7 5 5 2 20 17 22 48 4 Fiorentina 26 7 3 3 23 14 6 5 2 17 11 15 47 5 AC Milan 26 4 7 2 15 10 7 3 3 23 10 18 43 6 Udinese 26 6 3 4 20 20 5 3 5 13 15 -2 39 7 Sampdoria 26 7 5 1 23 10 3 1 9 11 23 1 36 8 Genoa 26 6 3 4 17 16 3 5 5 14 19 -4 35 9 Palermo 26 6 5 2 18 13 3 3 7 16 27 -6 35 10 Atalanta 26 5 6 2 27 19 3 4 6 13 21 0 34 11 Napoli 26 7 3 3 19 13 2 3 8 18 27 -3 33 12 Lazio 26 6 2 5 18 16 1 7 5 11 17 -4 30 13 Torino 26 3 7 2 16 13 1 9 4 13 19 -3 28 14 Siena 26 3 7 3 17 13 3 3 7 13 21 -4 28 15 Livorno 26 3 5 5 14 19 3 3 7 13 20 -12 26 16 Parma 26 5 5 3 21 17 0 5 8 10 24 -10 25 17 Empoli 26 4 5 4 14 13 2 2 9 7 21 -13 25 18 Catania 26 5 4 3 12 8 0 5 9 9 24 -11 24 19 Reggina 26 4 4 6 14 17 0 6 6 7 22 -18 22 20 Cagliari 26 4 3 6 11 16 1 3 9 10 27 -22 21
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Post by Bismarck on Mar 4, 2008 18:36:59 GMT
It finally happened. After 31 straight matches without a loss, Inter were eventually forced raise the white flag on Sunday, courtesy of a near-perfect Napoli team galvanized by the atmosphere of their home stadium. Seems hard to believe doesn’t it? The Nerazzurri had not lost a game since April 18th 2007 (a 3-1 home loss at the hands of Roma) but from then on, Mancini’s boys had accumulated a record of 23 wins and 8 draws, going on to win the 15th Scudetto of their history. Until today, it seemed as if nº16 was pretty much a done deal, but Napoli had other plans.
Meanwhile, things have gone from bad to worse at Juve: after losing against Reggina and tying the important derby vs. Torino, the Bianconeri suffered a come-from-behind victory at the hands of archrivals Fiorentina.
Bringing you the latest news from the Italy, mCalcio.com’s Marco Pantanella looks at Serie A’s two important matches from Sunday.
Napoli 1-0 Inter Milan Juventus 2-3 Fiorentina
Roberto Mancini’s ride at the San Paolo was bumpy to say the least, but not only because Inter lost. It’s how they lost which is rather worrisome for the Nerazzurri manager: the first half of tonight’s match showcased the worst kind of Inter anyone has seen this year, crumbling under the speed of Ezequiel Lavezzi and Marek Hamsik, and incredibly struggling with their tactical disposition. To be fair, I should also state that nearly half of the Inter team was unavailable due to injury (it’s especially annoying when that list includes two of this season’s best, Zlatan and Cruz), but frankly that is no breaking news material for the Nerazzurri: Mancini never had his full roster available this year, but whoever stepped on the field always did their best. Until tonight.
Napoli’s approach to the game was litterally lightning-fast, the first goal of the match arriving no later than minute 6. Reviewing video evidence of all of Julio Cesar’s matches this season, one would find it fairly hard to spot defensive mistakes made by the Brazilian goalie (such is their rarity). This one however, will likely feature nº1 in the list: from a long ball forward by Walter Gargano, Lavezzi went on to pressure the Inter keeper, forcing him to… attempt a dangerous dribble, and gift the ball to Marcelo Zalayeta for an empty net chip???!! Wait did he really do that… this Julio Cesar? Hard to believe, right? 1-0 Napoli.
From then on, the Neapolitans simply continued to build on some already very solid foundations: a strong midfield supporting the speedy incursions of their pacey players (Lavezzi and Hamsik in particular). Julio Cesar was once again called into action through the efforts of Paolo Cannavaro (header) and an almost Materazzi-own goal, but this time showed why he’s been getting the start over Francesco Toldo the past three years. Then, the selfishness of Zalayeta spared Inter from conceding goal nº2, as the Uruguyan striker put his shot wide from an angled position (with Lavezzi completely unmarked in the center). Inter during all this? Except for a David Suazo attempt in minute 19, they were absent. Nowhere to be seen. 1-0 Napoli at the break.
After the restart, the situation got from bad to worse for the Nerazzurri. Cristian Chivu had to leave the field, adding his name to the already crowded Inter injury list, and forced Mancini to modify his tactics yet again. On came Hernan Crespo taking the striker spot with Suazo, thereby forcing Balotelli to drop back one notch. The new entry did little to modify the pace of the game however, and Napoli simply resumed their assault onto their opponents’ net. Hamsik put Julio Cesar to work again and forced him to another great save, while Lavezzi continued his speedster race with the Inter defense, almost covering the entire length of the field. The Argentine “Pocho” did miss a few passes when it counted, but still managed to set up Walter Gargano right in front of the net in minute 73. The Napoli midfielder took the ball past Julio Cesar, who brought him down inside the box. Penalty.
Thankfully for Inter, their keeper had apparently made his mission tonight to compensate for his 6th minute mistake, and sprung to save Zalayeta’s shot from 12 yards to keep Inter in the game. With 15 minutes to go, this game was all but for Napoli to lose. Could the Nerazzurri pull yet another last-minute come-back, as they did against Roma only 4 days ago? Crespo and Suazo sure tried, but the Neapolitan defense was just too damn good today.
As the ref called full time, an explosion of joy invaded the stadium and signalled Inter’s fourth winless match. I was bitching about Juve in my previous post, but the Nerazzurri are in no better shape lately (except for the tiny fact they are still perched at nº1 spot, albeit with a a now-reduced-to-6-points advantage over Roma). Is it safe to say the Scudetto race has just been re-opened? Time will tell, or rather, Napoli: guess which team the San Paolo will host next Sunday? I’ll give you a hint: they wear a bright yellow/red jersey…
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NAPOLI-INTER 1-0 [Match Highlights] GOALSCORERS: 3’ Zalayeta (N) NAPOLI (3-5-2): Gianello – Santacroce, P.Cannavaro, Contini – Mannini (82’ Grava), Blasi, Gargano, Hamsik (93’ Bogliacino), Savini – Lavezzi, Zalayeta. (bench: Navarro, Rullo, Montervino, Dalla Bona, Calaiò). Coach: Reja. INTER (4-4-2): Julio Cesar – Maicon, Rivas, Materazzi, Chivu (dal 6′ s.t. Crespo) – Figo (78’ Jiménez), Vieira, Pelé, Maniche (46’ J.Zanetti) – Suazo, Balotelli. (bench: Toldo, Fatic, Stankovic, Solari). Coach: Mancini.
There are many ways I could start this game report. I could say that the last time Fiorentina won on Juventus soil was over twenty years ago, when Roby Baggio was still wearing the Viola shirt. I could also say that, compared to 1994 (when Juve came back from a 0-2 scoreline to tie the game, and then win it with a marvelous Del Piero volley), this time it was Fiorentina coming back from behind and beating the Bianconeri 3-2. I could even praise Cesare Prandelli who (unlike Ranieri) got his substitutions spot on today, with Papa Waigo turning scorer and provider and Osvaldo clinching the win. I could say all that.
But I will not. As a Juve fan, I am super weeed our team obtained only 1 point in the last 3 games… as a Juve fan, I am weeed at the substitutions the manager made today… and as a Juve fan, I am weeed at the final result. But the show must go on, so let’s get this over with.
The start of this match was pretty much to the advantage of the visitors, with Zebina and Molinaro having a lot of trouble with the Viola 3-man attacking formation. In particular, the added contribution of Martin Jorgensen really gave Fiorentina the extra edge up front, and it was no coincidence to see the Dane involved in La Viola’s first goal. unable to create space on the wings, and the absence of Pavel Nedved, the incumbent task of creating magic was left to Alessandro Del Piero. Even he however, was not being very fortunate (before the Viola opener, his great assist delivery for Trezeguet had been headed over the bar by the Frenchman). Meanwhile, Fiorentina continued to push and getting close to the 2-0 tally: Riccardo Montolivo put Buffon’s reflexes to work, and forced the Azzurri nº1 to deflect the ball onto the post.
Unexpectedly, during Juve’s toughest moment of the match, the Bianconeri pulled level. Following a corner-kick, the Fiorentina keeper missed his clearance, the ball stayed in the box eventually rebounding to Momo Sissoko. The Malian midfielder attempted a bicycle kick (seems to be his specialty this month), but this time instead of hitting an opponent in the shoulder, he struck the ball and managed to send it out of Frey’s reach. 1-1 in minute 28, and so it remained until the break.
In the second period, the home team decided to be a little more creative: Zebina and Molinaro were now giving their support on the wings, and what do you know? The goal came precisely from an accurate cross of the Italian wing-back. The recipient: Mauro Camoranesi, ready to slam a powerful volley from close-range onto Frey’s first post. 2-1 Juve in minute 57.
This is when the substitution carousel begun. Prandelli substituted Ujfalusi with Pablo Osvaldo (instructing Jorgensen to shift into right-back position), then put on Papa Waigo for Santana. In counterpart, Ranieri decided to play it safe and remove both Camoranesi and Del Piero, for the more defensive (and fresh) Antonio Nocerino and Vincenzo Iaquinta. See, in my opinion doing something like this will always come bite you in the ass later: these defensive substitutions work in the final 10-15 minutes of the match, but if you apply them with over a half hour left on the clock, you are running a big risk if the other team ties.
And so they did. Following an Osvaldo lost ball which ended up playing pinball with the Juve defense, Papa Waigo was left with space inside the box to fake Molinaro, then beat him between his legs into Buffon’s far corner. 2-2. Whopee for the Senegalese player, who scored his second goal in two games, and boo for the Juve backline.
Double boo in fact. In the last minute of stoppage time, when a draw seemed to be the generally accepted result (neither team had shown any significant desire to win it), Fiorentina made their last bet and won big. Another defensive mistake sent Papa Waigo in the clear on the right wing, ready to deliver a hard cross towards Osvaldo in the middle. Diving header (à la Batistuta) and 3-2 Fiorentina.
La Viola should be happy: they now are just one point from 3rd spot in the Serie A standings. As for Juve, these last 8 days have probably been their worst of the entire 2007-08 season.
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JUVENTUS-FIORENTINA 2-3 [Match Highlights] GOALSCORERS: 18’ Gobbi (F), 29’ Sissoko (J), 57’ Camoranesi (J), 76’ Papa Waigo, 93’ Osvaldo (F). JUVENTUS (4-4-2): Buffon – Zebina, Legrottaglie, Grygera, Molinaro – Camoranesi (66’ Nocerino), Sissoko, C.Zanetti, Palladino – Del Piero (71’ Iaquinta), Trezeguet. (bench: Belardi, Birindelli, Stendardo, Salihamidzic, Tiago). Coach: Ranieri. FIORENTINA (4-3-3): Frey – Ujfalusi (61’ Osvaldo), Kroldrup, Gamberini, Gobbi – Kuzmanovic, Donadel, Montolivo – Santana (66’ Papa Waigo), Pazzini, Jorgensen. (bench: Avramov, Dainelli, Pasqual, Da Costa, Cacia). Coach: Prandelli.
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Post by Bismarck on Mar 10, 2008 15:17:12 GMT
MILAN, March 10 (Reuters) - Domenico Di Carlo has been sacked as coach of Parma, the Serie A strugglers said on Monday.
Parma suffered their 12th league defeat of the season on Sunday when they lost 2-1 at home to Sampdoria.
The 1995 and 1999 UEFA Cup winners are fourth-from-bottom and level on 25 points with Empoli, who occupy the first of three relegation places.
'Parma announce that Domenico Di Carlo has today been relieved of his role as first team coach,' a statement said on the club's website.
Di Carlo was appointed in June after Claudio Ranieri quit and joined Juventus having kept Parma up at the end of last season.
The January signing of Italy striker Cristiano Lucarelli from Shakhtar Donetsk has failed to revive Parma's fortunes and Di Carlo has paid the price.
Italian media have said former boss Nevio Scala and ex-AC Milan coach Alberto Zaccheroni are favourites for the job.
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Post by Bismarck on Mar 10, 2008 15:18:01 GMT
March 8, 2008
Serie A: Rossoneri bounce back after UCL mauling In-form AS Roma maintained the pressure on Serie A leaders Inter Milan with a confident 2-0 win at Napoli on Sunday. Palermo 1-1 Udinese Inter Milan 2-0 Reggina March 9, 2008
Genoa 0-2 Juventus Siena 1-0 Fiorentina Torino 1-0 Atalanta Parma 1-2 Sampdoria Empoli 1-3 AC Milan Napoli 0-2 Roma Catania Calcio 2-1 Cagliari Lazio 2-0 Livorno
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Post by Bismarck on Mar 10, 2008 17:38:33 GMT
Lurking crisis shadows begone. Inter Milan are back on the winning track, obtaining their first victory after 3 winless matches in the Serie A (4 if you count their little mishap at Anfield two weeks ago), and making the party all the more special is the celebration for the Nerazzurri’s 100 years anniversary, or “Il Centenario” as they call it back in Milan (by the way, La Repubblica and La Gazzetta dello Sport have great websites dedicated to that, if you can read Italian).
In a San Siro stadium full of old Nerazzurri glories and the mind already wandering to Tuesday’s match vs. Liverpool, one might have foreseen that maintaining concentration wasn’t going to be easy for Inter today. However Mancini’s men rallied together, reversed their negative trend against a determined Reggina side, and brought home the win thanks to the goals by Ibrahimovic and Burdisso… with a little help from the referee. It’s reassuring to notice everything is still proceeding as ‘normal’ in the Serie A.
Meanwhile, Juventus have finally brought an end to their streak of 3 winless consecutive games, and played a great match of strong personality and tactical cohesion against Genoa, a match also highlighting the top-notch performance of an absolutely storming Zdenek Grygera.
Bringing you the latest news from the Italy, mCalcio.com’s Marco Pantanella looks at Serie A’s evening matches from the week-end.
Inter Milan 2-0 Reggina Genoa 0-2 Juventus
On paper, Nevio Orlandi’s (the third manager stepping on the Amaranto bench this year) Reggina seemed liked the ideal sparring partner in ancipation of the UEFA Champions League commitments. In practice, things were going to be much different for Inter. The club from Southern Italy turned out to be a tough competitor, with its players applying high pressure on the Inter back-line and midfield throughout the entire 90 minutes, and coming dangerously close to the home side’s goal a few times too many. Fortunately for the home team, Julio Cesar was in another one of his exceptional days of form.
In addition to their Brazilian nº1 keeping them safe, Inter could also count on the added support of the refereeing team. Yes, yet again! The foul by Tognozzi/Valdez on Esteban Cambiasso was all but evident, and will provide plenty of debating material for the week to come. Regardless, Zlatan Ibrahimovic stepped up to take the spot-shot, and brought his goalscoring drought to an end. 1-0 Inter in minute 14.
Before the half ended, Inter made their set-pieces training get to work and produced another two scoring chances. On the second one (minute 45) Ibrahimovic hit the crossbar, on the first one (minute 34) Inter increased their lead: exploiting a free-kick delivery by Luis Jimenez, Nicolas Burdisso went in to connect with a powerful header past Campagnolo’s arms. 2-0 Inter the score at the break.
After an energetic first period for both teams, Inter dropped back the rhythm to control the game in the second (you know, impending Champions League commitments and all). That is when the Julio Cesar show began: the Nerazzurri keeper turned into a veritable wall of bricks, replying with style and rapidity of execution to Amoruso’s and Halfredsson’s strikes. Eventually the match came to an end, and Roberto Mancini could bank an important 3 points before . Reds beware, the Nerazzurri have got their confidence back and will have 80,000 fans behind them on Tuesday.
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INTER-REGGINA 2-0 [Match Highlights] GOALSCORERS: 14′ pen. Ibrahimovic (I), 34′ Burdisso (I) INTER (4-3-1-2): Julio Cesar – Maicon, Burdisso, Materazzi, J.Zanetti – Vieira (72’ Figo), Cambiasso, Stankovic – Jiménez (64’ Rivas) – Crespo (46’ Suazo), Ibrahimovic. (bench: Toldo, Solari, Maniche, Cruz). Coach: Mancini. REGGINA (4-4-1-1): Campagnolo – Lanzaro, Cirillo, Valdez, Aronica – Missiroli (58’ Cozza), Barreto, Tognozzi, Modesto (58’ Hallfredsson) – Brienza (76’ Makinwa), N.Amoruso. (bench: Novakovic, Costa, Cascione, Stuani). Coach: Orlandi.
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There comes a time in the career of a soccer player (several times if he’s lucky/talented) during which he’ll have what is commonly known as “the perfect day”. Basically, a day during which every pass, every shot, and every touch of the ball will be dead on the money. While Juventus fans (myself included) are still waiting for that day to arrive for Tiago, the wait for Zdenek Grygera is over. With Del Piero left enduring the defenders’ heavy man-marking and Zanetti fighting off his physical problems, the Czech defender turned scorer, assist provider, and goal saver vs. Genoa today: a long-awaited performance from a player which, compared to pre-season expectations, has been slightly disappointing for the Bianconeri. To be only talking about Grygera however, would be unfair to this Juventus team and their coach Claudio Ranieri. Heavily criticized this week for Juve’s recent bad run of form (1 point in the last 3 games), the Italian manager was capable of restrengthening his troops, bring back tactical cohesion, and pick the right players for today’s Serie A engagements.
Speaking of ‘right’ players, Ranieri’s biggest (and most talked about) choice today was the inclusion of Zdenek Grygera from minute 1 in a rather unfamiliar left-back position. With Molinaro out of action, the most obvious adjustment would have perhaps been to shift Giorgio Chiellini to his ‘old’ wing-back role and insert Guglielmo Stendardo in the center, but the Juve manager has always had great confidence into the ex-Ajax center-back, and today we understood why. On the same wing, Hasan Salihamidzic replaced the suspended Pavel Nedved, while Momo Sissoko was given his second starting role of the season (alongside Cristiano Zanetti) in the Juve midfield. On the other end, Genoa manager Gian Piero Gasperini was also dealing with a few notable absentees but chose not to alter his regular 4-3-3 formation, fielding the Leon-Borriello-Sculli attacking trio supported by Abdoulay Konko in the center.
As the match started, the visitors immediately started to apply pressure on the home team, evidently remotivated by their manager and Gigi Buffon’s words earlier this week. An effective strategy for the first few minutes, until Genoa realized they were playing at home and it was up to them to dictate play. The Rossoblu’s fast counters started to instill feelings of anxiety in the Juve players, whose accuracy of controls and short passing began to falter. Nothing too worrisome for Ranieri mind you, but coupled with the physical problems of Zanetti, there were signs of a potentially rising problem amongst Bianconeri ranks.
That is when Grygera decided to take matters into his own hands, or in this case (a correction that will come easy) feet. In minute 25 following a Zebina free-kick from the right wing, the ball was controlled by Salihamidzic inside the box and cleared short by the Genoa defense, eventually rebounding towards the Czech wing-back slightly on the left. Grygera didn’t waste too much time thinking, and armed an absolute ripper with his right-foot from outside the box, on which Alessio Scarpi could only get a touch. 1-0 Juve with a goal that will make you say “BOOOYA!!” many times over.
From then on, the match changed to the advantage of the visitors. Zanetti returned to his midfield position, despite the slight injury problems, and Juve progressively grew in confidence. Not to mention they were featuring a Zdenek Grygera in superman-form on the left wing: controlling a long ball forward, the Czech player’s first touch towards the center opened up acres of space, and allowed him to converge to the edge of the box to slip the ball between Domenico Criscito’s (the on-loan player from Juve) legs. Beating the offside trap and receiving the pass: none other than David Trezeguet, one of the few players capable of disappearing from the match entirely, but who doesn’t need more than one opportunity to prove why managers leave him on the field for 90 minutes. The touch and finish low inside the right post meant 2-0 Juve in minute 33.
The two-goal deficit really sent Genoa into tactical chaos (or close to it). Finding it very hard to cross the midfield line, the Rossoblu were drawn to commit to a series of overly-energic challenges on which referee Emidio Morganti was forced to take appropriate punishment. The first half ended on a 2-0 scoreline for Juve, and a total of 5 yellow cards dished out by the man in charge.
The match ‘climate’ didn’t offer many improvements in the 2nd half, during which another 2 yellow cards were displayed (of course, the fact that pouring rain was coming down on Marassi stadium didn’t do much to help in that regard). Genoa however knew they needed to up the tempo and rapidly get on the scoreboard, or this match was as good as lost. The highlight of the match for Il Grifone came in minute 51, when a Fabiano cross from the left-wing found the tackled deflection (probably with an arm) of Marco Borriello, on which Buffon really had to show off his reflexes to keep Juve’s goal safe.
It was Genoa’s biggest chance to re-open the match, but alas the only one. Juve had by then resumed control of operations, with Zanetti winning back balls and executing spot-on passing, and Del Piero showing his technical mastery with a few one-touch controls on the run. Camoranesi and Sissoko were running their heart out, pressuring on each ball (perhaps too much) and otherwise actively participating in Juve’s offensive efforts. The Italian-Argentine even came close to goal, when a speculative goal-line clearance by Konko found his boot and forced Scarpi to a rather uneasy save (under the circumstances).
In the final minutes, Vincenzo Iaquinta (on for Del Piero) brushed the goal-post with a shot from outside the box, and Genoa had the opportunity the score one for honour in the last play of the game (Borriello’s cross finding Figueroa inside the box, but the shot was wide thanks once again to Grygera keeping guard). With this win, Juve’s distance to Fiorentina (who lost the Tuscan derby vs. Siena today) in the Serie A standings has been brought back to 4 points, and the rumours concerning Ranieri’s fragile job safety wiped out completely.
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GENOA-JUVENTUS 0-2 [Match Highlights] GOALSCORERS: 25’ Grygera (J), 32’ Trezeguet (J) GENOA (3-4-3): Scarpi – A.Lucarelli, De Rosa (78’ Figueroa), Criscito – M.Rossi, Konko, Milanetto (64’ Vanden Borre), Fabiano – Leon, Borriello, Sculli (59’ Di Vaio). (bench: Lanza, Ghinassi, Raggio Garibaldi, Masiero). Coach: Gasperini. JUVENTUS (4-4-2): Buffon – Zebina, Legrottaglie, Chiellini, Grygera – Camoranesi, Sissoko (69’ Nocerino), C.Zanetti (74’ Tiago), Salihamidzic – Del Piero (78’ Iaquinta), Trezeguet. (bench: Belardi, Birindelli, Stendardo, Palladino). Coach: Ranieri.
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Post by Bismarck on Mar 12, 2008 11:32:04 GMT
AC Milan president Silvio Berlusconi insists a move for Ronaldinho is not on the club's agenda this summer but admitted he still admires Andrei Shevchenko.
Milan are expected to rebuild an ageing team following a disappointing season in Serie A and a last 16 elimination at the hands of Arsenal in the Champions League.
And with Brazil striker Ronaldo out of action for several months with a knee injury, recruiting a forward is a priority for Milan.
Berlusconi is adamant, however, Barcelona playmaker Ronaldinho is not on their wish list.
'Ronaldinho has never been an aim of ours because we have always felt that he would not have been the ideal partner of players like Alexandre Pato and Kaka,' he said.
However, Berlusconi refused to rule out a move for Chelsea striker Shevchenko.
Former Rossoneri favourite Shevchenko has struggled to make an impact at Stamford Bridge and Berlusconi, who is godfather to Shevchenko's eldest son Jordan, is thought to be keen on taking him back to the San Siro.
'I believe Milan must make a point of reinforcing its defensive line and also find a great forward, who is physically strong,' said Berlusconi.
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Post by Bismarck on Mar 12, 2008 11:32:38 GMT
Inter Milan coach Roberto Mancini has announced he plans to leave the club at the end of the season - and insists the decision was made before his side crashed out of the Champions League at the hands of Liverpool.
Mancini made his intentions public after Fernando Torres' goal saw the Serie A leaders go down 1-0 to Liverpool at the San Siro to seal a 3-0 aggregate defeat.
The 43-year-old, who joined Inter in 2004 and led the club to back-to-back Serie A titles in 2006 and 2007, announced his news at the post-match press conference before a question had been asked.
'The next two and a half months will be my last as the coach of the squad,' he said.
'I have already told the players and it is only natural now to announce it to everybody. It's a decision that I had already made and it is not due to tonight's defeat.'
Mancini also insisted his decision has nothing to do with a reported rift between himself and club president Massimo Moratti, and claimed there was no ill-feeling between the pair.
'The president knows (I'm leaving), it isn't true that we had a fight,' he said.
'There is absolutely no problem between me and the president, I wish him all the best.'
He added: 'Now we have to remain focused on retaining the Scudetto. But Inter will remain being a great squad and a great club.
'We've got two and a half months to retain our title. This year it'll be difficult right until the end.'
Midfielder Esteban Cambiasso expressed his shock at the announcement, refusing to believe that his coach's decision was final.
'As far as I'm aware Mancini used the word `probably',' he said.
'We're both upset, both me and him, and we'll have to think about this some more when we've all cooled down.'
Mancini is Inter's most successful coach of the past decade, having won two Serie A titles, two Coppa Italia crowns and two Italian Supercups.
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Post by Bismarck on Mar 12, 2008 11:33:08 GMT
MILAN, March 11 (Reuters) - New Parma boss Hector Cuper said on Wednesday he was confident the club will avoid relegation from the Italian top flight.
The Argentine replaces Domenico Di Carlo, who was sacked on Monday after fourth-bottom Parma's 2-1 home loss to Sampdoria at the weekend.
'I still must have my first training session, give me time to get to know the squad well,' he told a news conference.
'In any case I can say that in these 11 matches we will do everything to stay in Serie A and I am sure we can achieve safety.'
Cuper, who led Valencia to two Champions League finals in 2000 and 2001, had a largely unsuccessful spell at Inter Milan between 2001 and 2003.
His last job was at Spain's Real Betis, where he was sacked in December.
Parma, the 1995 and 1999 UEFA Cup winners, are level on 25 points with Empoli, who occupy the first of three relegation places.
Di Carlo was appointed in June after Claudio Ranieri quit and joined Juventus having kept Parma up at the end of last season.
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Post by Bismarck on Mar 12, 2008 11:33:56 GMT
CLUB GP W L D PTS GD Inter Milan 27 19 1 7 64 36 Roma 27 17 3 7 58 24 Juventus 27 14 4 9 51 24 Fiorentina 27 13 6 8 47 14 AC Milan 27 12 5 10 46 20 Udinese 27 11 9 7 40 -2 Sampdoria 27 11 10 6 39 2 Palermo 27 9 9 9 36 -6 Genoa 27 9 10 8 35 -6 Atalanta 27 8 9 10 34 -1 Lazio 27 8 10 9 33 -2 Napoli 27 9 12 6 33 -5 Torino 27 5 6 16 31 -2 Siena 27 7 10 10 31 -3 Catania Calcio 27 6 12 9 27 -10 Livorno 27 6 13 8 26 -14 Parma 27 5 12 10 25 -11 Empoli 27 6 14 7 25 -15 Reggina 27 4 13 10 22 -20 Cagliari 27 5 16 6 18 -23
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Post by Bismarck on Mar 16, 2008 22:55:46 GMT
ROME, March 16 (Reuters) - Inter Milan beat Palermo 2-1 at home on Sunday to restore the champions' six-point lead at the top of Serie A after a troubled week.
Goals by Patrick Vieira and Luis Jimenez settled nerves at the club after coach Roberto Mancini said he was leaving at the end of the season following Tuesday's Champions League last 16 defeat by Liverpool. Mancini changed his mind the following day.
Inter have 67 points from 28 games, while second-placed AS Roma have 61 after coming from behind to beat AC Milan 2-1 on Saturday.
Juventus, who are seven points behind Roma in third, beat Napoli in the late Sunday game thanks to an 88th-minute strike by substitute Vincenzo Iaquinta.
Fiorentina tightened their grip on fourth place, worth a slot in the Champions League qualifiers, with a 3-1 home win over Genoa to move four points ahead of fifth-placed Milan.
At the San Siro, France midfielder Vieira nodded in a perfectly weighted chip from Zlatan Ibrahimovic to put Inter in front in the fifth minute.
The Sicilian visitors equalised in the 25th when the second of two quick-fire Julio Cesar saves ricocheted off Marco Materazzi and into the goal.
Jimenez had the ball in the net two minutes later but his header from the rebound of a Vieira shot that hit the crossbar was disallowed for offside.
But Chile international Jimenez restored Inter's advantage in the 36th when he threw off a marker with some smart control with his heel before firing home the winner.
'They are three very important points because they come after what happened in the week and Roma's victory yesterday,' Mancini told Sky television.
'We played a great first half, when we should have scored more than two goals. Our level of performance dropped a bit after the break, but we didn't risk anything.'
Juventus had most of the first-half possession against Napoli in Turin, but the visitors managed to disrupt their attacks with the help of a high foul count.
Juve captain Alessandro Del Piero came close twice in the second half and Napoli goalkeeper Matteo Gianello did well to save powerful shots from Tiago and Pavel Nedved.
Napoli's Austrian defender Gyorgy Garics almost headed in an own goal before Iaquinta broke the deadlock.
In Florence, Mario Santana volleyed the hosts in front after Adrian Mutu had set him up with a delightful lob.
Romania striker Mutu, returning from almost a month out with a knee injury, drilled in his 15th league goal of the season from the edge of the box on the half-hour mark.
Giampaolo Pazzini added a third before Uruguayan Matias Masiero pulled one back for Genoa in the closing stages.
Former Inter coach Hector Cuper started his stint in the Parma dugout with a 1-1 draw at fellow strugglers Livorno.
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