23 December 2006
 
ASCOLI 3-0

CHIEVO

Paolucci 8  

 

Bjelanovic 13, 37  

 

     
Ascoli owed their first victory of the season to a hat-trick of assists from '20
year old' midfielder Giampietro Perrulli, I say '20 year old' because he looks
35. All three of the goals came from crosses from the left flank. Paolucci got
between two defenders and slammed a left foot volley into the roof of the net.
Perrulli lobbed forward an excellent through pass to Bjelanovic and he struck a
low volley wide of Sicignano before adding a second with a header.

Attendance : 6,764
Red Card : Obinna 40 (Chievo)
Assists : Perrulli, Perrulli, Perrulli
 
 
CATANIA 4-2

SAMPDORIA

Spinesi 7, 45 (Pen)  

Palombo 22

Caserta 36  

Franceschini 40

Zenoni 88 (og)  

 

   

 

Sampdoria's goalkeeper gave the hosts the lead when he dived to parry a low
cross, despite the fact Accardi was perfectly placed to clear, he pushed the
ball straight to Spinesi leaving him with an easy tap in. Palombo vaulted
himself off the back of a Catania defender to head in the equaliser. Two
Sampdoria defenders, possibly nervous after Castelazzi's blunder, jumped for a
cross but missed allowing Colucci to tee-up Caserta and restore Catania's lead.
Franceschini equalised with a great half volley but Spinesi dealt Samp a fatal
blow from the penalty spot after Franceschini charged down a shot with his arm.
Spinesi may officially be credited with a hat-trick though his shot took a clear
deflection off Zenoni before looping over Castelazzi.

Attendance : 15,000
Red Card : Polito 90 (Catania)
Assists : n/a, Zenoni, Coucci, n/a, n/a, n/a
 
 
FIORENTINA 4-0

MESSINA

Toni 17  

 

Potenza 22  

 

Liverani 47  

 

Mutu 51    
     
Toni began the rout with a delicate lob over Storari after inevitably combining
with Mutu. Potenza latched onto a bouncing ball and scored at the second attempt
after his initial shot was charged down and in first half injury time Liverani
curled in a free kick. Montolivo released Mutu on the break and he made up
ground on a defender before finding the inside of a post.

Attendance : 29,220
Red Card : Zoro 44 (Messina)
Assists : Mutu, n/a, Mutu (won fk), Montolivo
 
 
INTER 2-1

ATALANTA

Adriano 65  

Doni 16

Loria 75 (og)  

 

     
Doni gave Atalanta the lead with a stunning first time strike from the edge of
the box. Adriano threw himself at a Figo cross to end a NINE MONTH goal drought
and understandably celebrated like a man possessed. Loria, who had a wretched
game in midweek against Udinese, got the last touch on a Figo free kick, heading
it past his own 'keeper. The game was briefly held up after flares was thrown at
Inter 'keeper Julio Cesar though fortunately these incidents have become
increasingly rare over the past 18 months.

Attendance : 49,659
Assists : Ariatti, Figo, n/a
 
 
LIVORNO 1-1

TORINO

Lucarelli 61  

Cioffi 24

 
Cioffi headed Torino into the lead with a bullet header from Rosina's corner.
While the Torino defence appealed for offside, Lucarelli headed in the
equaliser.

Attendance : 8,618
Assists : Rosina (ck), Passoni
 
 
PARMA 1-3

LAZIO

Budan 18  

Stendardo 30

   

Pandev 34

   

Rocchi 45

   

 

Both teams traded headers from corners. Rocchi flicked a ball around a defender
and from the by-line pulled it back for Pandev to slot home. A longball bypassed
Parma's 50 yard offside trap and Mauri raced downfield before centring for an
unmarked Rocchi to
score his sixth goal of the season.

Attendance : 12,427
Red Card : Siviglia 14 (Lazio)
Assists : Castellini (ck), Ledesma (ck), Rocchi, Mauri
 
 
REGGINA 4-1

EMPOLI

Leon 4  

Saudati 68 (Pen)

Amoruso 8, 27    
Bianchi 44    
     
Empoli had the best defence in Serie A leading into this match but that
particular statistic was undone inside ten minutes. Leon ran onto a loose ball
and through some half hearted tackles before catching Balli by surprise with an
early shot. Amoruso lashed in a rebound after Lucarelli's header struck team-
mate Modesto before bouncing off Empoli's Almiron. Tedesco found Amoruso with a
ball out wide and he ran into the box before shooting past Balli as three poorly
positioned defenders looked on. Having scored two himself Amoruso made the
fourth with a cross to Bianchi. Saudati converted a consolation penalty.

More so than Inter, who have been outstanding, Reggina are the team of the
season. For a club of their size, with such limited resources to overturn what
eventually became an 11 point deficit for whatever role they had in the
Calciopoli scandal is truly remarkable. Unlike other teams (namely Milan) they
haven't moaned incessantly in the press and have gone out in every match and
gave 110%. They're only three points from safety and baring a new year hangover
should have little problem in leapfrogging Cagliari, Chievo and Messina to
safety. Credit especially to the coach, the brilliant Walter Mazzarri and
strikers Amoruso and Bianchi.

Attendance : 10,440
Assists : n/a, n/a, Tedesco, Amoruso, Raggi (won pen)
 
 
ROMA 2-0

CAGLIARI

Taddei 5  

 

Mancini 56    
     
Panucci beat Del Grosso to a loose ball on the right edge of the box and floated
a cross towards the centre circle, Taddei, standing side on, jumped in the air
and smashed a scissor kick into the top right corner of the net. Of the many
overhead kicks scored in Serie A this season this was the best, so far. Pizarro
hit a ball out wide to Rosi, he played a one-two with Taddei before running into
the box and pulling the ball back for Mancini
to drill in his sixth goal of the season.

Attendance : 36,442
Assists : Panucci, Rosi
 
 
SIENA 1-1

PALERMO

Molinaro 42  

Simplicio 41

     
Simplicio, who is a long range specialist, ran onto a loose ball before beating
Manninger with a shot from the edge off the box. A minute later Molinaro headed
in a Locatelli free kick.

Attendance : 6,411
Assists : n/a, Locatelli
 
 
UDINESE 0-3

MILAN

   

Kaka' 31 (Pen)

   

Gilardino 35

   

Oliveira 76

   

 

Kaka' controlled a pass from Pirlo on his chest and just as he shot Pinzi dived
in with his left leg outstretched and kicked the ball away causing Kaka' to
loose his balance and fall over so the ref pointed to the spot. Harsh. Four
minutes later Jankulovski charged down the left flank and fired the ball into a
packed penalty area, it bounced off Obodo and Gilardino jumped in the air, went
horizontal and flicked out a right foot, volleying the ball into an empty net.
Great finish. Brocchi chipped a ball towards Oliveira, who was standing right of
centre in the penalty area, and he took in on his chest before firing between
the legs of De Sanctis. The Brazilian's first goal since the first game of the
season.

Ancelotti has earned himself a stay of execution with two successive victories
on the back of an excellent display at Fiorentina. All of this coincided with
the return of Gattuso and a change in tactics. Gattuso lines up on the left,
Brocchi on the right (instead of Seedorf) and Pirlo has moved up from sitting in
front of the defence to the centre of midfield. Someone better tell Gordon
Strachan.

Attendance : 18,369
Assists : Kaka' (won pen), n/a, Brocchi
 
 
R Mehdi