24 February 2008
MILAN 2 (Ambrosini 24, Inzaghi 91)
PALERMO 1 (Bresciano 8)
Palermo took the lead with a fortuitous goal from a throw in. Cavani laid the ball back to Guana and he swung a cross into the box, Bonera and Amauri fell when challenging for the ball and Bresciano's shot deflected in off Oddo. Oddo, who has improved by leaps and bounds defensively since joining from Lazio a year ago, had forgotten how to cross the ball until today. Ambrosini rolled a pass out wide to the full back who waited for his captain to run into the box before delivering a perfect cross to the back post for the equaliser. Gourcuff replaced Kaka' on half time, who has been struggling with a knee injury ever since being chopped down in the Club World Cup final. He spent most of the half doing a very poor imitation of the Brazilian before combining with Ambrosini on the left flank and delivering a peach of a cross for Inzaghi to equalise.
Attendance : 50,643
Assists : n/a, Oddo, Gourcuff
ATALANTA 2 (Floccari 42, Floccari 46 Pen)
SIENA 2 (Bertotto 32, Locatelli 40)
Siena scored a scrappy goal from a free kick to take the lead. A spectacularly crap piece of defending gifted Locatelli the second. Rigano headed on a longball and Manfredini decided to head the ball over his goalkeeper as he advanced off his line. Locatelli slipped, probably from laughing, but quickly got to his feet to head into an empty net. Doni nonchalantly chested down a great cross and Floccari slammed the ball into the roof of the net then completed Atalanta's comeback in second half injury time, heading in a rebound after Manninger saved a deflected free kick.
Attendance : 9,500
Assists : Rigano, n/a, Doni, n/a
CAGLIARI 1 (Matri 87)
LAZIO 0
Attendance : 15,000
Red Card : Fini 62 (Cagliari)
Assists : Agostini
EMPOLI 2 (Giovinco 36, Budel 77)
CATANIA 0
Empoli followed up their stunning victory in Naples with three points against fellow strugglers Catania. Giovinco cut in from the left and beat Polito with a low drive. On 66 minutes Bassi saved a Spinesi penalty. Budel made it 2-0 with a fiercely struck shot from the edge of the box.
Attendance : 5,712
Assists : Tosto, Marchisio
LIVORNO 1 (Diamanti 74)
NAPOLI 2 (Calaio 58, Calaio 92)
Calaio headed Napoli into the lead from a set piece. Diamanti drew the hosts level with a superb left footed free kick which left Napoli goalkeeper Gianello rooted to the spot. Napoli coach Edy Reja was under pressure after a disastrous run of form had seen his side collect just one victory since beating Parma in early December but Calaio came to his rescue. Santacroce beat a defender to a 50-50 ball and passed to Bogliacino, he whipped a cross to the back post and Calaio beat Amelia at his near post.
Attendance : 7,000
Assists : Hamsik, Tristan (won fk), Bogliacino
ROMA 1 (Cicinho 54)
FIORENTINA 0
Attendance : 33,000
Red Card : Cicinho 92 (Roma)
Assist : n/a
SAMPDORIA 1 (Cassano 65)
INTER 1 (Crespo 76)
Sammarco headed a poor Materazzi clearance into Cassano and just as two defenders closed him down he struck a fantastic shot over Julio Cesar. Crespo sparred Inter a second consecutive defeat with only his third goal of the season, an excellent flick header from a Stankovic cross.
Attendance : 27,000
Assists : Sammarco, Stankovic
UDINESE 3 (Di Natale 28 Pen, Di Natale 39 Pen, Flores 72)
GENOA 5 (Leon 10, Sculli 43, Borriello 54, Borriello 78, Borriello 85)
Leon began the scoring in this crazy match with a brilliant shot from the edge of the box. Udinese rebounded with a brace of penalties. Sculli ensured the sides went in level on half time with a tap-in from Boriello's knockdown. Boriello set about scoring his second hat-trick of the season with a magnificent strike. With hisback to goal he chested down a pass, flicked the ball up with his left foot, turned and hammered a volley into the top left corner. Floro Flores jumped off the back of Rimoldi to equalise. Boriello made it 3-4 after the Udinese defence failed to clear a corner and completed his hat-trick with a diving header.
Attendance : 14,500
Assists : Fabiano, Inler (won pen), n/a, Boriello, Konko, Dossena, n/a, Fabiano
23 February 2008
REGGINA 2 (Brienza 32, Amoruso 93 Pen)
JUVENTUS 1 (Del Piero 71)
Cirillo hit a speculative shot from the edge of the box after latching onto a poor Sissoko clearance, the ball fell to Brienza and as the Juve defence were waiting for the offside flag he shot into the bottom corner of Belardi's net. An awful mistake by Campagnolo gave Juve their equaliser. Juve's captain dribbled past two players before trying his luck from 25 yards, his tame left shot squirmed under the goalkeeper's arms. Sissoko conceded an injury time penalty with an immensely stupid foul on former Juventino Nicola Amoruso. As Amoruso attacked a cross the midfielder jumped high in the air and attempted to scissor kick the ball clear, kicking Amoruso in the back and the former Juve player held his nerve from the spot to continue Reggina's annual second half of the season miracle escape.
Juve had two legit penalty appeals turned down. First when Valdez jumped on the back of Nedved to head clear a cross then in the second half Sissoko made a bit meal of a ridiculous challenge by Valdez. I'm crying on the inside. Ironically a previous encounter between the sides was one of the matches at the heart of the Calciopoli scandal. That time Paparesta was locked in his dressing room by Juve's fixer and GM dirty Luciano Moggi after 'denying' them a penalty in a 'controversial' 2-1 loss. Juve have written to the FIGC and referees association begging for the officials to stop making them pay for Calciopoli. Can we get some cheese to go with the whine?
Attendance : 23,000
Red Card : Zanetti 95 (Juventus)
Assists : Cirillo, Zanetti, Amoruso (won pen)
TORINO 4 (Stellone 11, Natali 45, Stellone 68, Di Michele 82)
PARMA 4 (Gasbarroni 29, Gasbarroni 32 fk, Morrone 42, Budan 43)
After just 11 minutes the Parma defence were done by a longball, Stellone ran clear of two defenders before whacking past Bucci. Parma's Kenyan midfielder McDonald Mariga (yes that is his name) used his power to mug Natali in the Torino box before centring for Gasbarroni to equalise. Gasbarroni put Parma in the lead up with an incredible free kick, probably the best I've seen this season. 10 minutes later Morrone pierced the top right corner with a sensational volley from the edge of the D. A great pass sent Budan in on goal and despite a poor shot the ball bounced high off Sereni before dropping into an empty net. Shocking defending left Natali unmarked to head in a Rosina free kick at the end of the half. The Parma defence miraculously held out until the 68th minute when Stellone got on the end of a Recoba corner with a crisp volley. Di Michele completed an extraordinary comeback with a close range lob after man of the match Stellone flicked on a goalkick.
Attendance : 18,000
Assists : Pisano, Mariga, Mariga (won fk), n/a, Gasbarroni, Rosina, Recoba (ck), Stellone