15 March 2009

ATALANTA 2 (Floccari 46, Floccari 73)
TORINO 0

Floccari, a supposed Roma target, headed Atalanta into a second half lead from Guarente's excellent cross. Cigarini sent a ball over the top of a Torino defence playing offside on the half way line, Floccari raced upfield and took what seemed an eternity to finish after dummying Sereni twice.

Attendance : 15,000
Assists : Guarante, Cigarini


LAZIO 0
CHIEVO 3 (Bogdani 27, Pellissier 29, Pellissier 84)

Bogdani got above two static centre backs to head in Frey's cross. Luciano tackled Kolarov as he tried to bring the ball forward and Pellissier scored one of the crappiest solo goals ever, he ran through three half hearted challenges before lobbing over Muslera. A spectacular dive earned Kolarov an early bath. Lazio weren't even trying at the end, Pinzi sent a ball down the left flank to Colucci and Pellissier tapped in his centre.

Attendance : 30,000
Red Card : Kolarov 65 (Lazio)
Assists : Frey, n/a, Colucci


PALERMO 5 (Cavani 11 Pen, Simplicio 19, Miccoli 41, Kjaer 57, Cavani 58)
LECCE 2 (Tiribocchi 17, Tiribocchi 34)

Vives fouled Cavani to concede an 11th minute penalty which the Uruguayan striker converted himself. Castillo headed a ball back into play following a mistake by Kjaer and Tiribocchi pounced to lash a volley into the roof of the net. Rosati fumbled a cross and Simplicio tapped in his 8th goal of the season. Tiribocchi levelled again after chasing down a longball and angling a shot into the bottom left corner. Miccoli put Palermo back into the lead for a third time though his goal owed more to Rosati's poor positioning than Liverani's pass. Kjaer scored a fourth with a sensational lob which would at first appear to be a cross but I seem to recall he's done it before. A minute later Simplicio and Cavani broke in tandem from the half way line onto a ball out of defence and the Brazilian unselfishly centred for Cavani to score his 10th goal and break double figures for the first time in his career. This boy is going to be really, really good.

Attendance : 30,000
Assists : Cavani (won pen), Castillo, n/a, n/a, Liverani, Miccoli, Simplicio


REGGINA 1 (Corradi 27)
NAPOLI 1 (Lavezzi 64)

Lanzaro jumped into Lavezzi when challenging for a 50-50 ball, amazingly the ref let it go (it's usually a yellow card in Serie A) Cozza turned onto the ball and threaded a pass between three defenders to Corradi who finished with a first time shot under Navarro. Reggina goalkeeper Puggioni dived at Zalayeta's feet after he latched onto a cross, the ball popped out from under him and Lavezzi slammed it into the left corner. Stuani's shocking late miss for Reggina ensured Donadoni marked his debut on the Napoli bench with a point.

Attendance : 9,000
Assists : Cozza, n/a


SAMPDORIA 2 (Pazzini 26, Pazzini 43)
ROMA 2 (Baptista 7, Baptista 70 Pen)

The Samp defence switched off as Tonetto crossed from the left and Baptista did what he failed to do on Wednesday against Arsenal, score from six yards. Pazzini met Cassano's glorious cross with a bullet header at the back post. The wretched, wretched Doni failed to hold Padalino's poor shot and Pazzini tapped in the rebound. Despite Motta's red card ten man Roma came away with a point after Baptista rifled home a penalty awarded when Padalino pulled back Tonetto on a free kick.

Attendance : 21,000
Red Card : Motta 62 (Roma)
Assists : Tonetto, Cassano, n/a, Tonetto (won pen)


SIENA 1 (Maccarone 62)
MILAN 5 (Pirlo 7 Pen, Inzaghi 48, Pato 55, Inzaghi 71, Pato 78)

Kharja fouled Flamini to concede a penalty. Five minutes later Milan lost Abbiati to a potentially serious knee injury after he collided with one of his own players, Favalli. Inzaghi volleyed Milan 2-0 up from Beckham's corner. The first of Pato's two goals was an explosive drive from 30 yards. Brilliant goal. Kaka' marked his return from injury by missing an empty net. Maccarone embarrassed Dida with a speculative, low drive which crept into the bottom corner. Beckham and Pirlo combined to play in Inzaghi for his 300th career goal and he made sure everyone knew by holding aloft a shirt with 300 Inzaghi on the back. Ronaldinho came on for Kaka', who limped off with an ankle injury, and released Pato with a 50 yard ball out of defence, he nutmegged Siena goalkeeper Curci, without touching the ball, then tapped it into an empty net. Beckham should have made it 1-6 late on.

Attendance : 15,000
Assists : Flamini (won pen), Beckham (ck), Pirlo, Zuniga, Pirlo, Ronaldinho


UDINESE 1 (Quagliarella 71)
CATANIA 1 (Mascara 25)

Mascara scored another amazing goal though this time he was only a mere 35 yards from the opposition net and not 50. The normally excellent Handanovic was rushed into a goalkick, Tedesco intercepted and passed to Mascara, with his back to play he juggled the ball off his knee, turned and sent a glorious half volley sailing over the Slovenian's head. Quagliarella, no stranger to spectacular goals himself, scored with a scissor kick from close range after Bizarri made a hash of a Sanchez set piece.

Attendance : 13,000
Assists : Tedesco, n/a


INTER 2 (Ibrahimovic 11, Ibrahimovic 94)
FIORENTINA 0

Mutu should have given Fiorentina the lead against his former club following a rapid counter attack from an Inter corner, Gilardino burst forward and played a centre to the unmarked Romanian who shot straight at Cesar. They paid the price minutes later when Frey, another former Inter player, punched a free kick against Ibrahimovic and he headed into an empty net. In the second half Mutu wasted another great chance on the counter while Santon should have scored his first ever Serie A goal after combining with Ibrahimovic. Mourinho was sent off for the second time in his Serie A career for dissent. Two minutes Ibrahimovic struck a fantastically violent free kick which crashed in off the underside of the crossbar.

Attendance : 51,535
Red Card : Mourinho 92 (Inter)
Assists : n/a, Ibrahimovic (won fk)


14 March 2009

CAGLIARI 0
GENOA 1 (Olivera 85)

Attendance : 15,000
Red Card : Cossu 39 (Cagliari)
Assist : Palladino


JUVENTUS 4 (Salihamidzic 49, Giovinco 71, Del Piero 75, Del Piero 87)
BOLOGNA 1 (Mutarelli 24)

Di Vaio ran onto a throw-in and dribbled past two defenders before slipping in Mutarelli with a great reverse pass and the midfielder nutmegged Buffon as he came off his line. Salihamidzic started a second half thrashing when he headed in a Giovinco corner. Having created half a dozen chances for his team-mates Giovinco put Juve in front with what appeared to be a miss-hit shot though with his talent you never know, he cut through a centre sending the ball curling away from Antonioli into the right comer. Del Piero wrong footed a defender as he received a Salihamidzic pass then fired wide of Antonioli. The duo combined for Juve's fourth, Del Piero finishing a marvellous pass at the second attempt.

Giovinco HAS to be called-up into the next Italy squad. Lippi needs to make him the cornerstone of the 2010 World Cup squad.

Attendance : 20,000
Assist : Di Vaio, Giovinco (ck), Iaquinta, Salihamidzic, Salihamidzic