23 August 2009
The new season started with a new piece of eye candy on Rete4's flagship football show Controcampo, Maria something or other, and compared to most of the women on Italian TV she was as big of a letdown as Milan's transfer campaign.
INTER 1 (Eto'o 56 Pen)
BARI 1 (Kutuzov 74)
Mourinho was forced into an early reshuffle when Muntari was substituted on 28 minutes after suffering from fatigue due to fasting. Eto'o converted an utter bullshit penalty won by master diver Milito who has a startling resemblance to former Napoli and Italy midfielder Fernando De Napoli. Eto'o converted then missed an open goal. Kutuzov, once on the books of Milan, recovered from a terrible first touch to slot Langella's centre past Julio Cesar. Rivas could have ended Mourinho's proud unbeaten home record which stretches all the way back to Porto but wasted a lucky deflection by blazing over.
Attendance : 53,369
Assists : Milito (won pen), Langella
CATANIA 1 (Morimoto 38)
SAMPDORIA 2 (Pazzini 9, Gastaldello 93)
Serie A's deadliest duo continued where they left off last season, pass by Cassano, goal by Pazzini. Cassano crossed outside a defender and Pazzini flew past another to shoot past Andujar. Morimoto drew the teams level when he capitalised on slack defending from a corner. Augustyn had the dubious honour of becoming the first place to be dismissed this season, for fouling Cassano. Andujar made a brilliant save to prevent Gastaldello from heading in the winner from a free kick but from the resulting corner the Sampdoria defender bonked heads with Potenza, as he hit the turf, the ball hit the back of the net, his team-mates congratulated him as he lay writhing on the ground.
Attendance : 14,000
Red Cards : Augustyn 77 (Catania)
Assists : Cassano, n/a, Ziegler (ck)
GENOA 3 (Criscito 49, Zapater 69 fk, Biava 83)
ROMA 2 (Taddei 54, Totti 64)
Genoa's Alberto Zapater, signed to replace Motta, had a fantastic debut. He headed down an overhit cross and Criscito, given far too much space by his marker, ran forward and angled a left foot shoot into the bottom corner. Amelia made a brilliant point blank save from Andreolli but Taddei headed in the rebound. Guberti, the only attacking reinforcement made by Roma over the summer, fired a half cleared cross back into the box and his captain stuck out his right foot, wrong footing Amelia in the Genoa goal. Marco Andreolli, who has been promoted to the first team after two years on loan, conceded a free kick on the edge of the D with a studs up foul on Juric. Needless to say he should have been sent off. Zapater stepped up an curled a right foot shot into the top left corner of the net, brilliant goal. Genoa completed their come from behind victory from another free kick. Zapater played the ball in low from the left, Sculli's shot was saved but Biava slammed in the rebound.
Attendance : 25,414
Assists : Zapater, n/a, Guberti, Juric (won fk), n/a
JUVENTUS 1 (Iaquinta 11)
CHIEVO 0
Attendance : 23,526
Assist : Diego (fk)
LAZIO 1 (Rocchi 22)
ATALANTA 0
Attendance : 20,000
Assist : Foggia
LIVORNO 0
CAGLIARI 0
Attendance : 10,724
Assist : n/a
PALERMO 2 (Cavani 44, Miccoli 75 Pen)
NAPOLI 1 (Hamsik 73)
Napoli hit the woodwork no less then three times and also had a goal disallowed. Maggio, with Cavani on his shoulder, tried to shepard a deflected cross back to his goalkeeper, Maggio fell to his knees and Cavani volleyed past De Sanctis. Hamsik tried his luck from distance and although Rubinho was perfectly placed his managed to let the ball slip through his fingers. Zuniga, who made his name at Siena with his marauding raids from full back, showed his defensive deficiencies by tripping Cavani in the box, a penalty all day every day. Miccoli made no mistake.
A big, albeit fortunate win for Palermo. Both teams have a genuine chance of claiming a Champions League place this season.
Attendance : 31,236
Assists : n/a, Gargano, Cavani (won pen)
UDINESE 2 (Di Natale 47 Pen, Di Natale 89)
PARMA 2 (Paloschi 43, Lucarelli 49)
Paloschi beat Udinese's offside trap to Morrone's through ball and coolly lobbed over Handanovic. Di Natale converted a penalty before Alessandro Lucarelli, who conceded it, got on the end of a Lanzafame free kick to restore Parma's lead. Thanks to goalkeeper Mirante Parma had the points in the bag until a dreadful mistake by Mariga on the edge of his own penalty area was ruthlessly punished by Di Natale.
Attendance : 14,000
Assists : Morrone, Zapata (won pen), Lanzafame, n/a
22 August 2009
BOLOGNA 1 (Osvaldo 24)
FIORENTINA 1 (Mutu 64)
Former Fiorentina striker Osvaldo had the honour of scoring the first goal of the season from Bombardini's superbly flighted corner, he didn't celebrate. Bologna failed to clear their lines when defending a corner, Mutu controlled Comotto's centre before blasting the ball into the rope right corner.
Attendance : 18,000
Assists : Bombardini (ck), Comotto
SIENA 1 (Ghezzal 34)
MILAN 2 (Pato 29, Pato 48)
Ronaldinho ripped through the Siena defence with a perfectly weighted pass, Pato turned onto the ball, feigned to shoot, drawing out Curci, then blasted into the bottom left corner. Milan gave up an immediate equaliser. Jarolim pulled down a Fini cross and fired the ball through Nesta's legs, Storari parried and Ghezzal slammed into the roof of the net on the follow-up. Pato restored Milan's lead with a brilliantly worked move early in the second half. Borriello headed down a longball to the teenager, he checked inside a defender, passed to Ronaldinho, Ronaldinho found Flamini in space down the left with a sublime pass, Flamini centred and Pato tapped in at the far post. Ronaldinho went close to extending Milan's lead with a stunning overhead kick and Pato blew a late chance to score his first Milan hat-trick.
Attendance : 15,000
Assists : Ronaldinho, n/a, Flamini