13 March 2011
MILAN 1 (Cassano 82)
BARI 1 (Rudolf 39)
A clever free kick gave rock bottom Bari and their newish coach, Bortolo Mutti, the lead. Almiron played a pass into the space between the two walls, Rudolf broke, turned and angled a shot past Abbiati. Ibrahimovic was penalised for the umpteenth time for climbing over his marker, as the ref blew the giant Swede slapped Rossi in the ribs earning a red card that rules him out of the derby. Almiron should have doubled Bari's lead on the counter before Bari old boy Cassano equalised, gently volleying Antonini's cross between Gillet and a defender.
Ibrahimovic's trademark second half of the season slump continues. He's been complaining about being tired since DECEMBER. Now he gets a few weeks rest. As for the derby a lot rests on Pato's shoulder. It's high time he delivered for Milan in a big match.
Attendance : 61,363
Red Card : Ibrahimovic 73 (Milan)
Assists : Almiron, Antonini
CAGLIARI 0
UDINESE 4 (Benatia 42, Sanchez 44, Di Natale 48, Di Natale 54)
Benatia headed in the crucial first goal from a corner. I say crucial because once Udinese are in the lead they can then lay waste to teams on the break which is exactly what happened two minutes later. Pinzi won possession on the edge of his box and passed to Sanchez, he ran from the centre circle, dropped a defender with a series of stepovers 25 yards from goal, ran right, skipped past the 'keeper and tapped into an empty net with the commentator screaming "Goal ala Maradona" and it was. Ragatzu met a Lazzari cross with an amazing mid-air dropkick/volley but Handanovic saved. Agazzi punched a deflected Di Natale shot into his own net. Two defenders backed off as Di Natale approached the edge of the box, he quickly switched the ball from his left to his right and played in Sanchez on the overlap, the Chilean centred and Di Natale tapped into an empty net. They make it look so easy.
With Lazio faltering since December, barring injury Udinese will play in the Champions League next season. Finishing 3rd or even 2nd isn't beyond them.
Attendance : 10,000
Assists : Di Natale (ck), Pinzi, n/a, Sanchez
CATANIA 1 (Llama 75)
SAMPDORIA 0
Attendance : 10,000
Red Card : Tissone 23 (Sampdoria)
Assist : Lodi (ck)
CHIEVO 0
FIORENTINA 1 (Vargas 48 fk)
Attendance : 10,036
Assist : Behrami (won fk)
GENOA 1 (Floro Flores 77)
PALERMO 0
Attendance : 22,000
Assist : n/a
LECCE 0
BOLOGNA 1 (Ramirez 33)
Attendance : 7,000
Assists : n/a
ROMA 2 (Totti 70, Totti 93)
LAZIO 0
Matuzalem should have been sent off for raking his studs down Totti's face in an incident missed by the ref but not by the camera. Pizarro touched a free kick to Totti and his fearsome low drive clipped off Muslera as he dived under the ball. As Totti and Simplicio stood over a free kick a yard in front of a linesman, Radu ran over and did a Gattuso on Simplicio who to his credit didn't go to ground. Red card. Simplicio was sandwiched by two Lazio defenders in the box as he tried to meet a Taddei centre. Totti converted the penalty to score his 199th career goal.
Attendance : 48,955
Red Cards : Radu 87 (Lazio), Ledesma 91 (Lazio)
Assists : Pizarro (fk), Simplicio (won pen)
PARMA 1 (Palladino 29)
NAPOLI 3 (Hamsik 52, Lavezzi 57, Maggio 87)
Palladino gave Parma the lead with a fantastic goal. The Napoli defence failed to clear a corner and the Napoli born winger ran across goal and caught the ball on the drop, his volley arrowed inside the right post. Napoli have sorely missed the creative spark provided by Lavezzi in recent weeks. The Argentinean turned on the afterburners and went past Galloppa as if he wasn't there before centring, Hamsik got a touch to take the ball past Mirante. Napoli's second also came down Parma's left, Lavezzi passed infield to Hamsik 40 yards from goal, no one tracked his run onto the Slovakian's return pass and he angled a shot into the bottom left corner. Galloppa was sent off for a late studs up challenge for a high ball, Hamsik saw it coming and turned away, taking a boot to his left arm. Valiani's awful clearance gifted Napoli the third, he kicked the ball against Gargano and Maggio was first to the rebound.
Attendance : 16,273
Red Card : Galloppa 60 (Parma)
Assists : n/a, Lavezzi, Hamsik, Gargano
12 March 2011
CESENA 2 (Jimenez 41 Pen, Parolo 80)
JUVENTUS 2 (Matri 19, Matri 35)
This was one of THE games of the season. A fantastic Del Piero lead counter attack gave Bianconeri the lead. Del Piero burst from the half way line, Matri angled his run brilliantly between three defenders and as he turned goalside shot first time past Antonioli. We then witnessed one of the all time worst misses. A ball over the top sent the jet healed Giaccherini clear of the Juve defence, Buffon came off his line, like a bad caricature of former Juve great Peruzzi, Giaccherini's shot bounced off the inside of the right post, Giaccherini tracked it as it rolled to the opposite corner and about a metre from the line he shanked his shot towards the corner flag. Matri rode a bounce before lobbing a pass to the unmarked Del Piero, his volley thundered off a post and Matri headed the rebound into an empty net. Buffon again couldn't resist advancing off his line as Parolo bore down on goal, Parolo checked inside, Buffon tripped him and escaped a second red card in four weeks as Traore was the covering defender. As flares rained down on the pitch Jimenez kept his composure to convert the penalty and spare Giaccherini's blushes. Motta was sent off for kicking Giaccherini in the face when challenging for a high ball. Buffon made fantastic saves from Colucci and Jimenez. Juve had penalty appeals turned down, Buffon made another great save from a deflected shot but was finally beaten when Parolo fired home a loose ball.
Attendance : 21,932
Red Card : Motta 43 (Juventus)
Assists : Del Piero, n/a, Parolo (won pen), n/a
11 March 2011
BRESCIA 1 (Caracciolo 85)
INTER 1 (Eto'o 18)
After Eto'o gave Inter an early lead you would be forgiven for switching off thinking the three points were in the bag, well that's my excuse. Ranocchia headed on a Sneijder corner and Eto'o stabbed over. If Caracciolo had anything resembling a first touch Brescia would have been a goal to the good before Sneijder hit the woodwork with a shot from the edge of the box. Brescia survived sustained Inter pressure before equalising against the run of play. Cordoba headed a Diamanti corner towards his own net and Caracciolo headed past Julio Cesar. Minutes later Cordoba's phantom trip on diver Eder earned him a red and Brescia a penalty but justice was served when Julio Cesar saved from that big lummox Caracciolo.
Attendance : 30,000
Red Cards : Cordoba 89 (Inter), Caracciolo 95 (Inter)
Assists : Ranocchia, n/a