22 May 2011

BOLOGNA 0
BARI 4 (Grandolfo 28, Grandolfo 46, Grandolfo 54, Huseklepp 78)

The story here and arguably the story of the weekend was Bari's 18 year old striker, Francesco Grandolfo, scoring a hat-trick on his full debut. He scored his first from sis yards, tapping in a Huseklepp centre. Within a minute of the restart he scored goal #2, controlling Gazzi's centre with his right, he struck a perfect low right into the bottom corner. Superb finish. He tapped in his third and completed his hat-trick from another Huseklepp centre. Huseklepp capped a magnificent performance with a lovely first time finish on the break. Strambelli's angled centre was brilliant. Strambelli is an awesome name.

Huseklepp is fantastic player. Milan need to sign him. Perfect back-up for Ibrahimovic.

Attendance : 18,658
Assists : Huseklepp, Gazzi, Huseklepp, Huseklepp, Strambelli


BRESCIA 2 (Eder 19, Accardi 88)
FIORENTINA 2 (Vargas 2, Cerci 75)

Vargas did it again. Hot on the heals of his amazing goal against Udinese. Zoboli gave away the ball on the edge of his own penalty area, Zebina headed out a cross and Vargas ran towards the edge of the D and both his feet left the ground as he caught the ball with a magnificent right foot volley, sending it screaming inside the left post. Eder ran through after two Fiorentina defenders collided and shot into the bottom corner. Vargas drove a 50 yard ball at Babacar, he headed it down to Ljajic who played in Cerci on the overlap, he patiently waited for the goalkeeper to commit before scoring his 6th goal in the last 5 games. Frey, making his second start after a long lay off following knee surgery, was forced into a brilliant point blank save from a corner and Accardi smashed in the rebound.

Cerci was tipped for greatness having played at every youth level for Italy from U16 to U21 but he never got a look in at Roma and jobbed around at lesser clubs on loan. He's finally found a home. Italy haven't had a decent winger since Popeye Lombardo and that's going back 20 years. If Cerci keeps this up next season he's got a shot at Euro 2012.

Attendance : 3,000
Assists : n/a, n/a, Ljajic, n/a


CAGLIARI 1 (Feltscher 55 og)
PARMA 1 (Bojinov 34)

After a post and Parma's stand-in goalkeeper kept the home side at bay, Parma scored with a textbook counter. Valiani clipped a ball over Cagliari's stupidly high line, Giovinco ran into the box and centred for Bojinov, 0-1. Astori headed a swerving free kick towards goal and Feltscher headed past his own 'keeper. It was the least they deserved, they were by far the better side.

Attendance : 5,000
Assists : Giovinco, Astori


GENOA 3 (Floro Flores 6, Floro Flores 17, Palacio 46)
CESENA 2 (Bogdani 49 Pen, Jimenez 86)

The superlatives have been overused in a round of games littered with fantastic goals and Floro Flores scored another one. He ran in from left of centre and had a shot charged down, a yard or so away from the goal-line, he corked his body and lashed a right foot half volley into the top left corner. Rafinha won a ball in midfield and Palacio countered before centring for Floro Flores to tap in his second and finish the second with a career high13 goals. Palacio beat Cesena's offside trap and took the scenic route past their goalkeeper before walking the ball into the net. Perini tripped Bogdani to concede the penalty and a clearly disinterested Genoa defence failed to track Jimenez as he ran onto Malonga's pass to score his 8th of the season, also a career high.

Floro Flores is almost 28 and having spent most of his Seriea A career as a link man he's revelling in his new role of main striker.

Attendance : 26,655
Assists : n/a, Palacio, Floro Flores, Bogdani (won pen), Malonga


INTER 3 (Pazzini 15, Pazzini 48, Nagatomo 63)
CATANIA 1 (Ledesma 66)

Pazzini smashed home a loose ball to open the scoring. Stankovic released Milito down the left with a great pass and Pazzini converted his centre. Typical Inzaghi style goal. Kharja played a ball square to the onrushing Lucio but a defender prevented him from firing off a shot, the ball broke to Nagatomo on the far right of the penalty box and he took a touch before unleashing a spectacular right foot drive from an absolutely stupid angle into the top left corner. It may have taken a deflection. Inter's defence are of course incapable of keeping a clean sheet under Leonardo and they ball watched Ledesma score from an Izco cross. Samuel almost marked his long awaited return from injury with a goal.

Samuel could have been on THE great defenders of his generation but for injury. He's every bit as good as Nesta but a lot more industrious with his tackles. A latter day Jorgen Kohler though obviously not as good, no one was.

Attendance : 56,072
Assists : n/a, Milito, n/a, Izco


PALERMO 1 (Nocerino 15)
CHIEVO 3 (Pellissier 41, Constant 67, Pulzetti 80)

The first goal has to go down as a mistake by Squizzi who was the umpteenth reserve goalkeeper to get a game on the last day of the season. Nocerino cut in from the left and tried his luck from 20 yards, the ball bounced past Squizzi and inside the near post. Chievo, who had nothing to play for, ramped up the pressure and Pellissier scored a spectacular equaliser. The Undertaker (Moscardelli) chipped a ball over a defender up to Pellissier who was wide left on goal, as he tried to control the ball it bounced up off his thigh so he adjusted his body and rifled a high volley into the top left corner. Pellissier knocked down a Fernandes cross and Constant slammed a first time shot past Sirigu. Pulzetti put the icing on the cake with another wonderful shot. Moscardelli missed several sitters and after shanking a shot with the goal at his mercy booted the right post 3 times. He should have given it a tombstone piledriver.

Palermo clearly had their minds on the Coppa Italian final.

Attendance : 20,888
Assists : Pastore, Moscardelli, n/a, Constant


JUVENTUS 2 (Chiellini 47, Matri 84)
NAPOLI 2 (Maggio 21, Lucarelli 70)

Sosa recovered a ball and from the right flank and swung in an amazing cross, Sosa connected with a near post diving header. Chiellini equalised after the Napoli defence failed to clear a corner. Commie sympathiser Lucarelli, a former Serie A Capocannoniere, headed in his first goal of the season from a corner. Matri, left unmarked on the edge of the penalty area, flicked up an Aquilani cross and placed his shot inside the right post.

There's lot of talk that Juve are in the market for a striker. With Matri and Quagliarella I don't see the need, they have pressing concerns in other areas of the pitch.

Attendance : 23,389
Assists : Sosa, n/a, Lavezzi (ck), Aquilani


LECCE 2 (Coppola 33, Piatti 42)
LAZIO 4 (Rocchi 6, Zarate 35, Zarate 54 Pen, Vives 62 og)

Rocchi opened the scoring after beating the Lecce defence to a longball. In this ridiculously open contest chances went begging at both ends, Muslera made an incredible save from a fiercely struck volley, Zarate clipped a post and Rocchi had a shot cleared off the line. Coppola equalised with an outrageous lob, Vives chipped an angled ball over the Lazio defence and Coppola jumped, caught the ball on the volley and it shot up high into the air before dropping under the crossbar. Zarate put Lazio back in front following a one-two with Rocchi. Piatti rifled home a loose ball to bring a sensational first half to a close.

Benussi floored Rocchi to concede a penalty and kill of Lecce's chances of getting anything out of this match. Vives volleyed a Lazio corner past Benussi. Up until the red card this was one of the games of the season.

Attendance : 18,200
Red Card : Benussi 54 (Lecce)
Assists : n/a, Vives, Rocchi, Munari, Rocchi (won pen), n/a


ROMA 3 (Totti 31, Vucinic 70, Borriello 86)
SAMPDORIA 1 (Mannini 26)

Lobont spilled a fiercely struck drive from Ziegler and Mannini tapped in the rebound. Totti squeezed a shot inside the bottom left corner to draw Roma level. Vucinic put Roma in front with a, yes, brilliant goal. He turned inside a defender onto his right foot before driving hard past stand-in goalkeeper Junior Costa. Pizzaro touched a free kick to Totti and he laid into the ball with a vengeance, knocking Costa off his feet, Borriello tapped in the rebound.

Attendance : 28,000
Assists : n/a, Perrotta, Totti, n/a


UDINESE 0
MILAN 0

Amelia was superb for Milan and saved a Di Natale penalty, the second major one he has missed (Euro 2008). This time it didn't matter as Udinese got the point they need to get into the Champions League. Guidolin danced at full time. Exactly how you would expect an old man to dance.

Attendance : 31,000
Assists : n/a