26 February 2013

BOLOGNA 2 (Motta 58, Lazaros 84)
FIORENTINA 1 (Ljajic 27)

A rapid counter attack gave Fiorentina the lead mid-way through the first half. Migliaccio gathered a loose ball and laid off to Aquilani and Ljajic slotted his disguised pass into the left corner. Motta headed in the equaliser from an absolutely wicked Diamanti cross. Lazaros punished a weak clearing header to blast in the winner 10 minutes from time.

Fiorentina are choking. Just as they had put a good run together they've fell away. The defence has shit the bed but at home they're formidable. It probably won't be enough for a top three place.

Attendance : 17,890
Assists : Aquilani, Diamanti, n/a


25 February 2013

UDINESE 0
NAPOLI 0

Attendance : 23,000
Assists : n/a


LAZIO 2 (Radu 29, Lulic 35)
PESCARA 0

Lulic held up a Gonzalez cross and touched the ball back to the onrushing Radu who went airborne as he struck a fantastically violent 20 yard shot that ripped into the net. As pure a shot as you'll see, for about six minutes then Lulic ran from the half-way line, beat two players and from 30 yards hit a nuke into the roof of the net.

Attendance : 20,000
Assists : Lulic, Hernanes


24 February 2013

SAMPDORIA 2 (Poli 33, Eder 83)
CHIEVO 0

Poli turned onto an Obiang pass and shot into the bottom right corner. Eder beat the Chievo defence to a longball and placed his shot into the bottom left corner.

Attendance : 20,002
Assists : Obiang, Mustafi


ATALANTA 2 (Livaja 8, Livaja 44)
ROMA 3 (Marquinho 12, Pjanic 34 fk, Torosidis 71)

In trying to help his defence clear a high ball Marquinhos sent a header back towards goal, Bonaventura bounced it off his chest and lifted a cross to the back post for teenager Livaja (on loan from Inter) to score his first Serie A goal. Marquinhos made amends when he intercepted a loose ball, ghosted past Contini then whipped a left foot shot inside the right post. Brilliant goal. Pjanic gave Roma the lead with a free kick though at this stage it was difficult to see exactly what happened. Carmona sent a high ball into the box and Livaja leapt in the air, miss-hit his volley but nonetheless the ball went in off his shin. The snow stopped falling in the second half. Bradley found Torosidis and the right flank and as he headed across goal the ball looped over before dropping inside the left post.

This match was played in a snow storm. It was barely noticeable early on. By the time Marquinhos equalised it was heavy and by the time of the third goal the entire pitch was white.

Attendance : 12,593
Red Card : Contini 89 (Atalanta)
Assists : Bonaventura, n/a, Osvaldo (won fk), Carmona, Bradley


CAGLIARI 4 (Sau 37 Pen, Conti 75, Pinilla 87 Pen, Conti 95)
TORINO 3 (Cerci 47, Stevanovic 54, Bianchi 92 Pen)

Sau had his legs taken out by Ogbonna as he attempted to shoot then picked himself up to convert the penalty. Cerci slammed in a loose ball to equalise and Stevanovic did the same to put Torino 1-2 up. Conti made it 2-2, heading in an absolute peach of a cross. Ogbonna, who had been booked when conceding the first penalty, saw red for tripping Pinilla. The ten men hit back to make it 3-3 after Astori brought down Bianchi for the penalty. Diop was sent off within a minute of replacing Barreto for elbowing Ekdal. Cagliari scored a lucky, lucky last gasp winner when Conti took a pop from distance and the ball struck a Torino defender wrong footing a helpless Gillet.

Attendance : 10,000
Red Cards : Ogbonna 85 (Torino), Diop 89 (Torino)
Assists : Sau (won pen), n/a, n/a, Cossu, Pinilla (won pen), Bianchi (won pen), n/a


JUVENTUS 3 (Lichtsteiner 30, Giovinco 74, Pogba 89)
SIENA 0

Lichtsteiner bundled in the first from a superb Vucinic cross. Giovinco broke from the wall as Siena were defending a free kick, turned onto Pirlo's pass and from a tight angle hammered a shot towards Pegolo's near post and he parried it into his own net. Pogba gathered a Giaccherini pass and as the Siena defence backed off he fired a shot inside the right post. Given most of his goals have come from distance backing off is the least effective way to defend against him.

Attendance : 38,628
Assists : Vucinic, Pirlo (fk), Giaccherini


PARMA 1 (Amauri 87)
CATANIA 2 (Lodi 5 fk, Keko 44)

Lodi hammered a low free kick goalwards and although it was struck with pace Mirante should have held it. Catania scored a lucky second when Castro's cross took a deflection, Mirante pushed the ball out but it struck Keko as he attacked the initial cross. Amauri flicked up a cross, turned and fired into the bottom corner. Had it not been done in slow motion it would have been a great goal.

Attendance : 10,984
Red Card : Legrottaglie 87 (Catania)
Assists : Castro (won fk), n/a, Biabiany


INTER 1 (Schelotto 71)
MILAN 1 (El Shaarawy 21)

El Shaarawy and Balotelli slipped when primed in front of goal and given this hasn't been a problem to date I doubt the part synthetic pitch is to blame. Zapata robbed traitor Cassano and stabbed a pass forward to Boateng, he split Nagatomo and Ranocchia with a through ball to El Shaarawy and he rifled a shot past Handanovic with the outside of his right foot. His first derby goal (I think). Handanovic made an all time great save to keep out an absolute beast of a header from Balotelli, a save that had the Italian commentary team in fits. Balotelli shot a tremendous De Sciglio cross at Handanovic and saw a goalbound free kick punched out. Abbiati made a brilliant point blank save to deny Guarin on a counter attack. Substitute Schelotto scored an ill deserved equaliser with a terrific header as Inter escaped with a point like thieves in the night.

Milan should have been thrashed Inter as soundly Fiorentina did but paid the price for not taking their chances. Handanovic won't play like this every week. Without him Inter would be mid-table at best. They're a shit side.

Attendance : 79,431
Assists : Boateng, Nagatomo


23 February 2013

PALERMO 0
GENOA 0

Attendance : 18,995
Red Card : Aronica 75 (Palermo)
Assists : n/a