EVERYONE DOES JUVE A FAVOUR
Juve go three points clear as Lazio's away nightmare continues. Baggio and
Recoba inspire Inter to a rare away win. More pathetic defending by Milan
as they comeback to draw at home to Lecce. Udinese smash five past Venezia
and Parma are stunned at home by Perugia.
22 JANUARY 2000
ROMA 2-1 PIACENZA
Di Francesco 47 Piovani 47
Totti 74
Piovani gave Piacenza the lead with a pathetic free kick, how Antonioli
didn't save his slow motion effort is a mystery. Roma (the 'keeper not club)
made a good stop from Totti just before half time.
Montella dribbled into the box as he was blocked Totti poked the loose
ball onto Di Francesco for the equaliser. Delvecchio should have given Roma
the lead from Nakata's corner. Totti, having gone close with an overhead
kick, controlled a beautiful Cafu cross with his hand and his shot took a
wicked deflection off Delli Carri past Roma. Di Napoli wasted two great half
chances to equalise. Piacenza desperately miss Simoni Inzaghi's pace. Roma
looked like they were stuck in 2nd gear.
Red Card(s) : Candela 73 (Roma)
Attendance : 55,000
CAGLIARI 0-0 LAZIO
With an outrageous first touch, Mancini controlled a long Boksic pass and
turned inside Zebina but shot wide. Scarpi pulled off a magnificent Hollywood
save from Mancini's header. Boksic attempted to chip Scarpi and then
pathetically went down in the box after Scarpi touched his socks.
Veron finally did something of note for the first time in weeks, forcing
Scarpi into making a incredible save with a shot from outside the box. Suazo
missed Cagliari's best chance, lifting the ball over after awful Lazio
defending from a corner. Pancaro headed wide from a corner and Nedved shot
straight at Scarpi following good work from Simoni Inzaghi.
Lazio have picked up two points from their last 3 away games and haven't
scored a goal and this despite playing against relegation threatened teams.
23 JANUARY 2000
BARI 1-0 FIORENTINA
Spinesi 83
Heinrich wasted a cross from the curiously named Vakouftsis. Di Livio ran
onto a Chiesa through ball and then stupidly tried to round the 'keeper,
stupid given his lack of ability to do anything other than run, run, run
and occasionally get in a good cross.
Toldo then pulled off a contender for save of the season someone managing
to hurl himself across goal to claw out Andersson's header. Minutes
later he was at it again, Marcolini brilliantly pulled down a cross and
smashed a half volley goalwards but Toldo tipped it wide. Having made
another brilliant save from Innocenti's free kick he was finally beaten by
Spinesi's low header from Marcolini's cross.
This season it's Toldo and not Rui Costa, Batistuta or the criminally
under-appreciated er criminal Edmundo who provides the entertainment.
Given his height (about 1.96m) Toldo he has to be the most athletic 'keeper
in Europe but he still gives away too many rebounds.
Attendance : 30,000
MILAN 2-2 LECCE
Maldini 62 Lucarelli 29, 56
Bierhoff 69
4 Milan players in defence V 2 Lecce's players. What happened next? Milan
target Lucarelli gave Lecce with the lead with a great volley from Lima's
cross. Jose Mari went close with a header and shot from outside the box.
Chimenti saved a Shevchenko free kick.
De Ascentis launched a 50yd ball, Jose Mari held it up and then laid it off
for Bierhoff, he smashed a shot off the crossbar, Jose Mari's header hit
Shevchenko and the Ukrainian hit the rebound straight at Chimenti. Balleri
launched a long ball of his own, Lucarelli had N'Gotty and Costacurta for
company, can you say impending doom? As Abbiati came out of his goal N'Gotty
attempted a back pass, Lucarelli ran onto the ball and tapped into an empty
net. N'Gotty will not start another game for Milan, if he was Italian
obviously he would (see Albertini and Costacurta). Milan's tactically
challenged coach then brought on Ambrosini and Boban for Albertini and
Jose Mari. Maldini ran onto a Guly through pass and squeezed a shot under
Chimenti. Boban whipped in a free kick, Guly fell over and Bierhoff
scrambled the ball into the net. Ambrosini struck the inside of the post
following good work by forgotten man Serginho and Shevchenko, Boban's follow
up was blocked and he also struck the crossbar from a free kick.
Attendance : 55,000
REGGINA 0-2 JUVENTUS
Kovacevic 35
Zidane 64
This was the live afternoon match and Colombo was on the other side. I was
seriously tempted to switch over but decided against it. Zidane may have
scored a great goal but I just can't help wondering how Colombo nailed his
man this time? And why the hell do they always use the same actors? Anyway
I digress.
Taibi made a great from Zidane's free kick and Baronio denied Zidane with
a block on the goal-line. Taibi having already came out and completely missed
a cross repeated the trick as Kovacevic headed in Del Piero's corner.
Zidane put the gloss on Juve's victory with a fabulous goal, he played a one
two with Del Piero, ran towards goal and with a sharp turn humiliated
three defenders, burst into the box and smashed the ball high past Taibi.
Fantastic goal. Tacchinardi struck the post with a fierce shot from outside
the box.
Attendance : 27,000
TORINO 2-1 BOLOGNA
Ferrante 25, 54 Signori 66
Signori crashed a fee kick off the crossbar. A hilarious opening goal -
the Bologna defence cleared a ball, Brambilla played it back in, Bologna
ran out to play offside but no flag, Ferrante let the ball bounce before
drilling it past Pagliuca. He wasn't offside, superb officiating. Ferrante
flashed a volley wide again from Brambilla's cross.
They combined again for Torino's second, Brambilla with a lofted cross
and Ferrante with a sweet over the shoulder volley high into the net.
Ingesson crossed into the box, Andersson eventually headed the ball down for
Signori to volley past Bucci. New signing Jurcic headed wide from Brambilla's
corner. Fontolan blew a great chance to equalise from Tonetto's cross.
Another TIM advert aired and I suddenly got one of those urges to buy a
phone!
Attendance : 20,000
UDINESE 5-2 VENEZIA
Fiore 9 Ganz 2
Sottil 19 Nanami 41
Muzzi 29, 51
Jorgensen 93
Two players on loan from Milan combined for the opening goal, Orlandini
with the cross and Ganz with the finish. Fiore curled in a free kick. Sottil
headed in Van er Vegt's corner. Giannichedda stripped Volpi of the ball and
passed to Muzzi who ran 40yds, kept turning in an attempt to shrug off two
defenders and as he lost his balance he stuck out a boot and the ball
trickled past Konsel. Orlandini pressed Jorgensen into making a mistake,
Maniero picked up the ball and set up Nanami with a perfectly weighted pass,
Nanami fired a first time strike past Turci.
Muzzi intercepted a hospital pass from Nanami, ran through and screwed a
shot inside the post. Jorgensen skipped 3 tackles as he slalomed into the box
and cracked a shot past Turci.
Attendance : 17,000
VERONA 1-2 INTER
Laursen 34 Recoba 48
Baggio 73
Recoba struck the post from a free kick, Seedorf also hit the woodwork.
Morfeo sent a free kick into the box, Laursen broke from the wall with only
Georgatos for company and poked the ball past Peruzzi.
Baggio started the second half and played in Jugovic, his path to goal was
blocked but Recoba was on hand to sweep the rebound past Frey. Verona
screamed blue murder for a penalty after Cordoba and Cammarata tangled in
the box. Recoba someone managed to lift the ball to Baggio from the by-line,
Baggio slid in to beat Frey. Morfeo was sent off for a nothing challenge on
Moriero. Frey made a great save with his feet to deny Seedorf.
Attendance : 30,000
Red Card(s) : Morfeo 84 (Verona)
PARMA 1-2 PERUGIA
Ortega 89 Calori 27
Olive 35
Di Vaio headed straight at Mazzantini from Ortega's cross and Crespo made a
mess of the rebound. Di Vaio also had a goal disallowed for offside. Very
tight but the right decision. Heavy fog then descended on the pitch and
Perugia took full advantage. Parma headed out a cross, Calori blasted a
volley past Buffon. Olive made it 2-0 with a first time strike after
Melli cut the ball back from the by-line.
Thuram blocked a clearance, Ortega beautifully flicked the ball off his chest
onto Crespo but his shot was brilliantly saved by Mazzantini. Mazzantini
made a fantastic save from Di Vaio's header but was helpless as Ortega put
away the rebound.
Attendance : 18,000
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