SERIE A ROUND 20
 
LAST MINUTE MISERY

A controversial last second Crespo penalty salvages a point for Parma. Juve
slump to their second consecutive draw allowing Lazio to leap frog them into
first place. Milan and Roma keep up the pressure with thumping wins.

5 FEBRUARY 2000

CAGLIARI			2-1			PERUGIA
Berretta 35, 44						Amoruso 32 (Pen)

Sogliano was sent off for handball, his second bookable offence. Melli fouled
a Cagliari player in his own box so naturally the ref awarded a penalty to
Perugia. Amoruso converted. Mazzantini made two great saves from long range
shots before being beaten by a tap in from Berretta, Oliveira with the cross.
Mazzantini spilled a tame shot by Oliveira and Berretta put away the loose
ball. Mazzantini kept the score down in the second half, Scarpi wasn't tested.
O'Neill had a great game.

Red Card(s) : Sogliano 27 (Perugia), O'Neill 88 (Cagliari)
Attendance : 15,000


UDINESE			1-1			JUVENTUS
Jorgensen 37						Ferrara 76

Zambrotta blazed over the bar after the ball broke to him from an attempted
clearance. Sosa juggled a Muzzi cross off his chest and blasted a half volley
towards goal but Van der Sar got down brilliantly. He made  a super save
from a Muzzi drive minutes later. Udinese were awarded for their pressure
when Jorgensen brilliantly converted Sosa's cross. Udinese cleared off the
line at the end of the first half.

Tudor was sent off for a clumsy foul on Fiore. Zidane headed on a Del Piero
cross but Kovacevic volleyed high over the bar. Turci came out and flapped
at Del Piero's cross leaving Ferrara to head in the equaliser. Juve only
threatened from set pieces.

Red Card(s) : Tudor 68 (Juventus)


6 FEBRUARY 2000

LECCE				0-1			PIACENZA
							Rastelli 50

Given Lecce's recent form you'd figure this was a home banker. The pitch was
absolutely awful. Two Lecce defenders went up for the same ball and make
a half arsed clearance, the ball was floated into the box and Rastelli
headed past Chimenti. Chimenti saves from Gautieri and Tagliaferri were in
vain as Lecce never threatened to get back in the match.

Attendance : 14,495


MILAN				4-1			BARI
Boban 15						Spinesi 67
Serginho 53
Bierhoff 84
Shevchenko 89

Spinesi hammered a half volley off the underside of the crossbar. Bari
eventually cleared a free kick, Maldini turned it back into the box and
Boban's shot went under Mancini's arms despite Milan players standing
in an offside position his goal was allowed to stand. Abbiati saved
brilliantly from the feet of Spinesi.

Serginho profited from another poor claim by Mancini to score Milan's
2nd. Boban had to go off with an arse muscle injury. Spinesi left Maldini
and Donkey King in waiting Ayala in his wake as he strolled past them to
score. Shevchenko struck the post. Bierhoff headed in Serginho's cross via
a deflection of Innocenti. Shevchenko slalomed his way into the box before
brilliantly slotting the ball inside the post. Once again no Albertini.

Attendance : 55,000


PARMA				1-1			INTER
Crespo 94 (Pen)						Vieri 62

Stanic blazed over the bar from a superbly weighted Fuser pass. Crespo
destroyed Simic and Cordoba with a sharp turn in the box but shot horribly
over the bar. Peruzzi then took over. He made a fantastic double handed save
from a violent Benarrivo drive then blocked a Fuser shot with his feet.

Inter's first chance arrived at the start of the second half, Dabo intercepted
Lassissi's hospital pass, fed Vieri and his shot was saved by Buffon. Peruzzi
made another awesome double handed save from Fuser. Thuram flattened Vieri
as he ran in on goal. From the resulting free kick Recoba's shot deflected off
Benarrivo, Sartor was all over Vieri in the box, Vieri backed into him spun
round and fired the ball past Buffon. Awesome finish. Peruzzi's save from
Sartor's point blank header was out of this world, Zanetti made a fantastic
clearance with Crespo ready to pounce on the rebound. Peruzzi clawed out a
nightmare Walem cross, the ball fell to Dabo and guess what? Peruzzi saved.
Crespo bounced a Dabo cross off his chest and blazed over with Cordoba
breathing down his neck. Seconds later Vieri missed a golden opportunity to
make the game safe, Baggio drilled a shot into the ground, it bounced up for
Vieri who controlled it on his chest and volleyed over. Stanic took a dive in
the box under a challenge from Cordoba, Crespo put away the penalty. I don't
know where Collina found four minutes of injury time from. Inter must feel as
sick as a Cowboy's  horse.

What a bloody amazing performance from Peruzzi. He was never tested like
that at Juve. Now he knows what Pagliuca had to go through! Marks out of 10,
11! Both left backs were excellent. Cordoba had a ferocious battle with
Stanic and he used every trick in the book. Classic man to man marker.
Lassissi was too casual when making clearances but he got away with it too
often to suggest it could be considered a fault in his game. He smoked Inter
players twice when making runs forward. Both players have World Class
potential. If they maintain their form within a season they will be the best
left backs in Serie A.

Attendance : 29,000


REGGINA			1-0			BOLOGNA
Pirlo 15

Pirlo picked out Possanzini with an exquisite chip, Possanzini smashed a
shot at goal, Pagliuca punched it out and Pirlo arrived to slam in the
rebound. Taibi made a great save to deny Signori but make no mistake he's
still the shits of a 'keeper. Bologna peppered Taibi's goal with long range
shots but never threatened. How much longer can Bologna keep relying on
Signori and Andersson to get the goals?

Attendance : 24,210


ROMA				5-0			VENEZIA
Candela 9
Delvecchio 12, 61
Montella 41
N'Gotty 79 (og)

Candela started the rout with an awesome first time strike from 20yds. Donkey
N'Gotty fresh air kicked a routine ball over the top from Montella gifting
Delvecchio a goal. Candela should have been sent off for a murder attempt on
Brioschi. Venezia stood appealing for offside as Montella tapped in Candela's
cross. Delvecchio tapped in a second following some piss taking build-up and
N'Gotty cemented his reputation as King of the Donkeys with a pathetic attempt
at a clearance, his back heel turning Candela's shot past Konsel.


Attendance : 53,588


TORINO				2-4			LAZIO
Ferrante 83 (Pen)						Sensini 9
Galante 89						Mihajlovic 55 (Pen)
							Ravanelli 66
							Salas 91

Sensini headed in a Mihajlovic free kick. Shock horror as Lazio strung
together a passing move! Ok it was only 4 passes but it's a start, anyway
Inzaghi got the ball caught between his feet allowing Bonomi to clear.
I think Ferrante was booked for diving, he definitely deserved it. 

Inzaghi stole the ball off Pastini, tried to go round him and then threw
himself to the ground. Mihajlovic converted the penalty. Ravanelli scored
Lazio's third with a bullet header from Stankovic's cross. Mihajlovic was
sent off for an elbow on Ferrante in the box. Hopefully he will get a two
match ban and miss Lazio's crucial tie away to Milan. Ferrante converted
the penalty. Ferrante headed against the post and Galante threw himself at
Brambilla's cross to pull another goal back. Salas cheekily finished
Ravanelli's through ball to put paid to any hopes of a comeback.

Red Card(s) : Mihajlovic 81 (Lazio)
Attendance : 25,000


VERONA				2-2			FIORENTINA
Morfeo 49, 52						Batistuta 24
							Rui Costa 69

This match should have been abandoned due to freakishly heavy fog.
Batistuta scored with a deflected free kick. Morfeo's free kick also took
a deflection as it beat Toldo. Morfeo punished Adani's slack clearance to
fire Verona in front and miracle of miracles, Rui Costa scored thanks a
wicked deflection.

Attendance : 16,085