Lazio 4 - 2 Roma
Lazio demolished Roma in the 130th Derby della Capitale. Barely had the game started and Lazio were on the attack, with Mauro Zarate attacking from the right flank and winning a much debated corner from which Goran Pandev volleyed in first time. It was a world class finish that left Doni with no chance. Two minutes later Mauro Zarate doubled the advantage by loosing his marker and curling home with a powerful finish from almost 30 yards out. Roma, however, did not loose heart. Pannucci tested Muslera with a strong header from which Muslera produced a great save. They pulled one back on the 9th minute through Mexes from the resulting corner. Roma piled on the pressure between now and half time with Baptista hitting the post from a corner and the De Rossi just catching the header wrong on the follow up.
Half time arrived but provided just as many fireworks as the match itself, as Tare and Spalletti were involved in a row. The second half started in a more composed manner than the first one did but on 56 minutes Pandev could have ended the game after being played through on goal but his precise strike was saved well by Doni. However, Lazio made it 3-1 soon after as Stefan Lichsteiner headed in a cross after Foggia had run the Roma defence ragged with some superb footwork. It only got worse for Roma after this as Pannuci was sent of after an incident with Lichsteiner. This only got even worse as both Matuzalem and Mexes were somewhat harshly sent of after coming into brief off the ball contact with each other. Still, in the face of adversity Roma's lynchpin De Rossi headed some a great ball from David Pizzaro after some non-existing defending from Alexander Kolarov. But Kolarov made up for his mistake soon after by running the length of the pitch and placing a precise shot past Doni. 4-2. It was Lazio's day and for the blue half of Rome, including myself, this will live long in the memory.
Inter Milan 2 – 2 Palermo
Palermo took a point from the San Siro after an enterprising second half. Inter took the lead with Mario Balotelli heading home well from a Sulley Muntari cross on 15 minutes, despite the non existent Palermo marking. Inter doubled their lead through Zlatan Ibrahimovic after a reletively soft penalty was awarded when Kjaer slid in on the big Swede. However, Palermo looked a different side in the second half and exposed the Inter defence and midfield fragilities on numerous occassions. An Edison Cavani missile forced a great save out of Francesco Toldo, and it was that man Cavani again who pulled one back for the Scilian outfit when he slotted home in the box in the bottom right hand corner on 73 minutes. However, three minutes later Miccoli, again at the centre of proceedings passed through to Succi who slotted home from a few yards out. Incredibly Inter looked decimatedand Palermo nearly won the tie in as Miccoli tip toed his way through the entire Inter defence and fired just wide of the left hand side of Toldo's upright. Again this confirmed what I have thought about Inter for a while, which is if you take the game to them they can be caught out and punished.
Genoa 3 - 2 Juventus
Juventus stepped into Genoa knowing that they had the chance to reduce the gap in the standings to seven points before the Derby of Italy with Inter next week, but as so often this season Juve failed to deliver when absolutely necessary. They failed in Udine and at home to Cagliari and they failed here. Imagine, if they had won these three fixtures they would be just one point behind Inter at this stage.
Genoa started far the brighter of the two sides and after a few moments Legrottaglie proved his worth by clearing a Palladino effort off the line. Genoa kept on comming though and Gigi Buffon had to step up to the plate again and stop and Guiseppe Sculli strike. However on 29 minutes the pressure finally paid off as Thiago Motta, one of the players of the season in my eyes, fired home after Giandomenico Mesto had been brought down. The Juve players however claimed the whistle had been blown for the foul before Motta's effort hit the back of the net, but the goal stood. The tension in this game, and much like most of this weekend's fixtures was rising and it only continued to do so when Juve equalised from the spot just before half time from a foul that Genoa claimed, perhaps rightly, that was actually a fair tackle from Ferrari on Del Piero. However, there was still more drama to come as deep into stoppages Motta doubled his account by heading home to make it 2-1 to Genoa.
After the restarted Juventus had a great chance to level the tie through Nedved, but he had an effort cleared off the line through Guiseppe Biava. Moments later though Juve made life extremely difficult for themselves. A horrid challenge by Mauro Camoranesi forced the referee to show a straight red and Juve faced the remainder of the fixture with just ten men. Genoa made there extra man count by piling on the pressure and but for Buffon would surely have made it 3-1 after Sculli's powerful effort was saved at point blank range. Incredibly though it was Juve who levelled the score at two a piece when Nedved played Iaqunita through to chip home to confirm the hitman's continuing good form. However, Genoa took the lead once more and were to hold it this time, as Rossi broke away on the counter and threaded through to Palladino who scored against his former team.
Chievo 0 – 1 AC Milan
This was a fixture that Milan knew they would not be able to take lightly and Verona's flying donkeys made it very hard for Milan on Saturday afternoon. Fresh from taking a point of Juve and beating Palermo and Lazio in the recent weeks the Chievo faithful were optimistic before this one and a packed Bentegodi could smell an upset after only loosing once in their last 13 games. However, the Rossoneri nearly opened the scoring on 30 minutes from an Andrea Pirlo free-kick that shaved a coat of paint of the upright. Milan, minus coach Ancelotti who had been sent to the stands, opened the scoring just after half time after a well worked move. Jankulovski crossed into the area from which Inzaghi played the ball back to Seedorf who fired his shot into the bottom right corner. However, after this goal Chievo really put Milan to the test. Pellissier fired over from close range on the volley and later had a goal disallowed for an offside position after the ball had deflected off Bogdani from a free-kick. Dida for once played the role of hero in the closing stages as he produced an excellent save with his feet to again deny Bogdani. A crucial three points for Milan who will continue to hope for Fiorentina and Genoa to drop points so they can secure their Champions League status before their tough fixtures at the end of the season arrive.
Fiorentina 2 - 1 Cagliari
Fiorentina kept up their good form to take another three points in their claim for Champions League football, keeping up the pressure on Genoa and extending their advantage over Roma. Minus Adrian Mutu, Fiorentina finally took the lead in the second half when Manuel Pasquale fired home from the edge of the box. Cagliari were reduced to ten men for the final half hour and after the Viola doubled their lead through Juan Manuel Vargas who scored his first goal for Fiorentina. Cagliari did pull one back through Cossu but were later reduced to nine men.
Elsewhere in Serie A
Napoli remain undefeated for four games now, but without victory also, as they again failed to take advantage in front of home fans and could only secure a 0-0 draw. Sampdoria continued their resurgence and secured an away win in Puglia against Lecce thanks to another Pazzini goal and a Cassano brace. Udinese also secured a win deep down south with a 2-0 win in Reggina although they left it late with a double in the last five minutes from the promising Floro Flores. Bologna's woes continued as they lost 4-1 at home to Siena, who now look to have beaten the drop again this season as they consolidate themselves as a solid mid table outfit. Finally, Torino picked up a vital three points at home to the travel shy Catania thanks to a late show from Rolando Bianchi and Cesare Natali.
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