Monday 26 October 2009

Week 9 Review: Inter, Milan, Samp and Juve win, Viola drop points, Roma and Lazio crumble


A round of consolidation, you could say, before some big midweek clashes in Serie A that will see Juve entertain Sampdoria, Milan travel to Napoli and Inter facing Palermo. But until then, round nine is where our attention will reside.

Inter Milan 2-1 Catania
Inter, again in action on a Saturday night, took three points against Catania by 2-1. Inter started well, but the two goals scored were once again gift wrapped too them, and that's just something you cannot do when playing at the San Siro. The first was just a simple high ball from Muntari that Eto'o failed to connect with, but still found its way past Campagnolo. Inter should have doubled their lead through Viera who hit the bar, but Wesley Sneijder did anyhow moments later when he hit a strong, but arguably savable free kick, from 25 yards. Inter were cruising, but didn't finish Catania off and the Elephants got themselves back in the game through Mascara who converted a deserved penalty kick late on. Inter took the points, but if they keep playing like this then they will meet there match in Serie A soon enough, and it could be against Palermo midweek.

Chievo 1-2 AC Milan
City rivals Milan were in action on Sunday night when they traveled to Verona to take on Chievo. They struggled in the first half going down to a Giampaolo Pinzi strike, with Chievo dominating early proceedings and showing why they are comfortably away from the relegation zone at the present moment. However, Milan's confidence was on a high after a stunning win in the Bernabeu midweek, and right from the whistle in the second half Milan asserted their authority on the game. Good chances came through both Pato and Seedorf, who had decent efforts on goal, and Milan were later denied through some splendid Sorrentino goalkeeping who denied Ronaldinho, who looked sharp once again. Klass Jan Huntelaar was replaced by Marco Boriello, and it seemed to make all the difference and the former Genoa mans ariel strength put Chievo under more pressure. Indeed, thanks to a splendid ball from Andrea Pirlo, Boriello headed a strong effort against the bar only for Alessandro Nesta to catch the rebound and level the game. Milan now searched for the winner, but would have lost the tie but for some fantastic goalkeeping through none other than Nelson Dida , who somehow kept out a strong Granoche header. It proved costly for Chievo as Nesta again headed in from a Pirlo corner to give Milan all three points.

Siena 0-1 Juventus
Juventus finally got back to winning ways in Serie A thanks to a headed goal from Amauri, once again assisted by former Werder Bremen man Diego. It was not a convincing performance, and again the old lady had to rely on the heroics of Gianluigi Buffon who made yet another stunning save from Albin Ekdal to keep the tie level at that point. Still, three points to Juve who face a tough test against Sampdoria in midweek in Turin.

Sampdoria 4-1 Bologna
The weekend started in Genoa with Sampdoria in blistering form once again. It didn't take long for Samp to get in front as some wonderful work from Cassano allowed Pazzini to apply a smart finish to send them on their way. Samps second was an early contender for goal of the season as Pazzini again was involved, lobbing a ball through to former Napoli man Manini who volleyed home first time into the top right corner. Defender Ziegler got in on the act, and fired home with his left foot from 25 yards to make it 3-0. If this was great, it only got better for Samp as Cassano waltzed him was through what seemed to be the whole Bologna side and fed Manini who headed in from a few yards out. Bologna were at that moment down to ten men, and they did pull one back through Osvaldo after the break but it was already far too late. Samp will fancy their chances against Juve.

Elsewhere
Lazio continued to falter to deceiver and crashed 2-0 in Bari, against well organised and talented opposition it has to be said. Roma somehow managed to loose at home to winless Livorno as former Valencia man Francesco Tavano opened his account for the season. Napoli pulled off a stunning win in Florence as Cristian Maggio scored in the 90th minute, minutes after Fabio Quagliarella missed a penalty and Palermo registered their third win in succession as they defeated a tough and talented Udinese side. Antonio Conte's Atalanta won for the second round in a row, this time beating Parma 3-1 in Bergamo and moving them up to 9 points in the table. Last season's suprise packages, in Cagliari and Genoa, clashed in Sardinia and Cagliari came from behind twice to take the three points and register their first home win of the season.

Great stuff then, and with week 10 taking place on Wednesday and Thursday night before week 11 next weekend there will be plenty of Calcio to talk about.

Saturday 24 October 2009

Player Profile: Dejan



Right now, Dejan Stankovic is a key cog in the Inter Milan midfield, and for good reason. Three goals in the league so far this season, all absolute gems, is one of the reasons why Inter sit top of the Serie A table yet again. Funny, then, that just over a year ago he was on the verge of a huge move to Juventus as they began to re-establish themselves in this division. It didn't happen, and Inter fans will be thankful of that. Why, well because he is the type of player that offers so much to a coach. Able to play central mid, trequartista, and even adopt a hard tackling role in the defensive midfield if need be. Crisp passing, long range efforts, headers are all in the package that Stankovic offers.

The Lazio years
His arrival at Lazio was relatively low key, but on he debut he addressed that fact with interest. An absolute missile, now a trademark, found the back of the net against Piacenza and he found his way into a team that was not exactly short on talent at that time. Great success followed, with a Scudetto, Coppa Italia, Cup Winners cup and European Super Cup in a Lazio shirt. Still, needs must. And when Lazio were fighting financial meltdown he was sold to Inter, a club now that he has become a central part of.

Inter-Milan
Indeed, it has become something of a speciality for Stankovic, scoring cracking goals that is, and on numerous occasions of city rivals Milan. This years cracker in the derby is evidence of that, and also the one a few years back when a corner kick somehow found its way into the back of the net, and of course last seasons winner against Milan by 2-1 after a Zlatan Ibrahimovic knock down. However, he is more than simply a 'show pony' in that regard. He has stepped up to new levels this season, scoring vital goals for Inter in the Champions League, keeping them afloat in the competition. Maybe this is not a surprise, as his leadership qualities attained at International level, as Serbia's captain, flood through to the Inter team.

Image: Steindy

Thursday 22 October 2009

Europa League: Mixed night for Italian clubs

It was a mixed night for the Italian clubs in the Europa League.

Lazio 2-1 Villareal

Lazio, despite going down to ten men, managed to tame Villareal and all their creative genius in Rome. Lazio went ahead through a well worked goal, in which Dabo's long ball was trapped by Cruz who fed Zarate who applied a smart finish. However, it was against the run of play and after Villareal dominated in possession and leveled through a well worked move in which Eguren finished with a header. Half time arrived and with great thanks from the Lazio fans perspectives. After the break Villareal again dominated in possession without posing the same threat it had to be said. Travesty struck for Lazio though as Matuzalem was sent off despite replays showing he should have been given a penalty. Amazingly though this forced Lazio into life as they began to take charge of the game and created a host of chances. Cruz should have scored and Zarate went close with a mazy run and hit the post. Zarate again had an effort through a freekick. But, it was Kolarov's superb cross that found Rocchi who slotted home to send the Curva nord into elation.

1. Salzberg 9pts
2. Lazio 6pts
3. Villareal 3pts
4. L. Sofia 0pts

Fulham 1-1 Roma
Roma came from behind in London tonight against Fulham. Fulham started the brighter and attacked Roma in the early stages resulting in a headed goal from Hangeland. However, after Roma began to dominate and in the second half Fulham barely registered a move beyond their half way line. Roma were confident in possession and used it well without having the ball cross the line. It looked like they would get back in the name when Menez was brought down in the area but he missed his spot kick. Roma were pouring forward in the latter stages and were finally rewarded at the death when Andreolli volleyed in from the tightest of angles.

1. Basle 6pts
2. Fulham 5pts
3. Roma 4pts
4. CSKA 1pts

Lille 3-0 Genoa
Genoa crumbled away in France tonight loosing by 3-0. Its not a game I saw, but I think its fair to assume that the hammering their received on Saturday night had some effect on the confidence that this squad holds. Thankfully for them there next game is at home to Lille, and perhaps in the two weeks between Genoa can recapture form. Lille top the group, but face difficult trips to Valencia and Genoa yet.

1. Lille 7pts
2. Valencia 5pts
3. Genoa 3pts
4. Slavia 1pts


Overall, its been a very good week in Europe for Serie A clubs. Four wins, two draws and one defeat. A classic win by Milan over Madrid, Juve getting back to winning ways, Fiorentina looking strong. Indeed, arguably all the clubs are still in a qualifying position in their group and it would not surprise me if all went through to the second round of the respective competitions. European action returns in two weeks with the fixtures of this round reversed, so Milan with host Madrid in arguably the tie of the round again.

Wednesday 21 October 2009

Stunning Milan , Juve win too

Real Madrid 2-3 AC Milan
AC Milan roared in the Estadio Bernabeu picking up three points in an absolute belter if a game. The tempo was high from the start but Milan will have rued having to rely on third choice keeper Dida after 18 minutes as he dropped a Granero shot, after catching it, and Raul pounced to punish Milan. Real looked comfortable at this point without really punishing Milan, although Dida made a smart save from a Marcelo effort just before half time. It was a decent first half, but the second will live long in the memory. Pirlo leveled the tie, catching Casillas off guard from 30 yards, with a vicious free kick that beat the Spanish International at the bottom left post. It was 1-2 to Milan not long later. Pirlo again was at the heart of the move when he passed over the top to Pirlo who rounded an on rushing Casillas to fire into an empty net. Real though were not to be undone, and substitute Royston Drenthe fired past Dida from outside of the box to level the tie. Drama was still to follow, and Raul had a golden chance to put Real ahead later on but his effort was cleared off the line. Milan though thought they had won it when Thiago Silva headed in from a corner but it was disallowed. Replays showed this was the wrong decision as Casillas clattered his own player with Silva doing nothing wrong. Yet, a goal for Milan followed from Pato who volleyed in from a Seedorf assist. Milan takes the points and face Real at home next.

Group C Table after three rounds
1. AC Milan 6pts
2. Real Madrid 6pts
3. Marseille 3pts
4. Zurich 3pts


Juventus 1-0 Maccabi Haifa
Juventus put themselves right back into the mix in Group A with a win over Maccabi Haifa, but the lack of more than one goal for the old lady meant for a nervy end to the match. Geogio Chielini gave Juve the lead just after the restart from a Diego assist after Juve had dominated the first half, but failed to capitalise. With Iaquinta, Amauri and Del Piero absent Trezeguet and Giovinco lead the line and gace Maccabi a torid time. However, once again Juve had to rely on Gigi Buffon to rescue them on two occassions to preserve the three points. The return trip to Maccabi up next represents a crucial match for Juve. With Bordeux beating Bayern tonight and having to travel to Bavaria next to place Munich again, Juve could sit top of the group come the end of match day 4 if they return with three points. This is well within their grasp, and lets not forget that this win breaks the current slump in form.

Group A Table after three rounds
1. Bordeaux 7pts
2. Juventus 5pts
3. Bayern 4pts
4. Maccabi H 0pts

Tuesday 20 October 2009

Champions League: Fiorentina build, Inter Stall

Debrecan 3-4 Fiorentina
Fiorentina continued there excellent form by notching up a 3-4 away win in Hungary tonight. They went behind early on, but Adrian Mutu leveled proceedings moments later. It didnt take long before Fiorentina went into the lead as in form stiker Alberto Gilardino put the Viola in front. It was 3-1 on 20 minutes as Mutu again showed a return to great form. Gilardino trapped a long ball and fed Mutu who smashed home from just outside the box. Debrecen pulled one back though through a fantastic Rudolf goal. But again, Fiorentina showed how they have developed this season by extending their lead. Mutu again was involved and his paried effort fell to Santana who fired home. Debrecen pulled one back in the dying embers, but Fiorentina took the points and stay in second in the group.

1. Lyon 9pts
2. Fiorentina 6pts
3. Liverpool 3pts
4. Debrecen 0pts


Inter Milan 2-2 Dynamo Kiev
Inter again stalled in the Champions League as they picked up their third draw in a row and sit bottom of the group, although the remaining teams are all only one point above. Inter fell behind almost immediately and it could have been 2-0 later on a Shevchenko almost headed home. Inter, however, did get back into the game through the in form Dejan Stankovic who swept home in front of an empty net. Inter though blew any momentum that they had gained from the equiliser as Lucio somehow managed to head into his own net from a Kiev corner. After the break though Inter came out strong and Walter Samuel leveled the tie through a header. Both sides had chances in the second half, but subsitute Suazo missed a guilt edged opportunity on 85 minutes as he rolled wide from an easy position. Suazo did put the ball in the net for Inter late on, but it was offside. Inter travel to Kiev next and will need to win against the Ukraine side next away from home.

1. Barcelona 4pts
2. Kiev 4pts
3. Rubin 4pts
4. Inter 3pts


Tommorows games
Real Madrid v Milan
Juventus v Maccabi Haifa

Clearly, Juventus have a must win game on their hands tommorow night especially with Bordeux and Bayern Munich playing. Milan travel to Madrid and will look to begin where they left off against Roma on Sunday evening. A full report tomorrow night.

Monday 19 October 2009

Week 8 review: Five star Inter


Genoa 0-5 Inter Milan
Just when it looked like Inter were vunerable to a defeat away to an in form Genoa outfit, they show their quality big time. Indeed, it did not take Inter long to get the ball rolling at the Marassi as Estaban Cambiasso put them ahead after just a couple of minutes. In the absence of Milito and Eto'o, Balotelli lead the line with Sneijder and Stankovic just behind them and it was the dutchman's stunning through ball that set Balotelli up for Inter's second as he drove past Marco Amelia into the bottom left corner. Genoa were shell shocked, and the game was all but over at half time as Dejan Stankovic scored from the half way line by volleying a Marco Amelia clearance into the goal. Stunning. But, Inter were not done and Douglas Maicon added a fourth with a cool finish for 4-0, and then Substitute Patrick Viera added a 5th late on as Inter now face Dynamo Kiev with confidence.

Juventus 1-1 Fiorentina
But before Inter's win Fiorentina continued their excellent start to the season by picking up a solid point away to Turin giants Juventus. Indeed, it was Fiorentina who took the lead early on through in form Manuel Vargas who finished of a move from Stefan Jovetic. It didn't take long though for Juve to impose themselves and Amauri should have leveled the tie but somehow managed to miss an open goal. Though, Amauri, did level the tie later on when he tapped in to score his first goal of the season, his first infact since a 1-1 draw against Sampdoria at home last season. Juve were dominating now, but couldn't turn their possession into an advantage as they dropped two more points to fall four behind Inter.

Milan 2-1 Roma
Somehow, Milan managed to turn around a game that could have effectively been over after 10 minutes. Promising French youngster Jeremy Menez gave Roma the lead, as he did last year in the corresponding fixture, early on after some woeful defending from Thiago Silva in the early going. Indeed, it could, and should, have been 0-2 to Roma moments later as Menez again was clean through but this time Dida came up big. Menez again was lively moments later as he got through the Milan back line again but Thiago Silva did enough to put him off, and Menez did well to stay on his feet. Milan though began to dominate possession and Ronaldinho had a decent effort from distance go wide. However, again Roma should have doubled their lead when Mirco Vuncinic got through the Milan back line but he almost had too much time as he shot straight at Dida. After the break Milan began to look much more purposeful and on 53 minutes equilised through a Ronaldinho penalty. Nesta was brought down, and Ronnie smashed home into the bottom left corner. This seemed to give Milan a huge lift and they began to look much more dangerous, and it came to pass in the 67 minute that Milan took the lead. A wonderful Ronaldinho through ball from close to the half way line fed Pato who then left the defence and goalkeeper for dead as he fired past for 2-1. It was a nervy last ten minutes for Milan as Ambrosini was somewhat dubiously sent off, but a much needed three points for them in the end.

Lazio 1-1 Sampdoria
High flying Sampdoria took a point against a struggling Lazio in Rome, and both sides would have felt at the games end that they missed out on the three points. Lazio started much the brighter and should have been ahead after Francelino Matuzalem was set up by Zarate, and did the hard work, but failed to add the finish. Rocchi went close, and Cassano to for Sampdoria but Muslera made a smart save. Howeverm largely against the run of play Samp took the lead through the superb Giampaolo Pazzini who's trickery threaded Palladino who then crossed into the area for Pazzini to fire home. The lead was short though as a stunning Rocchi throughball fed Matuzalem who made no mistake this time by leveling the tie. Lazio came out strong for the beginning of the second half and Stefano Mauri picked up from his poor first half performance by setting up Rocchi twice, but Il Capitano failed to make the most of it. Samp were reduced to ten men as Palladino was sent off, but it didn't seem to affect their forward play as Lazio were pushed back for a considerable period. Then, to add to the drama, Lazio were sent down to ten as Roberto Baronio was given his marching orders. It was all Samp now, as Muslera had to make a smart save from a Ziegler free kick as Cassano smashed an effort off the up right. Pazzini's nose was broken as well as Muslera attempted to punch the ball but got Giampaolo instead. Lazio picked up the pace in stoppages with Mauri, Zarate and Cruz all going close but it finished 1-1.

Elsewhere
Parma continued their quite but excellent form by beating Siena 1-0 and moving up to 14 points in the table, while Napoli under Walter Mazzari for the first time had Cristian Maggio to thank as he scored a 90th minute winner for Napoli to take the spoils 2-1. Udinese were rocked by the Conte effect as Atalanta finally picked up their first win of the season by winning 3-1 away from home, while Catania also picked up their first win by beating an unpredictable Cagliari 2-1 at home with the excellent Martinez scoring the winner. Bari contiued their outstanding start to the season by winning away at Chievo by 2-1, and remain unbeaten only once this season so far by Cagliari. Finally, Palermo built upon their win over Juventus by defeating basement dwellers Livorno away from home by 2-1 with the inspiration Miccoli on the scoresheet.

Serie A by numbers
Home wins: 4
Away wins: 4
Top goal scorer: Antonio Di Natale 9 goals in 8 games
Round attendance: 220370 fans

Thursday 15 October 2009

Week Eight preview

Serie A is back and there is a great weekend of action to look forward too, including several grudge matches that should produce fireworks. First up is Juventus v Fiorentina, and ever since Roberto Baggio was sold from Fiorentina to Juventus during the 90s relations between the fans of these two teams couldnt be worse to be honest. When Fiorentina are the home side, its usually a more firey affair but expect a high quality game when 3rd meets 4th on Saturday early evening. Last year Juventus won by 1-0, but the year before Fiorentina won a classic 2-3 at the Stadio Olimpico. Later on Saturday night Genoa v Inter tops the bill. Inter don't have happy memories to their last visit to the Marassi where just two rounds ago Sampdoria beat them 1-0. Its a different opponent this time but arguably a more dangerous one in Genoa who after thumping Bologna last round, and having victories over Milan and Juve last season, will be looking to add Inter to the collection. Inter may miss both Eto'o and Milito for this one, so there is something of a striking crisis looming at San Siro.

Speaking of Crisis and San Siro, Milan host Roma on Sunday night and will look to banish the ghost that has seen them loose to the Romans in both of their last two visits, last season in Maldini's last home game by 2-3. According to reports Milan will revert back to 4-4-2 for this one and their tifosi will hope that Pirlo can carry his good form for la Nazionale over to Milan so they can pick up three points. It won't be easy though as Roma are hitting their stride and in Serie A are undefeated since Claudio Ranieri took the reins. But, before this one Lazio host Sampdoria in a repeat of last years Coppa Italia final. Sampdoria have had a stunning start to the season and may fancy their chances to continue their great run of form by attacking an out of form Lazio side. Lazio, who beat Inter to the supercup at the seasons birth, have struggled in the league so far picking up two wins, rather unconvincingly it has to be said. However, against Palermo at home two rounds back they showed they could create chances, in droves, and against Fiorentina they showed they had great resolve to hold out for a draw.

Elsewhere
Udinese, unlucky in the last round against Inter, host Atalanta while Napoli, with new coach Walter Mazzari will look to begin his term with a win against struggling Bologna. Parma, who picked up a great point at Samp in the last round, host Siena at what even at this stage could prove to be a crucial three points for either side. Palermo, who played great football to be Juve in the last round, travel to Livorno who are still looking for their first win of the season. In Verona in form Chievo, currently in sixth place host Bari who after drawing against Milan and Inter away from home this season will be optomistic in taking at least a point. Finally, Catania host Cagliari in the battle of the isles as both look to put points on the board in the seasons early stages.

Tuesday 13 October 2009

Calcio Legends: Christian Vieri



The last few years have seen Vieri move to a different club around Italy almost every week it would seem. True, in fact, that this has been symbolic of his whole career for a player who has played for Torino, Pisa, Ravenna, Venezia, Atalanta, Juventus, Athletico Madrid, Lazio, Inter, AC Milan, Monaco, Fiorentina and Atalanta again. But what a career it has been. Christian Vieri took on the mantle of the top Italian forward at France 1998, after the likes of Baggio and Signori were beginning to fade, and he did not fail to deliever.


France 1998 and the world cup Campaigns

Five goals at France 1998, and four at Japan and Korea in 2002, have allowed Vieri to make his mark in the history of the world cup. Only one behind Davor Suker at France 1998, despite going out of the tournament in the Quarters. Arguably, Vieri is exactly the type of forward the current Italy side require. A physical threat, both in the air and on the ground combined with a stunning skill set and a left foot that was second to none at that point. A complete forward, and one that could deliever both at club and International level. 23 goals in 49 Internationals in conformation of that.


Vieri: The Journeyman

But, it all began when he was spotted by Juventus, and he made his debut for them in the 1996-1997 season. It was a good season for him, as he lead the team in goals scored and helped them towards another Scudetto title, alongside the likes of Alen Boksic and Alex Del Piero. Strangely, and despite the promise of Champions League football again with Juve, he left that summer to La Liga and more specifically Athletico Madrid. It was a strange move indeed all things considered, but it was without question ultimately a fruitful one. Vieri hit 24 goals in 24 games for Athletico, and lead them to the semi finals of the them UEFA cup where he met, and lost, to Lazio who ironically were to be his next port of call. Again, Vieri could not stand still, and he left for his third club in three summers to partner Marcelo Salas, and Alen Boksic, at Lazio. But, he began the season injured and only made 22 appearances for them in that campaign. He did however register 12 goals for the Aquile, with headers and spectacular long range efforts, such as his goal against Fiorentina that season, part of his repertoire. It was a great season for him, and for Lazio, as he lead them to the brink of a Scudetto, which Milan just pipped them to, and the Cup Winners Cup. Indeed, it was his goal in that final that set Lazio towards their first ever European piece of silverwear as his looping header left the Real Mallorca keeper with no chance.

Incredibly, however, he moved again in the summer of 1999 to Inter Milan, a club that kept him for six years, to partner mythical Brazilian striker Ronaldo in a mouth watering forward line. However, it was at first a move that arguably backfired on him as Lazio went on to win the title the season after, and Roma the season after that as the balance of football power in Italy shifted from Turin and Milan down to Rome, albeit briefly. Vieri though continued to score, and in the 2001-2002 season his 22 goals almost lead Inter to the Scudetto, but they were beaten on the final day of the season at Lazio to allow Juventus to take the title for the first time since 1998. On the goal front it just got better and better for Vieri, as he took the top scorers title at Inter the season after with an incredible 24 goals in 23 games. This was goal scoring that was sorely missed in the Champions League semi final to city rivals Milan that year as his injury perhaps stopped Inter from at least challenging Milan for that final berth. It seemed that despite his goals, the trophies would just not arrive for Inter and in the summer of 2005 he jumped ship to city rivals AC, in a move that proved to be a total disaster as he scored just once and made only eight appearances for Milan. Monaco beckoned and Vieri went, but soon again he was back on the journeyman travels as moves to Atalanta, Fiorentina and Atalanta again took place. Perhaps he did not win as much silverwear, or as much fan adulation in the long run because of his frequent club changes, that he deserved. But he left his mark, and during the late 90s and early part of this century was one of, if not perhaps the most, fearsome striker in world football. Thanks Christian, thanks Vieri much.

Sunday 11 October 2009

Italy through to World Cup finals


Italy again have made it through to another world cup. The four time winners picked up the necessary point away to Ireland to guarantee the top spot in the qualifying group with one game still remaining. Ireland, of course, made life very difficult. They poured forward at every opportunity for the first 20 minutes or so and took the lead, deservedly, through a great Whelan effort 7 minutes in. It didn't take that long for Italy to level matters though, and Mauro Camoranesi's powerful header was just too much for Shay Given to handle. After the break, Italy thought they had gone in front, but Chielini's effort was adjudged to have been offside. Ireland had a decent chance soon after, but John O'Shea's header was weak. As the game developed, Italy began to establish a foothold and were comfortable in possession. However, despite this, Ireland took the lead and look to have won the game against the run of play. St Ledger headed in from the back post totally unmarked. It looked over, but Simone Pepe was introduced and assisted Iaquinta who then passed to substitute Gilardino who smartly sent Given the wrong way from ten yards out. Point taken, and qualification achieved.

Where too now
Well, Italy are there. But, changes do need to be made. Admittedly, Angelo Palombo did a good job last night filling in for new boy wonder Claudio Marchisio in midfield but Lippi still has me confused with the forward selections.

The defence
Buffon's a cert in goal, for sure. Cannavaro and Chielini will assume centre back roles, but the wing back positions aer surely still up for grabs. Zambrotta and Grosso currently hold them, but one wonders whether with the emergence of Marco Motta, Davide Santon and Genoa's Bocchetti whether they can hold on to them or not. This is certainly a good problem for Italy, plenty of quality and plenty of depth.

The midfield
The movement of Pirlo to playing just behind the strikers or striker is a great idea by Lippi, and takes him away from defensive responsibility. De Rossi and Marchisio should remain in front of the defence I feel, but the midfield three that played in front of them last night could be set for change. Last night Camoranesi, Pirlo and Di Natale played their, but theres no reason to feel why the likes of Foggia of Lazio and Quagliarella of Napoli could help out here as well. Foggia especially is a huge talent and, with Camoranesi the wrong side of 30, could add spice to the team.

The forwards
This is the biggest problem area for me, mainly because Lippi will not select Cassano and again has snubbed Giampaolo Pazzini who since joining Sampdoria has become one of the best forwards in Serie A fullstop. Amauri seems set to join the frey, but he also, much like Luca Toni, seems out of form at the moment, Gilardino and Iaquinta score goals, but they need a Cassano like figure alongside them to set them up I believe. The answer? Well, it could be Di Natale in the long run or even in parts at the world cup veteran Del Piero. If it were my decision, it would be Cassano alongside Pazzini to begin with, and if that did not work out Pazzini could be replaced with anyone from Iaqunita to Gilardino, in other words a target man.

What to expect
Well, who knows really. Italy are unpredictable and tend in major tournaments to start slow, and finish well. Germany 2006 is evidence of that, and a semi final, runner up, quarter final and second round finish in the five tournaments previous of that confirm their great tradition. The odds are of course against a repeat win in South Africa, the last team to win back to back world cups were Brazil in 1958, and then again in 1962. But, if Lippi gets the selections right, and it has got better since the confederations cup debacle, and has a little luck along the way there is no reason why Italy cannot do well next summer.

Thursday 8 October 2009

Serie B and Lega Pro Focus


Serie B
Its International time again so Serie A has taken a break until Saturday 17th and that means its time to step into the realm of Serie B, the cadetti, and the Lega Pro to see how things are developing in these divisions. Last time we dipped our feet here Frosinone lead the way and after eights rounds now they are still sitting top of the division on 17 points after a very good win away at Piacenza at the weekend by 2-0. In second is perhaps a team that many would have expected not to be their as well in Cesena. One of the few Serie B teams to generate a very decent attendance, Cesena beat Salernitana by 3-0 to give them 15 points, one clear of promotion favouites Torino who continue their solid form by picking up a point in a slightly dissapointing point at home to Ancona. However, just to illustrait how difficult it is to get out of this division below Torino come six teams on 13 points in Sassuolo, Brescia, Padova, Ascoli, Empoli and Ancona. As usual it looks like its going to be very tight, and Frosinone and Cesena will be pushed very hard to see whether they have the quality and mental strength to maintain their stunning starts.

Lega Pro
In the Lega Pro divisions 1A and 1B last time we looked Novara lead the way in 1A and Ternana lead the way in 1B. Well, much like Serie B, not much has changed. Novara still remain top in 1A on 17 points suffering no defeats so far. However, they are being pursued hard by Cremonese, a former Serie A side, who are just one point off the pace. Perugia, another Serie A luminary, are joint third and remain in contention on 14 points level with Lumezzane.

In Division 1B Ternana though have slipped from their top position, with Portogruaro now leading the way with six wins and one defeat. Second are old favourites Hellas Verona who remain unbeaten with four wins and three draws. Indeed, in their first seven games so far Verona have conceded just one goal and look perhaps poised to make a challenge to return to Serie B, which is really the least that this club deserves. It looks though that it could be a four horse race between Portogruaro, Hellas, Ternana and Pescara. Time will indeed tell.

Monday 5 October 2009

Week Seven Review: Juve fall, Inter win and Samp stall

Inter 2-1 Udinese
Udinese showed no fear and played as if they were the home side. Indeed, they dominated possession for large periods of the game and were unlucky to go behind to a wonderful Dejan Stankovic goals and Inter Milan move. Apart from that Inter seemed flat and Antonio Di Natale leveled the tie with a tidy finish from 18 yards out to beat Julio Cesar. There was little response from Inter, and Udinese looked rather comfortable. Inter were without the worlds best right back in Douglas Maicon, but Udinese showed their quality in possession with Inler and D'Agostino in the middle of the park. Handonovic did have to save again from Stankovic but it seemed if anyone would break the deadlock it would be Udinese. And, as the game headed towards its close Di Natale had a guilt edge chance to put Udinese ahead but his tame finish and consummate goal keeping from Julio Cesar kept it at 1-1. Low and behold though, Inter stole three points at the death as they so often do against Udinese. Wesley Sneijder converted from a tight angle to give Inter three points they barely deserved. Mourinho of course did not stand on ceremony.

Fiorentina 0 - 0 Lazio

Both these teams were coming off big European victories and went into this fixture with confidence. It was fairly even in the early going with both teams pushing forward, but it did not take long for Fiorentina to take a foothold in the game. It was end to end stuff, but Jovetic and Montolivo both had great chances to give Fiorentina the lead before half time but thanks to lax finishing and solid goal keeping by Nando Muslera kept the scores level. After half time Fiorentina kept applying the pressure forcing Lazio to play on the counter. But it was Lazio that should have gone in front through Pasquale Foggia who unexpectedly found the ball at his feet from 10 yards out but somehow put it over the bar. Moments later Foggia at temped to redeem himself and fired a long range effort on goal that Frey did well to palm out for a corner. Gilardino though that he had given Fiorentina the lead when he passed Muslera and fired on goal but Radu cleared the ball of the line. Replays showed though that Lazio were perhaps lucky not to be 1-0 down. Lazio shut up shop and absorbed the Fiorentina pressure to steal a point.

Roma 2-1 Napoli - Derby Delle Sud
Napoli fans were banned from this match, no surprise after the events of a year earlier where 3,000 of them descended on Rome leaving trains wrecked and reeking havoc across the city. Two clubs that used to have a rapour now have none of that as another round kicked off in Rome. Undoubtedly this is a derby that means more to the Napoli faithful than the Romanistas, which is why this defeat would have left a sour taste in the mouths of the southern outfit. Donadoni's job is on the line, and he would have been delighted to see Eziquiel Lavezzi put Napoli ahead after 25 minutes thanks to poor goalkeeping. Roma though equilised later on as Totti redirected a Perotta shot. After the break, the class of Totti showed as despite an injury he turned and fired a low shot passed De Sanctis to make it 2-1. Napoli switched to 4-4-2 after this and dominated possession but lacked a threat in the final third, giving Roma the points.

Elsewhere
Palermo stunned Juventus by taking advantage of their cramped fixture list by beating the old lady in Sicily. Edison Cavani put them ahead with a stunning finish and moments later Fabio Simplicio beat the offside trap to double their lead. Aside from a Diego effort that hit the bar, Juve had little to offer back, and frankly looked tired. Milan salvaged a point at Atalanta through a late Ronaldinho goal to perhaps save the job of Leonardo for one more week at least. Sampdoria let go of their top spot position after Parma took a point away from the Marassi. Giampaolo Pazzini put Sampdoria ahead but seven minutes later Danielle Gallopa leveled for Parma. Genoa bounced back from their win less streak by beating Bologna away from home by 3-1, with Zapater confirming the win in stoppages. Bari conitined their good form by taking a point at home to Catania and now have eight points after their promotion back from Serie B. Chievo continued their unbelievable form by winning away at a Cagliari team that simply cannot buy a win at home, loosing 1-2 to the donkeys. Siena and Livorno shared the spoils in Siena, as both teams will perhaps given their current place in the table view this as an opportunity missed to move up before the International break.

Serie A By Numbers: Week 7
Home wins: 3
Away wins: 2
Goals: 19
Current top scorer: Antonio Di Natale 9 goals in 7 games
Highest Attendance: Inter v Udinese 47,500
Total Attendance from 9 games: 222,452
Clean sheets: 7 clean clean sheets :)

Thursday 1 October 2009

Europa League: Rome restores pride, Genoa fall in epic battle


After appauling defeats in their first round both Lazio and Roma restored pride and put themselves in position to qualify for the next round.

Levski Sofia 0-4 Lazio
Lazio equaled their record highest score in Europe by winning by four goals away in Bulgaria. After inexplicably loosing to Salzberg in the first round, Lazio bounced back. Mauro Zarate led the charge early on and set up Francelino Matuzalem who powered his shot past the keeper. Levski tried to get back in the game, but Mauro Zarate made it 2-0 at half time with a quality shot from the edge of the box. Lazio were playing with confidence and Mourad Meghni scored an excellent goal to make it 3-0 on 67 minutes. Foggia played Megnhi through and he fired home into the top corner. Finally, Rocchi made it 4-0 as he took it past the keeper and finished well. Lazio face Villareal next.

Roma 2-0 CSKA Sofia
Roma, after loosing to Basle in the first round, moved back into second behind Fulham in their group. A youthful Roma took to the field minus many first team regulars, but by half time it was 2-0. Okaka put Roma ahead, and Perotta made it 2-0 after he was assisted by David Pizzaro. Roma, who play Fulham next, remain favourites in my eyes to top their group so long as they take these games seriously.

Valencia 3-2 Genoa
Genoa fought bravely against a strong Valencia side, but in the end lost thanks to a David Villa penalty. Genoa took the lead in this one against the run of play through a well taken Floccari goal and lead 1-0 at half time. However, Valencia's excellence showed when David Silva leveled the tie early in the second half. Indeed, they took the lead through Zigic who tapped home. It looked like Valencia would storm it, but it was 2-2 shortly as Kharja converted a deserved spot kick to level the tie. Genoa looked like they were going to hold on, but Villa was brought down late on and the master converted the spot kick to give Valencia the points. Genoa drop to third in the group, and play Lille next. Genoa though look like they have the quality to get out of the group stages at the very least.