Calcio comment: Italian clubs avoid bigger tests

Many feared the worst for the Italian clubs when the draw for the second round of the Champions League was made on Friday. With all the Serie A sides finishing up second in their groups there remained the potential for nightmare second round draws for them, against Barcelona, Real Madrid , Chelsea and Manchester United most notably. The good news for Milan, Inter and Roma is that avoided all of the above and instead will face Tottenham, Bayern Munich and Shakhtar Donestsk respectively. All games will be tough in the second phase of this competition no doubt, but the feeling in Italy is that it could have been much much worse for the Serie A sides this year. All three Italian clubs will fancy their chances here, but will be aware of the potential dangers that each of the three opposing sides can create. 

Arguably the most interesting of the three fixtures in a repeat of last years final as Inter are reunited with Bayern again. The Germans will no doubt be out for revenge but much like Inter have experienced a poor start to their domestic campaign leaving themselves well of the pace of the Bundesliga title. Both sides as well have experienced big injury problems which have hampered them so far this season. However, these factors will be likely irrelevant when they face of in February for a place in the Quarter finals. Motivation will take over for both sides knowing that victory here could galvanise a path to the final, like it did for both sides last year.

Tottenham will once again travel to Milan but this time face the Rossoneri. Based on this season alone it will be a tougher test for the London side, but with Gareth Bale they have a player who can exploit Milan's weakest positions, their full backs. However, the Italian league leaders have an abundance of mussel in midfield and real quality up front. Lets not forget that they are top in Serie without the help, for much of the season, of Alex Pato. 

Roma however have Shakhtar Donetsk, and this will be a tough game. Having beaten Arsenal to their group leadership the side from Ukraine are not to be taken lightly. Roma will want to build up a home advantage before having to play the second leg. However, under Claudio Ranieri they have improved as the season has progressed.

In the Europa League Napoli will entertain Villareal in a game that see's two teams having super seasons clash. Napoli have grown in strength under Walter Mazzari and of late have been grinding out wins, showing the sort of form that Champions do. However, Villareal are a polished European outfit. A win here for Napoli will raise their profile across Europe no doubt.

Euro Round up: Dismal week for Italian clubs

A dismal week in Europe for the Italian sides has done little to enhance their qualification chances for the next phase. Inter were the only side to win and even they made a real mess of it when all was said and done by conceding three times after having a 4-0 lead thanks to a superb first half performance. There was no such luck for city rivals AC Milan,  outclassed in Madrid against Real by 2-0. It could have been more, and frankly Milan coach Allegri got it all wrong by playing a side with little balance in it. Robinho probably should have started from the beginning as should have Kevin Prince Boateng as his work ethic and defensive coverage would have helped Milan a lot more than Seedorf and Ronaldinho who contributed next to nothing all night long. If their defeat was bad, Roma's was diabolical. A 3-1 reverse at home to Basel put a serious dent in them securing qualification in a relatively straight forward group. They'll need to set the record straight in Basel in two weeks time to put their noses in front before welcoming Bayern to Rome.

In the Europa League both Napoli and Juve secured draws, but not in credible fashion. Napoli dominated against Liverpool but just could not find they way through, while Juve came from behind to draw in Salzberg. Both sides are well positioned to qualify but must pick up a win in the next round to get themselves on the road for the next phase. Sampdoria however crashed to a pathetic defeat away to Metalist. They took the lead but the home side leveled before they were reduced to ten men. Despite this, Metalist took the lead through a stunning overhead kick. Samp had no answer. Palermo also had no answer in a much tougher test against CSKA Moscow. Last years Champions League last eight side cruised past ten man Palermo 3-0. 

So, a poor week in Europe but all clubs still have the chance to make it to the next phase. Objectively, perhaps only Palermo are in trouble as their trip to CSKA next round will be very difficult, but it remains a must win for them.

Euro Preview: Tough trip for Roma, Inter, Napoli and Samp go dutch

An exciting week of European action awaits the Serie A clubs as most have very winnable fixtures on their plates as they look to get an early foothold out of the group stages into the knock out rounds. First up is reigning European Champions Inter Milan who begin the defence to their crown away at Dutch Champions FC Twente, currently fifth in the Eredivisie after seven rounds. Inter will be without Dejan Stankovic but with Sneijder, Milito and Eto'o all fit there will be no excuses if three points are not brought back to Milan. On Wednesday night rivals AC Milan host french side Auxerre, currently 17th and without a win in Ligue 1 after five rounds. A response will be expected after the stuttering defeat against Cesena Saturday night. By far the toughest game however is handed to Roma who will look to a respond against Bayern Munich after a 5-1 beating by Cagliari. Quite how they plan to do that is anyone's guess, but if ever there is a game to reap confidence from with a good result then it is this.

In the Europa league Juve have a very winnable game against Lech Poznan at home, while Napoli host Dutch side Utrecht, a club famous for their own fans tearing down their Stadium when a new one was about to be constructed. Continuing the Dutch theme, Sampdoria travel to Eindhoven to take on PSV. The Dutch giants are not quite the side they used to be and a win here is achievable Sampdoria, especially given the form Cassano is in.

Europa League; Italian clubs through / CL draw

Napoli, Juve and Palermo all came through the qualifying round of the Europa League in comfortable fashion when all said and done. Napoli dealt with the threat of Elfsborg away from home with a brace from Edison Cavani, and a well taken brace at that on his debut in a 2-0 win. Juve also wrapped up their qualifying campaign with a win over Sturm Graz with a stunning goal from Alex Del Piero on the day that Diego moved to Wolfsberg and David Trezeguet edged closer to the exit. Clearly their mercato has not finished and Guiseppe Rossi and Fabio Quagliarella have been mooted as the next arrivals. Palermo went through 5-3 on aggregate against Maribor. At one stage Palermo trailed 2-0 but Abel Hernandez hit a brace to ensure qualification to the next round.

Champions League draw
The draw was made today and all three Italian sides will be confident of going through, although some tricky ties remain in the way however. Inter take on Werder Bremen, Spurs and FC Twente, beginning away at the Dutch side before taking on Bremen at the San Siro. A difficult group but not as hard as last years ties with Barca, Kiev and Russian champs Rubin. Milan have the so called group of Death with Real Madrid, Ajax and Auxerre. But, the Dutch side are not what they were and the French minnows should be brushed aside. Indeed, it would not surprise me to see Milan top the group given their new arrivals, the impending deal for Zlatan and the guidance of the talented coach Massimo Allegri. Finally, Roma take on beaten finalists Bayern as well as Basle and FC Cluj. Bayern away is their first test in round one.

Euro Round up: Trio win in Europa League but Samp crash at Europe's top table

Champions League
Samp crumbled under the pressure of Werder Bremen's attacking game play in Germany last night to put their chance to reach the Champions League propper in serious doubt. 0-0 was the score at half time but Fritz soon put Werder ahead after the break with a stunning strike. Samp them committed suicide by giving away a penalty and a red card to allow Frings to step up and convert for 2-0. Almeida made it 3-0 almost immediately after and Samp looked dead. They would have been but for a last gasp well taken Giampaolo Pazzini header. 3-1 it finished and it remains game on at the Marassi. But Samp will need to make big improvements between now and next week.

Europa League
Good results for the Italian clubs tonight. Palermo blew Maribor 3-0 at home which included an absolute wonder goal from Javier Pastore in which he rode 3 challenges a then applied a consummate finish leaving their keeper with no chance. It should have been a similar scoreline for Napoli against Elfsborg but they could only manage a 1-0 win after Lavezzi rounded the keeper in injury time in the first half. However, as mentioned it should have been much more but wasteful finishing from Lavezzi especially put paid to that. Juventus left it late but came away with a win in Austria tonight. Leo Bonucci put them ahead in the first half with a strong header. However, Gratz pulled level again through a header with Marco Storari just getting his fingers to it, but it was not enough. Yet, Amauri however continued his impressive form so far this season by hitting another goal in Europe drilling home a strong header from a Del Piero corner.

Palermo 3-0 Maribor: Maccarone pen 35, Hernandez 37, Pastore 78
Napoli 1-0 Elfsborg: Lavezzi 46
Sturm Gratz 1-2 Juventus: Bonucci 15, Amauri 91

Europa League: Juve 1-0 Shamrock

A fantastic Ale Del Piero free kick was pretty much the only highlight in this Europa League clash which was played in torrential rain. At times it seemed as if the ball when passed on the ground would never even move such was the ferocious nature of the conditions. It did not however stop the fans, especially the ones from Ireland, enjoying their night and the unstoppable drive from Del Piero was worth the admission ticket alone. Juve now join Palermo and Napoli in the playoff round before the group stages.

Giovinco joins Parma
Finally it looks as if the atomic ant will get playing time this season as he sets of to the Tardini to ply his trade on a season long loan with the option for Parma to buy half of his contract at the end of the season. With Valeri Bojinov already at Parma the former UEFA cup winners and Cup winners Cup winners have an exciting young forward line that will cause problems for Serie A defences this season.

Euro Round up: Mixed bag for Italian club

A mixed bag of results for Italian clubs in this weeks European action. Inter Milan got the ball rolling in positive fashion last night with a 2-1 win over Chelsea, semi finalists in this competition five times in the last six years. Diego Milito finished off a fine Inter move after three minutes, and Estaban Cambiasso's scortching effort left Petr Cech with no chance on 55 minutes. Saloman Kalou did however give Chelsea a vital away goal when Julio Cesar made an error by not getting enough on the Chelsea mans effort. The tie is in the balance, and both will see viable reasons as to why they will go through but will this win over English opposition for Inter may finally give them the confidence to finish the tie.

Europa League roundup
Roma crashed out of Europe tonight in shocking fashion, conceding three goals in five minutes to Greek side Panathanikos.

Much like in Greece last week, where two goals were conceded in no time at all, Roma lacked the mental concentration to finish this tie off and fell to a 2-3 defeat. They only have themselves to blame here, and should be sitting pretty in the next round given their current form but failed to apply that on the continent. Juve however did not fail to do so, and progressed to face Fulham in the next round after a 0-0 tepid home draw with Ajax. It was a poor game compared to the first leg as both sides rarely threatend but nonetheless Juve find themselves in the last 16 and continue to build on their fresh start under Zaccheroni.

Cambiasso Image from Wiki commons

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.

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.