Week 14 in Serie A is an important one
Four of the top five play each other and Juventus have a tough trip to
AC Milan, then you have two up and comers battling it out in the Derby of
Sicily.
AC Milan 0-0 Juventus
Not a bore draw. Some of the play was high octane, quality
football, just no end product. Juventus
had energy pace and no end product and Milan
seemed bewildered at times but fought themselves back into the game. Nedved and Kaka were the shining lights on
the park with some fine forward play; the Czech player is prone to the theatric
dive though although Kaka came close to emulating the veteran midfielder with a
comic flop over Chiellini. . Both Dida; not least from Salihamidzic; and
Buffon; from a variety of Milan
players; made some good saves.
TREZEGUET LETS FLY BUT THE POST COMES TO MILAN'S RESCUE
Ancelotti will rue another week
at the San Siro sans three points and Ranieri will have seen plenty to be happy
about in the Bianconeri play.
Neither side had that extra burst
of pace of deft touch or slice of luck to prise open their opponents and the
draw is a better result for others in the top half of the table.
Wow! It’s not just the Dutch that know how to play
total football. The version being played
by Mancini’s team at the moment is something beautiful to behold. They have power, pace, skill, finishing and
bags of work ethic. Front to back the
whole squad is oozing confidence.
Fiorentina are finding that
staying in the top echelons of Serie A is tough to do. La Viola started well, the interchange, verve
and skill of their front six allowed them to get plenty of penetration deep
into the Inter half. Mutu looked to be
in fine fettle without really troubling Cesar.
Inter’s first real attack bore
fruit though; a defence splitting pass from Ibrahimovic found the young
Chilean; Jiminez; free and clear and well bale to slot the ball past the
excellent Frenchman, Frey.
Fiorentina never recovered
despite a series of half chances which were never taken. The visitors played confident, assured
football all over the park. The front
line was always a threat and the defence rarely let Cesar work. Cambiaso was particularly excellent with a
stunningly energetic performance, box to box he was impeccable, apart from the
yellow.
The Swedish sensation may not be
finding the net in the league but his passing and vision created two today,
just before the half his sublime flick into the path of a well timed Cruz run
allows the Argentinean to continue his rich goal scoring vein with a cool
finish past Frey.
Ibrahimovic almost scored himself
late on but two fantastic saves from Frey frustrated the Swede.
Two changes at half time didn’t
do much for Fiorentina’s game. They
huffed and puffed but couldn’t blow down the house that Mancini has built.
BECAUSE IT'S ONLY EVER A GAME
THE ECITING YOUNG CHILEAN OPENS THE SCORING
The ex Sampdoria man will be more
than delighted with three points from a Scuddetto hopeful away from home.
Prandelli will have seen much to
be happy about but no goals at home must be a worry.
Elvis isn’t dead, he’s living in Italy
and supporting Fiorentina.
The Derby of Sicily was incident
packed and a fine advertisement for football beyond the hallowed turf of the
top clubs. The Stadio Angelo Massimino
had yet to see a home Serie A victory in this fixture. With a new manager at Palermo
and Catania
playing well things looked promising.
Both teams went at each other
from the whistle. The first ball was
usually forward and both keepers had to come out of the area to clear through
balls, Polito with his chest and Fontana
with his head.
The Elefanti had the better of
the early going with Martinez
and Vargas providing some splendid effort and excellence on the flanks.
Catania got a lucky break when
Spinesi hauled the ball back into play and out to Vargas, the Peruvian’s cross
met by Mascara ahead of the less than stellar Biava for the goal. Replays, Fontana
and the Palermo
defence suggested the ball had gone out but Terfoloni wouldn’t have any of
it.
Later on in a half that was
mostly Catania’s Biava clearance spooned up from the edge of the penalty area
and dropped invitingly for Spinesi, Barzagli gave the forward a push at the
vital moment but a smart referee and assistant spotted the infringement and
Spinesi duly tucked one past Fontana.
Amauri was too isolated to do
much damage in the first half. He got
company in the second and looked more dangerous, Caserta providing the assistance. For the second week in a row Palermo started
with one up front and for the second week in a row looked much, much more
dangerous when a second striker joined in, this also helped Brienza get into
the attack more.
Simplicio takes a quick free kick
to Tedesco; unfortunate not to be facing his injured brother; Simplicio plays
the return ball forward to Brienza whose deft pass finds Amauri, the
Brazilian’s flick is into the path of Caserta who outmaneuvers the defender
with a feint right foot shot, he leaves his man behind and buries one with a
delicious left foot drive.
The jubilation of the away team;
their fans are banned from the stadium; is short lived as a studs up challenge
by the Palermo goal hero is greeted by a red and the derision of the Catania
fans.
Palermo
struggle to get back into the match but gamely plug away, Fontana
is the busier of the two ‘keepers in the last twenty minutes and comes up with
some stunning saves but can’t do a thing when Martinez fires one past him. The Uruguayan caps a blinding game with a
stunning curler beyond Fontana
and inside the far post from some hard work by Vargas. Fitting that the two best Catania
players are involved in the third and best Catania goal.
Baldini will have seen much to be
pleased about, good attacking and solid defending along with some standout
perfomances from key players.
Unfortunately more good play from the likes of Vargas, Martinez and Stovini are likely to perk the
interest of some bigger clubs.
Guidolin; without the firepower
of Miccoli and Cavani suffered his first defeat in this fixture, not a good
start to his fourth stint at the Rosanero.
Roma 2-1 Udinese (Juan 10, Taddei
27 – Quagliarella 11)
Roma kept the pressure on
Internaz ionale with this well crafted victory with the team in joint second
place.
Both teams started well. Roma looking to work the midfield with slick,
one touch passing and Udinese looking to Di Natale to create.
Roma’s tactics paid early
dividends, Juan cam up from the back to poke a close range effort home for the
opener. Udinese responded immediately,
Quagliarella turning on a ball from deep and rifling one past Doni. Mexes was at fault for giving the forward too
much space, the Frenchman had an up and down game, some excellent defending
interspersed with some dodgy mistakes.
Zapata was the standout defender
for Udinese but could do nothing to stop Taddei taking advantage of a sloppy
Lukovic clearance.
Udinese kept looking to Di Natale
for a spark and despite some sublime ball skills from the Italy International
they visitors couldn’t find the net.
The Giallorossi dominated in the
second half, winning the midfield battle with ease. Udinese only came into the game in the last
quarter hour when a harsh series of red cards saw the Bianconeri reduced to
nine men. Saccani brandished the
straight red for substitute Pinzi for a clumsy challenge then Dossena got the
same for being overly mouthy. Roma
seemed to struggle to come to terms with their two man advantage, Floro Flores
brought the best from Doni late on.
TADDEI CONCENTRATES AS HE CROWNS HIS RETURN WITH A WINNER
Marino is doing well to take the
unfashionable Udinese to the dizzy heights of Serie A, a loss to Roma in Rome is no shame as the
contest was pretty close, at least in the first half.
Spalletti will be pleased with
the win but not with the shambolic last fifteen minutes in which the nine men
of the visitors troubled his team.
