10 September 2006
 
I will try to post a season preview by the end of the week. Roma should be clear
favourites for the scudetto due to Milan's point penalty and Inter being Inter and
selling the wrong player (Martins instead of Adriano).

Regardless of who wins the scudetto everyone should celebrate the fact that the
stain on the face of humanity (Juventus) are not in Serie A this season and will
hopefully rot in Serie B for eternity.
 
TORINO 1-1

PARMA

Stellone 90  

Budan 55

   

 

Pass master Morfeo bamboozled the Torino defence with an outrageous lob
between two defenders leaving Budan to thump the ball past Abbiati. Parma
goalkeeper De Lucia made a string of fine saves before 'Sylvester' Stellone
grabbed a late equaliser with a fantastic flick header.

Attendance : 23,000
Assists : Morfeo, Lazetic
 
 
ATALANTA 3-1

ASCOLI

Zampagna 30  

Bjelanovic 60

Ventola 36, 43  

 

   

 

Atalanta, probably the most consistent yo-yo team in football, made the wise
decision to start Vieri on the bench. If they were really smart they wouldn't have
signed the big useless, lazy twat in the first place. Pagliuca, who hits forty in
December, made three fantastic saves before his defence betrayed him by playing
offside in the box and Zampagna, who was marginally offside, picked his spot.
Boudianski tried to check the run of Adriano but the right back muscled his way
past before pulling the ball back to Ventola for easy tap-in number two. More naïve
defending cost Ascoli a third goal. Ventola stripped the ball off Cudini who was
running back towards his goal and evaded a challenge from former team-mate
Pagliuca before lifting the ball into an empty net. Pagliuca denied Ventola a
hat-trick and air monster Bjelanovic got above Adriano to head in what proved
to be a consolation goal.

Attendance : 11,000
Assists : Pinto, Adriano, n/a, Zanetti
 
 
CAGLIARI 0-1

CATANIA

   

Corona 54

   

 

Attendance : 15,000
Assist : Spinesi
 
 
CHIEVO 1-2

SIENA

Pellissier 31  

Brevi 74

   

Chiesa 90

   

 

Both teams were creating chances at will but it was the home side who hit the
front. Pellissier plucked Marcolini's superb pass out of the air and fired the ball
between Manninger's legs. He went off injured at half time and was replaced by
the extremely poor and slow Cossato (Pillon should have brought on Obbina
instead). Brevi scored a fortunate equaliser when Chiesa's wicked corner struck
his calf and bounced past Sicignano. In injury time Chiesa scored direct from a
corner though the defence are entirely to blame for failing to deal with a low
bouncing ball. Brighi was sent off for going through the back of Konko.

Attendance : 5,253
Red Card : Brighi 90 (Chievo)
Assist : Marcolini, Chiesa (ck), n/a
 
 
MESSINA 1-0

UDINESE

Zanchi 73  

 

 
Attendance : 12,000
Assist : Cordova (ck)
 
 
MILAN 2-1

LAZIO

Inzaghi 27  

Makinwa 73

Oliveira 70  

 

   

 

Inzaghi latched onto a Kaka' pass and despite heavy traffic in the Lazio penalty
area steered a shot past Peruzzi. Shevchenko's replacement, Ricardo Oliveira,
headed in his first Milan goal 10 minutes after replacing the listless Gilardino.
Nesta gifted Lazio a goal when he ran out of his box to try and play Rocchi offside,
Rocchi centred to Makinwa, 2-1. Nesta should have made amends at the other
end but headed out inches from goal. A fabulous feint took Oliveira past two
defenders but Peruzzi denied him with a great save and minutes later he shaved
the post after a bustling run from Ambrosini.

Milan's first opening day victory since the 2003-2004 season which is vital as teams
that fail to win their first game rarely go on to win the scudetto. Juve are the only
team in recent seasons to have achieved that particular feat but then that shouldn't
count as the cheque probably hadn't cleared.

Attendance : 44,770
Assists : Kaka', Pirlo (ck), Rocchi
 
 
PALERMO 4-3

REGGINA

Bresciano 11  

Bianchi 42, 55,

Biava 17  

Bianchi 79 (Pen)

Corini 27 (Pen)  

 

Amauri 67  

 

     
Bresciano gave Palermo the lead with a spectacular overhead kick from
Zaccardo's cross however it had nothing on Biava's strike. Bresciano swung in a
free kick from just inside the right touchline say 20 or so yards from goal, as the
ball sailed into the box Biava, who was being held by a defender, leapt in the air
and struck the ball with a left foot back heal volley as he corked his body AWAY
from goal, straight out of a video game. Up there with Van Basten's volley in
1988 as one of the most incredible goals ever scored. Lanzaro climbed over the
back of Biava to concede a penalty which Corini converted twice. That should have
been it but Bianchi had other ideas. He headed in his first goal when Agliardi
made a mess of a free kick. Amoruso headed down Leon's cross and Bianchi
slammed in a close range volley to make it 3-2. Aronica was sent off for apparently
blocking Corini as he raced away on a counter attack though the replays clearly
show Corini held the defender before falling down. Just what you need when
you're 3-2 down and on -15 points. Corini tempted Pelizzoli off his line when he
hung a cross in the air and Amauri beat him to it, 4-2. At the other end Agliardi
made amends for his earlier mistake with a phenomenal save from a Leon free
kick. Bianchi blasted in a somewhat fortuitous penalty.

I know we are only in the first week of the season but this was one outstanding
game of football.

Attendance : 24,500
Red Card : Aronica (Reggina)
Assists : Zaccardo, Bresciano (fk), n/a, Amerini, Amoruso, Corini, Leon (won pen)
 
 
SAMPDORIA 1-2

EMPOLI

Bonazzoli 9  

Busce 26

   

Saudati 51 (Pen)

   

 

Bonazzoli was absolutely flying in the goalscoring charts last year until a broken
leg ended his season and robbed him of an almost certain place in Lippi's
World Cup squad. He scored the first goal of this campaign with a low drive
after Flachi miss-controlled a Volpi pass. Samp were tearing Empoli apart with
fast attacks down the flanks and should have been awarded a penalty for
handball. A dreadful mistake by Falcone allowed Empoli back into the match.
He failed to clear Vannuchi's monstrous ball out of defence, Saudati pounced,
ran into the box and pulled the ball across the face of goal to Busce who
slammed into the back of the net. Early in the second half Falcone's misery
was complete when he not only conceded a penalty but was also shown a second
yellow. Saudati barely beat Castelazzi from the spot, the 'keeper got a touch but
couldn't prevent the ball from trickling into the net. Del Vecchio got a second
yellow for a sneaky handball. This ref (Gava) didn't miss a trick.

Attendance : 19,000
Red Cards : Falcone 50 (Sampdoria), Del Vecchio 88 (Sampdoria)
Assists : Flachi, Saudati, Matteini (won pen)
 
 
9 September 2006
 
ROMA 2-0

LIVORNO

De Rossi 45  

 

Mancini 55  

 

   

 

De Rossi gave Roma the lead on the stroke of half time with a sensational strike
from 35 yards. Mancini conned the ref into awarding a penalty but Totti slammed
the ball against the crossbar. Mancini finished off Livorno after Amelia spilled a
fiercely struck effort from substitute Taddei.

Roma's kit was devoid of shirt sponsorship because they were unable to get a
deal and would hardly have been asking potential sponsors to break the bank.
Given they are in the Champions League and obvious favourites for the scudetto
this is a missed opportunity.

Attendance : 40,000
Assists : Tonetto, n/a
 
 
FIORENTINA 2-3

INTER

Toni 68, 79  

Cambiasso 10, 41

   

Ibrahimovic 61

   

 

Cambiasso, scorer of THAT goal in the World Cup, finished off another flowing
team move. Maicon threaded a pass through to Crespo as he turned he flicked
the ball wide to Ibrahimovic, who was also standing with his back to play, and
he rolled the ball into the path on the onrushing Cambiasso who struck a crisp,
first time shot into the bottom corner. Ibrahimovic and Figo combined on the
right for Inter's second, Crespo missed the Portuguese wingers tempting cross
but Cambiasso was on hand to nod the ball in at the back post.

Figo hit Crespo's firm pass out wide to Cambiasso, who was standing just outside
the centre circle, Cambiasso chipped the ball into the box and surprisingly
Ibrahimovic connected with a low volley which found the back of the net. Mutu
emerged with the ball from a tussle with Maicon on the left before whipping a
cross towards the back post which Toni met with a powerful header then, in
accordance with a ridiculous new ruling, was booked for picking the ball out of
the net (to get a quick re-start). Just over 10 minutes later he scored another
superb headed goal and again picked the ball out of the net but this time Rosetti
didn't book him.

Inter are short on quality upfront, Ibrahimovic is a terrible finisher and with
Adriano in the side I imagine most of the super slick football Inter played would
have broken down at his feet.

Attendance : 43,328
Assists : Ibrahimovic, Figo, Cambiasso, Mutu, Reginaldo
 
 
R Mehdi