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 |
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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 |
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ATALANTA | 3-1 |
ASCOLI |
Zampagna 30 |
Bjelanovic 60 |
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Ventola 36, 43 |
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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 |
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CAGLIARI | 0-1 |
CATANIA |
Corona 54 |
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Attendance : 15,000 Assist : Spinesi |
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CHIEVO | 1-2 |
SIENA |
Pellissier 31 |
Brevi 74 |
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Chiesa 90 |
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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 |
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MESSINA | 1-0 |
UDINESE |
Zanchi 73 |
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Attendance : 12,000 Assist : Cordova (ck) |
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MILAN | 2-1 |
LAZIO |
Inzaghi 27 |
Makinwa 73 |
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Oliveira 70 |
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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 |
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PALERMO | 4-3 |
REGGINA |
Bresciano 11 |
Bianchi 42, 55, |
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Biava 17 |
Bianchi 79 (Pen) |
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Corini 27 (Pen) |
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Amauri 67 |
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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) |
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SAMPDORIA | 1-2 |
EMPOLI |
Bonazzoli 9 |
Busce 26 |
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Saudati 51 (Pen) |
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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) |
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9 September 2006 | ||
ROMA | 2-0 |
LIVORNO |
De Rossi 45 |
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Mancini 55 |
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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 |
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FIORENTINA | 2-3 |
INTER |
Toni 68, 79 |
Cambiasso 10, 41 |
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Ibrahimovic 61 |
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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 |