2 March 2008
CAGLIARI 2 (Acquafresca 29, Rubinho 46 og)
GENOA 1 (Lucarelli 15)
Alessandro Lucarelli met Fabiano's cross with a spectacular diving header his more illustrious brother would have been proud of. Acquafresca equalised with a magnificent right foot volley which beat Rubinho at his near post. For some inexplicable reason Acquafresca's second, a header from a corner, has gone down as an own goal because Rubinho got the final touch. Happens all the time.
Attendance : 15,000
Assists : Fabiano, Cossu, n/a
EMPOLI 0
SIENA 2 (Portanova 33, Rigano 94)
Portanova's fluke header gave Siena the lead. The defender was rugby tackled from behind as he jumped for Codrea's free kick, as he fell the ball hit his head and sailed into the net. A defender slipped when attempting to clear a cross leaving Rigano with a simple tap-in.
Attendance : 11,000
Red Card : Moro 92 (Empoli)
Assists : Codrea, Kharja
JUVENTUS 2 (Sissoko 29, Camoranesi 57)
FIORENTINA 3 (Gobbi 19, Papa Waigo 75, Osvaldo 93)
Gobbi played a one-two with Jorgensen as he burst into the box and ran onto a perfectly weighted return pass before nonchalantly flicking past Buffon. Frey came off his line and ran into traffic as he punched a free kick, Sissoko went airborne and sent a brilliant overhead kick bouncing into the bottom left corner. Camoranesi meet Molinaro's cross with a volley at the back post to give Juve the lead. Fiorentina coach Prandelli went for broke, bringing on strikers Osvaldo for Ujfalusi and Papa Waigo for Santana. Pazzini, who had another poor game, ran onto a loose ball on the edge of the Juve box and passed wide to Papa Waigo. He seemed to take an unnecessary extra touch as a defender tried to close him down but worked an opening with a feint then dragged a shot into the bottom right corner of Buffon's net. The creaking Juve defence conceded their fifth goal of the week in injury time. Montolivo hit a high, hopeful ball into the box, they failed to clear and Osvaldo found Papa Waigo with a pass out wide then darted into the six yard to meet the Senegalese striker's cross with a diving header. He pulled off his shirt in celebration and having already been booked inevitably saw red seconds later. What a dipshit.
Fiorentina's first victory over Juventus in Turin in two decades. Papa Waigo came with a big reputation from Serie B but was a complete flop for Genoa during the first half of the season, failing to score in 9 games, but he's already scored twice in three appearances for the Viola.
Attendance : 21,000
Red Card : Osvaldo 94 (Fiorentina)
Assists : Jorgensen, n/a, Molinaro, Jorgensen, Papa Waigo
LIVORNO 1 (Diamanti 62)
CATANIA 0
Attendance : 9,000
Assists : Pulzetti
REGGINA 0
PALERMO 0
Attendance : 10,000
Assists : n/a
SAMPDORIA 2 (Sala 45, Cassano 52)
TORINO 2 (Comotto 18, Di Michele 51 Pen)
Comotto's speculative shot seemed to take a deflection off a defender, wrong footing Castelazzi in the Sampdoria goal. Cassano 'made' the second with a magnificent step-over, leaving Palombo's cross for Sala to drill home the equaliser. Di Michele restored Torino's lead from the penalty spot but Samp hit back instantly, Cassano side footing a deflected clearance past Sereni. Three minutes from time he was sent off for insulting the ref. Ability by God, brain by Mattel. Cassano offered a post match apology :
"I apologise to everyone, I did something that should absolutely be condemned and compromised everything positive I had done up until then. Almost immediately I realised that I had done something really stupid. At the end of the game I apologised to the fans and my team-mates. I also clarified what had happened with refereeing designator Pierluigi Collina."
Ill discipline is the only thing preventing him from claming a place in Donadoni's Euro 2008 squad.
Attendance : 19,000
Red Card : Cassano 87 (Sampdoria)
Assists : Di Michele, Palombo, Di Michele (won pen), Bonazzoli
UDINESE 2 (Quagliarella 29, Di Natale 31)
ATALANTA 0
Quagliarella headed in his 8th goal of the season from Pepe cross and two minutes later Di Natale fired into an empty net after Coppola punched a cross straight back to the edge of the box.
Attendance : 14,000
Assists : Pepe, n/a
NAPOLI 1 (Zalayeta 3)
INTER 0
A rare mistake by Julio Cesar condemned Inter to their first league defeat of the season. Napoli were defending in their own area when Gargano smashed the ball 70 yards upfield, with Lavezzi bearing down Julio Cesar was forced into a hurried clearance and didn't get enough distance, Zalayeta arrived to hit a perfectly weighted first lob over the Brazilian's head into an empty net. A tremendous finish. Julio Cesar performed a miraculous save to spare Materazzi the embarrassment of an own goal. Chivu was the latest player to join Inter's long injury list with a shoulder problem. Napoli broke from their own half to launch an insanely quick counter attack, taking 13 seconds from box to box, Julio Cesar chopped down Gargano to concede a penalty. He should have been sent off and seconds later made an amazing save from Zalayeta's penalty.
This has been on the cards. Inter have been playing poorly for months. The Liverpool defeat hit the team hard mentally. Roma have now cut the lead down to six points. Mancini needs a reaction from his players and needs one quickly. With 12 games to go the title race is well and truly back on.
Attendance : 60,240
Assist : n/a
1 March 2008
ROMA 4 (Aquilani 27, Falcone 50 og, Totti 80, Vucinic 94)
PARMA 0
Before kick Giacomi Losi presented Totti with a shirt for breaking his Roma all time appearance record (386 games). Aquilani tapped Roma into the lead after midget and rubbish goalkeeper Luca Bucci spilled a Tonetto cross. Falcone got on the end of another Tonetto cross with a spectacular volley. He must have forgotten they changed ends at half time. After two shit goals Roma scored a wonderful third. Totti started the move on the half way line with a crossfield pass out wide to Pizarro, Cicinho held up the ball until Pizarro arrived in the box, centred, Pizarro back heeled to Totti and he slammed the ball first time into the left corner. Vucinic profited from more calamitous defending to bag Roma's fourth.
Totti is in great form ahead of Roma's clash with Real Madrid but more importantly the Spaniard's Talisman, Robinho, is back.
Attendance : 31,000
Assists : n/a, n/a, Pizarro, n/a
MILAN 1 (Oddo 66 Pen)
LAZIO 1 (Bianchi 54)
Shortly after Kalac made spectacular saves to deny Rocchi and Pandev, life long Milan support Bianchi gave Lazio a deserved lead. Dabo played a ball into Rocchi as Digao and Kaladze moved to close him down he centred first time to Bianchi and he lost Oddo to slide past Kalac. Oddo, who was booed unmercifully for his shit crossing, equalised from the spot after Behrami pulled back Kaladze. De Silvestri was sent off cynically chopping down Pato on the break.
Attendance : 52,016
Red Cards : De Silvestri 83 (Lazio)
Assists : Rocchi, Kaladze (won pen)