11 January 2009
BOLOGNA 1 (Di Vaio 45 Pen)
CHIEVO 1 (Pellissier 43)
Pellissier appeared to have given Chievo a half time lead from a free kick but Moro's clumsy challenge on Di Vaio lead to the thirtysomething striker equalising from the penalty spot. Mudingayi was sent off for a foul from behind on Luciano though there appeared to be no contact on the replays.
Attendance : 15,840
Red Card : Mudingayi 81 (Bologna)
Assists : Luciano (fk), Di Vaio (won pen)
FIORENTINA 1 (Melo 24)
LECCE 2 (Giacomazzi 6, Castillo 28)
Castillo chested down a ball out of defence, turned and volleyed a pass sending Giacomazzi clear of a Fiorentina defence keeping a ludicrously high line, the midfielder dropped Frey with a dummy then lobbed into an empty net. Mutu threatened with free kicks before Melo headed in the equaliser from a Santana cross. Lecce restored their lead with a goal identical to their first. Tiribocchi gathered a goalkick, turned and slipped a pass between four defenders sending Castillo clear to round Frey and restore Lecce's lead. There was more bad news for Fiorentina when Mutu was stretchered off with an elbow injury. Into the fourth of six minutes of injury time Osvaldo was shown a second yellow for pushing Caserta in the back.
Attendance : 27,551
Red Card : Osvaldo 94 (Fiorentina)
Assists : Castillo, Santana, Tiribocchi
JUVENTUS 1 (Del Piero 33 fk)
SIENA 0
Attendance : 20,859
Assist : Nedved (won fk)
NAPOLI 1 (Maggio 80)
CATANIA 0
Attendance : 40,000
Assist : Lavezzi
PALERMO 3 (Miccoli 22, Bresciano 39, Cavani 81)
ATALANTA 2 (Floccari 65, Adriano 78)
Miccoli scored a fantastic opening goal which prompted the commentator to dub him the Romario of Salento which I'm guessing is the region in which he was born. Cassani floated a high, angled first time pass towards the Atalanta penalty area, Miccoli ran between two defenders, took the ball on his thigh then shot into the bottom left corner. Bresciano scored a close range second from a deflected pass then did his goofy celebration when he poses like a statue. Miccoli went off with a muscle injury two minutes later. Garics swung in a cross from the right, Floccari connected with a downward header which Amelia, who was perfectly placed, was slow to react to. Italy's #2 was beaten for a second time at his near post, Adriano converting a superb cross from Chilean midfielder Jamie Valdes. Cavani let a Liverani cross drop over his shoulder and beat a poorly positioned Coppola with a right foot shot which bobbled into the bottom left corner.
Attendance : 19,000
Assists : Cassani, n/a, Garics, Valdes, Liverani
REGGINA 2 (Corradi 4 Pen, Cozza 63)
LAZIO 3 (Santos 14 og, Pandev 22, Pandev 76)
The ref awarded Reggina a fourth minute penalty when Carrizo appeared to clear Brienza as he ran in on goal. He did the Inzaghi hook and fall trick. Corradi sent him the wrong way. Pandev pressured a Reggina defender into losing the ball in his own half, ran into the box and beat Campagnolo with a shot that took a deflection off Santos before looping over the wrong footed Campagnolo. Pandev controlled a deflected Zarate cross with his arm, in clear view of the ref, before slamming in his second from six yards out. Cozza forced the equaliser within 10 minutes of coming on as a second half sub. Two players collided in midfield and amid the confusion Sestu raced up the right flank and played in a low centre which Diakhate sliced into his own net though Cozza may have got the final touch. Zarate, who is impossible to mark, dribbled down the left side of the box, beat a defender and pulled back for Pandev to complete his 'hat-trick'.
Attendance : 10,000
Assists : Brienza (won pen), n/a, Zarate, n/a, Zarate
UDINESE 1 (Domizzi 62)
SAMPDORIA 1 (Delvecchio 57)
Delvecchio scored with a bullet header from the penalty sport, Ziegler crossing from a corner. Domizzi equaliser following a goalmouth scramble.
Attendance : 14,000
Assists : Ziegler (ck)
ROMA 2 (Vucinic 22, Vucinic 72)
MILAN 2 (Pato 48, Pato 53)
The much maligned Riise, now almost a comedy figure following that infamous og against Chelsea, swung in a left wing cross and Vucinic nutmegged Jankulovski before side footing past Abbiati. Milan scored with their first noteworthy attack. Jankulovski dribbled past Brighi and fed Kaka' as Mexes dived in with a challenge, Kaka' turned inside Audio Cassetti and rolled a centre to the back post for Pato to tap home. Beckham was the first to jump on Pato to celebrate, almost certainly a calculated move. He's smarter than he sounds. Five minutes later he scored a fantastic second. Ronaldinho laid off a Jankulovski pass to the 19 year old, he raced down the left flank, switched the ball onto his right foot as he accelerated past Mexes and from an angle out wide left dropped an exquisite low lob over Doni, the ball catching the inside of the right post before dropping into the bottom corner. One goal with his right foot and one with his left. He's not bad in the air either. Milan failed to add a third and minutes after Ronaldinho made way for Ambrosini conceded the equaliser. Pirlo can count himself lucky Baptista didn't go down in the box after he grabbed the striker around the neck as he turned, the ball broke to Brighi, his first time shot took a deflection off Pirlo, looped to the back post and Vucinic went horizontal to score with a diving header.
Pato is bigger, stronger and less spotty than a year ago. He's still averaging a goal every two games despite being green as grass, despite his heavy passing. He has unlimited potential.
Attendance : 52,000
Assists : Riise, Kaka', Ronaldinho, n/a
10 January 2009
GENOA 3 (Biava 18, Jankovic 45, Motta 85)
TORINO 0
Biava headed Genoa a goal up from a corner. Jankovic killed the game off on the stroke of half time, heading into an empty net after Sereni advanced for a cross then bottled out of a challenge. Motta gave himself a boost off the back of Di Loreto to complete a hat-trick of headed goals.
Attendance : 26,000
Assists : Juric (ck), Sculli, Juric (ck)
INTER 1 (Ibrahimovic 76)
CAGLIARI 1 (Acquafresca 65)
Inter dominated but fell behind to a goal scored by one of their own. Samuel's slip on the edge of the box allowed Acquafresca to trap a cross and shoot wide of Julio Cesar. Biondini should have scored a second but blazed over from close range after Jeda's trickery fashioned a chance and Acquafresca also went close before Ibrahimovic spares the Nerazzurri's blushes when he tapped in Crespo's centre at the back post. Acquafresca and Muntari missed absolute sitters.
Attendance : 45,171
Assists : Fini, Crespo