28 January 2009
ATALANTA 0
BOLOGNA 1 (Volpi 80 fk)
Attendance : 12,000
Assist : Di Vaio (won fk)
CAGLIARI 1 (Acquafresca 37)
SIENA 0
Attendance : 10,000
Assist : n/a
CATANIA 0
INTER 2 (Stankovic 5, Ibrahimovic 71)
It was a case of role reversal for the opening goal. Cruz got down the right by-line and swung in a cross which Stankovic met with a firm header under Bizzarri's crossbar. Stankovic sent Ibrahimovic clear with a ball over the top as Bizarri came off his line Ibrahimovic lobbed the ball over his head and tapped into an empty net. Didn't see the Muntari incident.
Attendance : 22,000
Red Card : Muntari 32 (Inter)
Assists : Cruz, Stankovic
CHIEVO 1 (Mantovani 88)
LECCE 1 (Vives 56)
The home side lost Mandelli to a soft red card and shortly thereafter the lead to a fantastic strike from Vives. The midfielder got hold a half cleared corner with a wicked first time strike, the ball swerved into the top corner before smashing in off the inside left post, his first ever goal in Italy's top flight. The ref evened up the sides with another weak dismissal. Bentivoglio cross was inadvertently helped on by Makinwa and Mantovani slid in at the back post.
Attendance : 10,000
Red Cards : Mandelli 49 (Chievo), Fabiano 80 (Lecce)
Assists : n/a, Makinwa
FIORENTINA 2 (Santana 47, Montolivo 79)
NAPOLI 1 (Vitale 49)
Santana took advantage of slack defending from a free kick to give Fiorentina the lead. Their lead lasted all of two minutes, Vitale fired in a cross from the left and Frey fumbled the ball into his own net. Montolivo broke from midfield, exchanged passes with Semioli on the edge of the box, checked inside a defender and shot under the 'keeper. Brilliant goal.
Attendance : 29,000
Red Card : Montervino 90 (Napoli)
Assists : n/a, Aronica, Semioli
MILAN 1 (Beckham 33 fk)
GENOA 1 (Milito 87)
The was a chance for Beckham in the opening seconds, his stinging right foot drive drawing a great save from Rubinho. Pirlo thumped the woodwork with a stunning free kick, Pato horribly miscued from the rebound. Pato won a free kick on the left of the penalty box. Beckham caught Rubinho by surprise, curling the ball into the top left corner before running away to celebrate with the Milan bench. Pato should have doubled Milan's lead but wasted a tremendous Beckham cross. The first half ended with Pirlo hitting the crossbar for a second time.
Milan failed to sustain their first half dominance as the visitors began to threaten with Sculli and Biava wasting good opportunities and Abbiati denying Milito a certain goal with a spectacular two handed save. Biava got above Senderos to flick on a cross and Milito pounced at the back post to equalise.
For those of us wondering why Flamini had failed to hold a place in the starting XI in Gattuso's absence we got the answer in this match. He came on with 20 minutes to go and was clear in the Genoa half with two Milan team-mates in support, he couldn't beat his man, checked back allowing Genoa to regroup. On another occasion he lost possession again in the attacking third. His tackling is great but his passing and technique are absolutely lousy. It took Gattuso years to become comfortable in possession, it will be the same for Flamini.
Attendance : 50,000
Assists : Pato (won fk), Biava
ROMA 2 (Carrozzieri 24 og, Brighi 47)
PALERMO 1 (Cavani 31)
A loose ball broke for Totti on the edge of the Palermo box, his right foot shot took a deflection off Carrozzieri, wrong footing Amelia. Liverani intercepted a dreadful goalkick and played in Cavani, the Uruguayan striker's first time shot trickled past a flat footed Doni. Brighi restored Roma's lead in first half injury time, jumping above his marker to head in a sumptuous Totti cross.
Both teams headed into this match on the back of three successive wins.
Attendance : 35,000
Assist : n/a, Liverani, Totti
SAMPDORIA 3 (Gastaldello 13, Cassano 51, Stankevicius 55)
LAZIO 1 (Rocchi 31)
Ziegler swung a free kick to the back post and despite being fouled by a defender Delvecchio managed to flick out a foot as he fell, the ball struck team-mate Gastadello's elbow taking a wild bounce into the right corner of the net. Ledesma found Rocchi with an absolutely fantastic 50 yard pass, he made a diagonal run between two defenders and punched a half volley into the bottom left corner. Brilliant goal but what followed was even better. Cassano picked up possession on the left flank, turned two defenders inside out as he cut inside the box then whipped the ball into the top right corner. Stankevicius scored Samp's third with an industrial strength header. Muslera, who I guess was filling in for Carrozzieri because Delio Rossi has lost faith in him, made a fantastic save from a 64th minute Bellucci penalty.
Attendance : 22,000
Assists : Delvecchio, Ledesma, Palombo, Ziegler (ck)
TORINO 0
REGGINA 0
Attendance : 15,000
Assists : n/a
UDINESE 2 (Quagliarella 20, Di Natale 74)
JUVENTUS 1 (Iaquinta 77 Pen)
Buffon ran 40 yards off his line to clear a ball which Zapata intercepted, as he ran forward a Juve defender tried to smack the ball clear but hit it against Zapata releasing Di Natale on the left flank, Quagliarella turned onto his centre, shot through the legs of Legrottaglie, wide of Buffon and in off the right post. Udinese survived second half Juve pressure before doubling their lead on the break. D'Agostino won a ball in his own half and sent Di Natale clear of Juve's high line with a cross out wide, Di Natale beat a defender before hammering a shot into the top right corner of Buffon's net. Pasquale chopped down Grygera to concede a penalty which Iaquinta converted against his former club. Trezeguet made his long awaited return from injury four minutes later but Juve couldn't fashion a chance and Udinese held on to claim their first win in TWELEVE games.
Attendance : 18,000
Assists : Di Natale, D'Agostino, Grygera (won pen)