20 September 2009
ROMA 3 (Totti 27 Pen, Totti 33, De Rossi 42)
FIORENTINA 1 (Gilardino 84)
Earlier in the week Roma's coach Ranieri said :
"Totti has to change his style of playing. Even rocks know how he plays now, that he comes back to get the ball. He needs to make different movements."
Fielding his captain alongside Vucinic in a 4-3-3 formation Totti scored twice in a thumping victory over Fiorentina. Dainelli gave up the penalty with an idiotic handball and five minutes later slipped when attempting to clear from a corner, Totti was first to react, with a shot through the legs of a defender. Unlike on the previous two occasions Frey has to take the blame for Roma's third as he was beaten by De Rossi's bouncing header. Perrotta's hospital pass allowed Gilardino to score a consolation goal.
Attendance : 34,000
Assists : n/a, n/a, Totti, n/a
BARI 4 (Rivas 7, Barreto 9, Alvarez 39, Donati 61)
ATALANTA 1 (Bellini 84)
Bari's Argentinean midfielder Emmanuel Rivas began the last rites for Atalanta coach Angelo Gregucci with an absolute crackerjack of a shot, a searing right footed drive which arrowed into the roof of Consigli's net. Baretto, who showed all to brief flashes of brilliance at Udinese, doubled Bari's lead with a perfectly placed lob into the bottom right corner as Consigli dived at his feet. Atalanta's left flank was again exposed as the hapless Consigli was once again called into action after his defence bailed. Consigli saved Barreto's 52nd minute penalty but could do nothing to prevent a demoralised Atalanta defence from conceding a training ground goal. Only the post and the Italy U21 goalkeeper's brilliance prevented this from turning into a Tennis score. Bellini's late strike, albeit a wonderfully struck shot from the edge of the box, was scant consolation.
I was going to write Gregucci's job was hanging by a thread but the Atalanta board beat me to it by firing him and hiring Antonio Conte who ironically lead Bari to promotion as champions of Serie B last season.
Attendance : 16,717
Assists : Kutuzov, Kutuzov, Baretto, Meggiorini, n/a
CAGLIARI 1 (Jeda 16 Pen)
INTER 2 (Milito 51, Milito 56)
Jeda gave Cagliari the lead with what looked to be a bs penalty decision. Early in the second half Dessena hit the woodwork and Caini missed an absolute sitter on the break. His miss proved crucial as Milito stuck twice inside five minutes to turn the game on it's head. Eto'o pressed Contini into losing the ball deep in his own half and Milito was quickly onto the ball and drew Marchetti off his line before scoring. He then raced clear of the Cagliari defence onto Stankovic's superb ball over the top to score his second. Mourinho was sent off for protesting over a foul on Balotelli.
Attendance : 22,000
Red Card : Mourinho 58 (Inter)
Assists : Matri (won pen), n/a, Stankovic
CATANIA 1 (Martinez 12)
LAZIO 1 (Cruz 57)
Morimoto flicked on a cross as he turned and from the edge of the box and Martinez smashed the ball into the top right corner. Foggia intercepted a poor headed clearance and hung up a cross to the back post for Cruz to head in the equaliser.
Attendance : 12,000
Assists : Morimoto, Foggia
CHIEVO 3 (Marcolini 5 Pen, Bogdani 7, Pellissier 77)
GENOA 1 (Floccari 65 Pen)
Marcolini despatched a penalty awarded for handball. Two minutes later Papastathopoulos was left looking like a fool as he stood in the centre of his penalty box with his arms outstretched motioning for his goalkeeper to gather a Luciano centre, Bogdani beat him to it. Just as Floccari had given his side a route back into the match via the penalty spot Genoa's defence went to sleep on a cross, Granoche headed the ball across goal and Pellissier restored his team's two goal advantage. Diver Sculli won an injury time penalty. As Floccari stepped up Sorrentino danced on his line, ran forward and parried the ball to safety.
It's hard to believe Genoa's UEFA Cup exploits didn't have a factor in this result.
Attendance : 9,557
Assists : Bogdani (won pen), Luciano, n/a, Granoche
MILAN 1 (Seedorf 75)
BOLOGNA 0
Attendance : 35,713
Assist : n/a
PARMA 1 (Zaccardo 17)
PALERMO 0
Attendance : 15,032
Assist : Lanzafame (fk)
SAMPDORIA 4 (Palombo 23, Mannini 31, Padalino 48, Padalino 85)
SIENA 1 (Poli 68 og)
Siena's normally excellent goalkeeper Gianluca Curci let Palombo's speculative shot slip through his fingers. Cassano's teasing through ball forced the Rome goalkeeper into action and Mannini beat him with a measured lob to continue his great start to the season. Curci parried a Cassano volley straight into the path of Padalino, who had only just come on for Semioli, 3-0. 19 year old midfielder Poli marked his full Serie A debut with an own goal though there was little he could do to get out of the way of Fini's goalbound shot. Padalino scored his second tap-in after Curci saved from Pazzini.
Cassano sees passes no other player in the World sees. Watching Cassano, watching Sampdoria, is a welcome tonic to the officiating plague that grips the EPL.
Attendance : 23,000
Assists : n/a, Cassano, n/a, n/a, n/a
19 September 2009
NAPOLI 0
UDINESE 0
Attendance : 35,000
Assists : n/a
JUVENTUS 2 (Iaquinta 8, Marchisio 30)
LIVORNO 0
Iaquinta got between the Livorno centre backs to meet Camoranesi's high inswinging cross with a header into the bottom right corner. Camoranesi also made the second, Marchisio ran onto his pass and from the most ridiculous of angles lobbed over De Lucia.
Attendance : 22,788
Assists : Camoranesi, Camoranesi