29 November 2011
NAPOLI 3 (Hamsik 22, Pandev 40, Pandev 68)
JUVENTUS 3 (Matri 48, Estigarribia 72, Pepe 79)
Juve got a big boost when Cavani was ruled out with injury earlier in the day. Pirlo fouled Lavezzi to concede a penalty. Hamsik scored but had to re-take for encroachment and this time he skyed his effort over the bar. He made amends seven minutes later with a header at the near post after the Juve defence fell apart when defending a Lavezzi free kick. In trying to clear a loose ball past it fraud and sudden media darling Pirlo kicked it against Lavezzi and it rebounded to Pandev who quickly turned Chiellini before finding the bottom left corner. All the more surprising as he was horrifically poor in the previous 39 minutes wasting numerous good positions and a Pirlo hospital pass.
Vucinic dummied a lovely Vidal pass and Matri, free on the left, tapped by De Sanctis. Napoli restored their two goal lead on the counter. Maggio fired in a driven cross and with his back to goal Pandev killed the ball with his right, flicked it forward with his left then half volleyed a shot wide of Buffon. Fantastic goal. Juve scored a carbon copy of their first goal. Matri flicked on a cross and Estigarribia, unmarked at the back post, controlled the ball before poking past De Sanctis as he dived at his feet. Zuniga was once again nowhere. Chiellini tackled Gargano on the half way line and Pepe ran onto the ball, dribbled into traffic, tried to play in Matri but his pass came back off Fernandez, turning into a perfect one-two and he placed the ball inside the right post. Pepe's third goal in his last three games. If he scores again it will be too soon.
Napoli were relentless in the opening 45 minutes. They were first to every 2nd, 3rd and 4th ball but ran out of steam in the second. Napoli are seven points off a Champions League place. If they are to play in the competition again next season they must strengthen their bench in the January window especially in central midfield and in defence. Collectively Napoli's defence is usually a well oiled unit but individually Cannavaro, Aronica and Campagnaro are barely above Serie B level. It's in games like these against a better standard of opposition in which the three are brutally exposed - as Juve's midfield has been in recent weeks.
Attendance : 48,000
Assists : n/a, n/a, Vidal, Maggio, Matri, n/a
27 November 2011
MILAN 4 (Thiago Silva 8, Ibrahimovic 16, Pato 33, Ibrahimovic 44 Pen)
CHIEVO 0
Thiago Silva began the rout with a precise low shot from the edge of the box after exchanging passes with Boateng. Ibrahimovic scored his 100th Serie A goal with a brilliant curling shot from the edge of the box. The third arrived from a corner, Aquilani volleyed against Luciano and Pato tapped in the rebound. A wonderful passing move ended with Pato being fouled in the box and Ibrahimovic made it goal 101.
Attendance : 40,891
Assists : Boateng, Aquilani, n/a, Pato (won pen)
CAGLIARI 1 (Conti 81 Pen)
BOLOGNA 1 (Di Vaio 75)
Conti slipped when making a clearance and Di Vaio lobbed over Agazzi. Conti was one of three players to get sacked in the box and Conti somewhat made amends for his earlier mistake from the penalty spot. Ramirez almost won it late on with a brilliant solo effort.
Attendance : 8,000
Assists : n/a, Conti (won pen)
CESENA 2 (Mutu 70 Pen, Mutu 80)
GENOA 0
Moretti pulled down Bogdani to concede the penalty. Mutu did a Panenka from the spot then 10 minutes later scored a magnificent second. Standing to the left of the penalty area he whipped the ball into the opposite corner. Cesena could have added two more goals in the remaining minutes. Genoa's away form is shocking.
Attendance : 15,977
Assists : Bogdani (won pen), Parolo
PALERMO 2 (Miccoli 22, Ilicic 73 fk)
FIORENTINA 0
Ilicic split Fiorentina's high line and Miccoli raced clear to score. Ilicic curled a fantastic left footed free kick up and around the Fiorentina wall and inside the right post - Palermo's fifth consecutive home win.
Attendance :19,536
Red Card : Natali 89 (Fiorentina)
Assists : Ilicic, Ilicic (won fk)
SIENA 0
INTER 1 (Castaignos 89)
Attendance : 13,587
Red Card : Brienza 91 (Siena)
Assist : Motta
26 November 2011
NOVARA 2 (Rubino 70, Rigoni 78)
PARMA 1 (Centurioni 29 og)
Parma made all the early running but couldn't find a way past Fontana until Centurioni gave them a helping hand when he sliced Biabiany's center over him. Mirante made a stunning double reaction save to preserve Parma's lead into half time. Granoche's poor defensive clearance gave Rigoni a chance to get down the by-line and Rubino met his cross with a punching header then held aloft a T-Shirt with the word 'Record' - he's the first player to score in four divisions for the same club. From a near identical position from the left Rigoni headed in the winner. Giovinco hit the base of a post with a free kick and Gemiti was sent off for clearing Biabiany.
A typical Jekyll & Hyde performance by Parma - victory over table topping Udinese one week and defeat to lowly Novara the next.
Attendance : 12,000
Red Card : Gemiti 87 (Novara)
Assists : n/a, Rigoni, Mazzarini
LECCE 0
CATANIA 1 (Barrientos 90)
Attendance : 6,000
Assist : Maxi Lopez
LAZIO 0
JUVENTUS 1 (Pepe 34)
Pirlo curled a free kick against a post and Lichtsteiner missed the rebound from a yard out. Rocchi lobbed over Buffon and Barzagli punched the ball clear. How the linesman didn't spot that is a mystery. Juve countered after Rocchi shot into traffic, Matri rolled a center across goal and Pepe tapped into the corner. Lulic blasted a shot against the left post. After Buffon made a Hollywood save from Klose Lazio heads dropped. Marchetti denied Giaccherini with a stunning save and Matri also went close.
This was just like the old Juventus with Barzagli taking the role of that cheating bastard Cannavaro. They dived constantly at every bit of contact, that little shit Pirlo especially and stole three points.
Attendance : 60,000
Assists : Matri
ATALANTA 1 (Denis 64)
NAPOLI 1 (Cavani 94)
As Campagnaro tackled Moralez the ball split the Napoli defence and Denis ran through to score against his former club. Cavani turned in a wayward Santana shot with the last kick of the game.
Attendance : 17,827
Assists : n/a, Santana
25 November 2011
UDINESE 2 (Di Natale 79, Isla 89)
ROMA 0
Pinzi played a one-two with Fabbrini before launching a high ball over Roma's center backs, Kjaer pulled up with a thigh strain as he chased Di Natale, he wouldn't have caught him anyway, and Di Natale lashed a volley past Stekelenburg. Asamoah flicked on a ball to Armero, he ran into the box and chipped a cross to the back post for Isla to tap in.
Despite massive spending Roma two points worse off than at the same stage last season and in the same position - 6th.
Attendance : 13,000
Assists : Pinzi, Armero