10 December 2012

SAMPDORIA 0
UDINESE 2 (Danilo 17, Di Natale 28)

Danilo headed Udinese into the lead from a corner. Sampdoria were given a ridiculous penalty. A Sampdoria defender whacked a through ball against Badu and Di Natale ran onto the rebound, rounded Romero and tapped into an empty net. Icardi fell over when trying to push Udinese defender Allan out of the way as they challenged for a ball but Brkic saved Pozzi's awful penalty. It was the third penalty Brkic has saved in Serie A this season so having sold one penalty saving expert in Handanovic Udinese have found another.

Attendance : 21,400
Assists : Di Natale (ck), Badu


BOLOGNA 0
LAZIO 0

Attendance : 15,543
Red Card : Kozak 88 (Lazio)
Assists : n/a


9 December 2012

CAGLIARI 0
CHIEVO 2 (Paloschi 67, Thereau 87 fk)

Cagliari created chance after chance but a combination of Sorrentino's heroics and poor finishing allowing Chievo to steal a rare three points on the road. Agazzi should have parried Paloschi's header out for a corner but slapped it into his own net. Thereau curled a slow motion free kick into the top right corner.

Attendance : 12,000
Assists : Hetemaj, Hetemaj (won fk)


PALERMO 0
JUVENTUS 1 (Lichtsteiner 50)

Attendance : 17,000
Red Card : Morganella 75 (Palermo)
Assist : Vucinic


PESCARA 2 (Abbruscato 52, Vukusic 73)
GENOA 0

Pescara went five points clear of fellow strugglers Genoa in this relegation six pointer with two identical goals. Iceland midfielder Bjarnason ran at the Genoa defence before passing out wide to Wiesse and Elvis tapped in his centre. Pescara's second was exactly the same only Frey should have held what was a poor shot.

Attendance : 8,000
Assists : Wiesse, Wiesse


SIENA 1 (Rosina 10)
CATANIA 3 (Castro 50, Bergessio 67, Bergessio 82)

Siena's two bald midgets combined to give rock bottom Siena the lead. Valiani teed up a through ball and Rosina curled a first time shot inside the left post. Despite falling behind the visitors dominated and it was only a matter of time before they equalised. Castro punished a gaping hole in the Siena defence five minutes into the second half. Lodi passed on the chance to score a rare goal from open play with a ball out wide to the unmarked Bergessio who had time to take a touch before lifting over Pegolo. Bergessio tapped in the second at the back post after Siena fell asleep on a corner.

Attendance : 8,240
Assists : Valiani, Bergessio, Lodi, Castro (ck)


TORINO 2 (Santana 28, Bianchi 80)
MILAN 4 (Robinho 40, Nocerino 53, Pazzini 61, El Shaarawy 76)

Nocerino played a brilliant through ball straight between his centrebacks and Santana raced through to give Torino the lead. Robinho scored a fabulous equaliser. He shaped his body onto a De Sciglio pass, sending a defender hurtling the wrong way, then with the outside of his left foot shot over Gillet. Nocerino redeemed himself by heading Milan into the lead after Gillet flapped at an El Shaarawy corner. Pazzini punished pathetic defending by Masiello to score Milan's third, as he ran into the box he shoved the defender, who feebly fell to the turf, before waiting for Gillet to commit and blasting the ball across him. A rampant Milan hit the woodwork twice in quick succession. Gillet completed a miserable display with a second mistake, he failed to hold a cross, which had all the pace taken off it by a deflection and El Shaarawy walked in the fourth. Former Milan youth team product Bianchi headed in a cross.

De Jong was stretchered off after falling mid-way through the first half and has ruptured his left Achilles tendon. He's out for the rest of the season - just as he had got to grips with Serie A.

Attendance : 15,000
Assists : n/a, De Sciglio, n/a, Robinho, n/a


INTER 2 (Guarin 8, Milito 39)
NAPOLI 1 (Cavani 54)

Cassano swung a corner over the back post and the Napoli defence ball watched Guarin make a run from deep and steer a volley into the bottom right corner. Excellent finish, lousy defending. Zuniga headed out a longball, Guarin let it bounce before turning inside Behrami (who was lucky not to be sent off) and playing in Milito and he held off Gamberini to double Inter's advantage. Cavani scrambled in his 11th of the season. Maggio wasted Napoli's best chance to equalise when he headed an Insigne free kick into Handanovic's arms.

Insigne, who the press have been giving the big build because of what he did in Serie B last season, was awful. He dribbled into traffic, his decision making was poor and because he's a dwarf Cavani had to drop deep to hold up the ball. I just don't see it. He's unremarkable.

Inter and Napoli are in a false position. I don't think they're superior to the teams immediately below them i.e. Lazio, Roma, Fiorentina and Milan. Inter have a great goalkeeper and crap defence. Napoli are flat track bullies. Their record away from home over the past five seasons against the top 5 (Milan, Inter, Juve, Lazio and Roma) is P25 W0 D4 L21 which is beyond pathetic. I will be surprised if either team pulls away from the chasing pack.

Attendance : 57,374
Assists : Cassano (ck), Guarin, n/a


8 December 2012

ATALANTA 2 (Denis 4, Peluso 38)
PARMA 1 (Amauri 45)

Denis gave Atalanta the perfect start with a superb header. Mirante spilled a Denis shot/centre and Peluso tapped in the rebound. Amauri headed in a deep cross at the end of the first half. Paletta headed wide with the goal at his mercy, Amauri and Sansone missed easy chances. At the other end Consigli made a spectacular reaction save to deny De Luca from a yard out.

Attendance : 12,948
Assists : Schelotto, n/a, Zaccardo


ROMA 4 (Castan 7, Totti 19, Totti 46, Osvaldo 88)
FIORENTINA 2 (Roncaglia 14, El Hamdaoui 46)

Tachtsidis headed a Totti free kick across goal and Castan headed over the line. Fiorentina's equaliser was somewhat similar with Gonzalo Rodriguez centring Valero's free kick to the back post for Roncaglia. Totti played a Pjanic pass out wide to Destro who returned the ball to his captain and he recovered from a heavy first touch to restore Roma's lead and made it 3-1 with a missile from 20 yards which went straight through Viviano's hands. El Hamdaoui had an instant impact after coming on as a second half substitute, heading in assist machine Valero's cross. Destro, who had an awful game, failed to score from point blank range either side of the half. He made way for Osvaldo who showed him how it's done with a crisp first time shot on the end of a fine move involving Perrotta (please go away already) and Totti.

Attendance : 41,689
Assists : Tachtsidis, Rodriguez, Destro, Balzaretti, Valero, Totti