For the second successive season Inter are left to rue a penalty miss against
Parma. Milan survive a second half Juve fight back to hang on for a draw, Lazio
end Bologna's impressive run and Fiorentina remain top thanks to a Rui Costa
goal.

6 January 1999


BARI				2-1			PERUGIA
Neqrouz 11						Tedesco 47
Innocenti 61

Neqrouz headed in Marcolini's free kick. Tedesco equalised at the start of the
second half, he was left with an easy finish thanks to a great back heel from
Bucchi and Bari's sorry attempts at playing him offside. Masinga headed on a
corner, Innocenti chipped the ball into the roof of the net. Masinga then missed
a header from close range. Surprisingly quiet performances from Rapajic and
Nakata.

Attendance : 22,000


BOLOGNA			0-1			LAZIO
							Vieri 77

Marchegiani pulled off two Pagliuca quality saves to deny Signori. Andersson
threw himself to the floor after a love tap from Nesta, as the Bologna players
stood still waiting for a free kick Nesta passed to Pancaro who played a one-two
with Conceicao and crossed for Vieri to head in at the far post. Bologna had the
better of the first half, Lazio had the better of the second.

Attendance : 31,160


FIORENTINA			1-0			SAMPDORIA
Rui Costa 27


Rui Costa finished off a neat move started by Oliveira and Batistuta to score the
only goal. Pecchia had his shot cleared off the line. Batistuta and Edmundo wasted
several great chances, Batistuta striking the crossbar from close range and
Edmundo blasting a shot against the post. Montella returned from injury in the
second half for Samp.

Attendance : 36,223


PARMA				1-0			INTER
Fuser 54

Boghossian and Chiesa wasted point blank headers. Boghossian was denied by one
of those saves only Pagliuca can make. Buffon pulled off a miracle save from
Simeone's free kick and almost turned the ball into his own net in the process.
Pagliuca made a mess of Fuser's tamely struck free kick and Parma took the lead.
Ronaldo shot wide from Djorkaeff's cross. Ronaldo won a penalty after Cannavaro
elbowed him in the face. Baggio's weakly struck penalty rolled past the post.
Baggio and Simeone wasted two good chances before Pagliuca denied Fiori with
another great save.
 
Attendance : 28,000


ROMA				2-2			PIACENZA
Di Francesco 26						Stroppa 37
Tommasi 52						Rizzitelli 48

Sergio messed up a glorious chance created by Candela's  stupendous first time
pass. Marcon spilled Totti's shot, Di Francesco tapped in the rebound. Tommasi
cleared a shot off the line, Totti was booked for diving. Stroppa volleyed in from
close range thanks to a hospital pass by Sergio. Di Biagio had a goal disallowed for
offside. Old man Rizzitelli put Piacenza into the lead with an easy finish thanks
again to Sergio who this time screwed up playing offside. Is it just me or does
Rizzitelli look like Trapattoni? Tommasi rescued Roma when he held off a defender
to blast in from close range. Stroppa's 50yd lob hit the crossbar.


Attendance : 54,670


SALERNITANA			1-3			CAGLIARI
Belmonte 10						Macellari 42
							Muzzi 78, 93

Belmonte made the most of goalkeeping error to put the home side in the lead.
Salernitana wasted several chances to increase their lead before Macellari made
them pay when he fired a loose ball through a ruck of players. Macellari punted
the ball upfield to Muzzi, he got sick of waiting for support and smashed the ball
past Balli. Muzzi stripped the ball of a defender, charged towards goal and beat
Balli at the near post. Great goal.

Attendance : 31,681


UDINESE			2-1			VICENZA
Sosa 42							Ambrosetti 7
Amoroso 76

Otero back heeled the ball over his head and crossed for Ambrosetti who coolly
flicked the ball past Turci, beautiful goal. Ambrosetti then launched a missile but
it struck the crossbar. It cannot be long before Ambrosetti  moves to one of the
big teams. Sosa turned in Genaux's fiercely struck half  volley and  Amoroso
scored the winner thanks to a great pass from Walem.  Taibi pulled off a superb
save to deny Amoroso a second after he danced his way through the Vicenza
defence. Zauli was sent off for elbowing Giannichedda.

Attendance : 19,000
Red Card(s) : Zauli 87 (Vicenza)


VENEZIA				0-0			EMPOLI

It took the ref until the second half to realise no one could see jack shit  in heavy
fog.

Attendance : 8,381


MILAN				1-1			JUVENTUS
Albertini 26 (penalty)					Fonseca 84

After several attempts by Milan players to win penalties Weah was successful
when Tudor pulled him down in the box, Albertini converted. Tudor had earlier
forced a great save from Rossi. Juve dominated the rest of the game, Amoroso
heading wide twice and Inzaghi making one of those embarrassing misses after
Rossi spooned Zidane's shot. In the second half Tudor had a headed goal
disallowed, not sure why. Bierhoff ran onto a hospital pass and only had Peruzzi
to beat but made a complete mess of the chance. Montero was sent off for
handball. Weah was red carded for a slide tackle from behind on Birindelli. The
chances continued thick and fast for Juve, Zidane heading wide from Amoruso's
free kick, Fonseca shooting straight at Rossi from close range before finally Juve
scored a deserved equaliser, Davids skipping  tackles and passing to Conte who
picked out Fonseca with a brilliant poke and the Uruguayan sent Ayala on his
arse with a rude dummy before slotting the ball past Rossi. Milan were fortunate
to escape with a point as Juve  continued their assault on Rossi's goal, Zidane
firing wide with a shot from outside the box and Inzaghi just failed to meet
Fonseca's centre.

Quit simply an embarrassing performance from Milan. After they took the lead
Juve dominated every aspect of the game thanks largely to an inspired
performance by Zidane.

Red Card(s) : Montero 61 (Juventus), Weah 66 (Milan)