20 January 1999

VENEZIA				3-2			EMPOLI
Valtolina 54						Di Napoli 18, 38
Maniero 76, 86						(pens)

This game was abandoned last month due to heavy fog. Di Napoli won and 
converted a penalty with the now customary dive over an on rushing 'keeper.
Di Napoli made it 2-0 from the spot when Bilica was penalised for handball.
Valtolina headed in Marangon's free kick and Maniero took over. His first 
was a header from Recoba's cross and his second a magnificent back heel
volley ala Mancini from Recoba's beautifully flighted free kick.


24 January 1999

Fiorentina flood Empoli with 3 late goals to remain top. Milan snatch a last
minute winner away to Bologna. There are big wins for Lazio and Inter.
Juve struggle to a 2-1 win over Perugia and Parma are held away to Vicenza. 
Venezia continue their climb out of the relegation zone with a victory over
Bari.


BOLOGNA			2-3			MILAN
Signori 14, 45						Guly 20
							Magoni 53 (og)
							N'Gotty 90

Signori gave Bologna the lead from a free kick., harshly awarded for
handball. While Tarantino was receiving treatment off the pitch, Guly made 
the most of the space of the right and a nice pass from Bierhoff with a 
finely taken goal. Andersson predictably caused havoc in the box from a
header, Fontolan flicked on the ball and Signori hammered a superb volley 
past Abbiati. Fontolan and Andersson wasted chances to make the game safe
early in the second half and Milan hit back, Morfeo's shot deflected past
Antonioli off Magoni. Bierhoff forced Antonioli into making a superb save
and Leonardo fired wide from close range. At the other end Abbiati made a 
great save from an Andersson header. N'Gotty slammed in a last minute 
free kick. Bierhoff missed a couple of sitters and also had two goals 
disallowed for offside.

16 year old Aliyu (sp?) made an encouraging league debut for Milan in the
second half. Albertini once again wasted numerous passes. Bologna looked a
shadow of the team that comfortably beat Inter last week. Ingesson seemed
to miss Marocchi as he his tackling back and influence on the game was 
non existent.

Attendance : 40,000


INTER				5-1			CAGLIARI
Baggio 30, 79						Muzzi 2
Simic 58
Simeone 67, 72

De Patre threw himself at Vasari's cross, Pagliuca punched out the ball and 
Muzzi volleyed in the rebound. O'Neill earned himself a red card with two
bookable offences and Cagliari, like they did last week against Fiorentina,
fell apart. Baggio curled in a free kick and another Baggio free kick led to
Inter's second, Scarpi clawed the ball onto his crossbar it bounced back
into the box and Simic was left with a tap in. A superb one touch passing
move from a corner involving Baggio and Cauet was finished off by Simeone's
header and Simeone's second was also a header from a Baggio free kick. 
Baggio helped himself to a deserved second from Zanetti's cross.
 
Red Card(s) : O'Neill 20 (Cagliari)
Attendance : 58,000


JUVENTUS			2-1			PERUGIA
Fonseca 49						Kaviedes 20
Zidane 55

Perugia started brightly and it was no surprise when Kaviedes, the Worlds
leading goalscorer for 1998 (no, honest it's true!) gave them an early lead,
Chipping the ball over Rampulla from De Patre's cross. Perugia had a second
goal disallowed for offside. Fonseca headed Juve level from Conte's cross
and Zidane won the game with a diving header from Fonseca's awesome cross.
Henry, on as a second half substitute, had a shot cleared off the line and
at the other end Rampulla pulled off a brilliant save from Bucchi.

Attendance : 44,721


LAZIO				4-1			PIACENZA
Mihajlovic 10						Buso 57
Salas 59
Stankovic 77
Mancini 85

Lazio made it 7 wins in a row. Mihajlovic scored probably his best free kick
of the season when his latest missile from a wide angle crashed in off the
post. This was the first time a Mihajlovic free kick went in off a post, he 
has struck the post and crossbar an incredible 35 times from free kicks. 
Anyway back to the game. Buso lifted the ball over Lazio's defence, ran 
through and tapped the ball past Marchegiani. Salas banged in the equaliser
minutes  later, superbly chesting down Vieri's cross with and rifling a shot
past Fiori. Stankovic headed in Pancaro's cross, Salas headed down a
Mihajlovic free kick and Mancini tapped in at the near post. 

Red Card(s): Piovani 84 (Piacenza)
Attendance : 50,000


SALERNITANA			2-1			ROMA
Bernardini 11 (penalty)					Di Biagio 77
Giampaolo 54

Roma were once again without Totti and most of their first choice 
defenders, which as I explained last week is no great loss. Salernitana
won a penalty when Konsel took a leaf out of Peruzzi's book and ran out
of his box like a madman and flattened a player, Giampaolo. Bernardini
slotted in the penalty. Delvecchio blew two great chances before Giampaolo
made up for an early miss as the Roma defence ball watched him run onto
and finish Tosto's pass. Di Biagio headed in Paulo Sergio's cross. Roma
looked short on ideas without Totti and were worse than terrible in 
defence, as usual. Zeman should be given the boot if he doesn't address 
Roma's defensive shortcomings.

Attendance : 40,000


SAMPDORIA			1-1			UDINESE
Ortega 51						Sosa 2

Amoroso raced onto a hospital pass, fed Sosa and he was left with an easy 
finish. Ortega equalised with a stunning free kick. Sakic was sent off for
a horrific foul on Amoroso. Other than Walem smashing a shot against the
crossbar the only other highlight of the second half was an injury to the
ref when he ran into Doriva although to be fair I can think of many refs
more deserving of a good kicking. The hapless/hopeless Poggi, take your 
pick, headed against the crossbar from close range.

Red Card(s) : Sakic 58 (Sampdoria)
Attendance : 15,300


VENEZIA				2-1			BARI
Maniero 8						De Ascentis 51
Tuta 90

Recoba and Maniero continued their flourishing partnership, Maniero with 
the header from Recoba's corner. Taibi pulled off several miracle saves 
for Venezia before De Ascentis volleyed Bari level from Osmanovski's cross.
Tuta snatched Venezia's winner from Volpi's cross, what he did exactly 
remains a mystery due to the fog . Bari sorely missed the presence of 
their powerhouse defender Neqrouz.

Attendance : 9,512


VICENZA				0-0			PARMA

Some of the 'finishing' by Crespo and Chiesa was embarrassing. Neither
'keeper had to make anything close to a difficult save.

Attendance : 16,000


EMPOLI				0-3			FIORENTINA
							Heinrich 77
							Rui Costa 81
							Edmundo 83

Fiorentina didn't test Sereni until the second half, Edmundo's shot superbly 
saved by the highly rated 'keeper. Bonomi stung Toldo's palms with a shot 
from 35 yds. Edmundo continued his duel with Sereni, his dipping shot 
turned over the crossbar. Heinrich broke the deadlock, running onto a pass
from Torricelli, sending Sereni on his arse with a super dummy and tapping
into an empty net as Empoli appealed for offside. Rui Costa swept a shot
high into the net following good work by Edmundo and the Brazilian put the
icing on the cake with a fabulous goal, running onto a long Batistuta
pass, charging into the box, holding off a defender and lifting the ball 
over Sereni into the opposite end of the net, awesome goal. Tonetto was
sent off for lashing out at Edmundo after the Brazilian stole the ball off
him. 

Red Card(s) : Tonetto 89 (Empoli)