LAZIO WINTER CHAMPIONS

Lazio go 2 points clear as Juventus are held at Fiorentina. Roma crash to
their second successive away defeat to Parma. Misery for both Milanese
clubs, Inter fall to two magnificent strikes at bogey team Bari, Milan rue
a last minute penalty miss by Shevchenko.

18 DECEMBER 1999

VERONA				1-0			VENEZIA
Adailton 57 (Pen)

Aglietti threw himself over Venezia goalkeeper Casazza to win the penalty.
Adailton converted.

Red Card(s) : Laursen 61 (Verona)
Attendance : 15,000


BARI				2-1			INTER
Enyannaya 7						Vieri 12
Cassano 88

Enynnaya latched onto a loose ball, turned and blasted a half volley into the
top corner from 35yds. Georgatos put in Vieri, Mancini blocked his shot,
Zamorano fell over the rebound but the ball broke to Vieri who made no
mistake second time around. Peruzzi made an unbelievable save to keep out
Enyannaya and bravely saved from the feet of Cassano but crashed into Blanc.
Both keepers were substituted due to injury. Cassano was guilty of an awful
miss when clean through on goal. 

Di Biagio wasted a great chance to put Inter in the lead when he weakly
headed at goal from Recoba's corner. Innocenti? picked out Collauto with a
HUGE pass, he flicked the ball up with his right heel, headed it down, 
powered past Blanc and Panucci before firing a low shot past Ferron.
Awesome goal. Inter have even more problems than neighbours Milan.


19 DECEMBER 1999

CAGLIARI			0-0			LECCE

Other than some great saves there wasn't much goal mouth action. 

Attendance : 15,000


LAZIO				2-0			PIACENZA
Salas 9
Mihajlovic 58

Gottardi flicked on a Mihajlovic long ball for Salas to give Lazio the early
lead. Delli Carri was sent off for a foul on Salas, one of many cynical
challenges by Piacenza. The Piacenza wall kept out Mihajlovic's free kick
but he scored from the rebound.

Attendance : 40,000
Red Card(s) : Delli Carri 58 (Piacenza)


MILAN				2-2			REGGINA
Shevchenko 61, 74					Pirlo 30
							Kallon 79

Reggina should have been awarded a penalty for Guly's foul on Mercier? 
Pirlo was left unmarked in front of goal to tap in Foglio's centre. Bierhoff
had claims for a penalty of his own but despite a torn shirt the ref wasn't
convinced.

Milan equalised thanks to Shevchenko's fantastic free kick. Leonardo had a
goal harshly disallowed for offside. Bierhoff also went close. Typically
Abbiati saved Milan at the other end from Kallon. Belardi let
Shevchenko's cross slip through his fingers to gift Milan what looked like
the winning goal. Giunti was sent for a foul from behind on Foglio. From
the resulting free kick Abbiati cruelly saved Brevi's scissor kick but Kallon
slid in the rebound. Brevi pulled down Bierhoff in the box but Belardi made
a great save to deny Shevchenko his hat-trick from the penalty spot.

Milan have signed West and Jose Mari in the past week. Expect more signings
as the defending Champions try to rescue their season.

Attendance : 55,000
Red Card(s) : Giunti 78 (Milan)


PARMA				2-0			ROMA
Crespo 2
Torrisi 32

A game played on easily the worst pitch in Serie A this season. A fantastic first 
time strike by Crespo from Vanoli's cross stunned the Roma defence. Torrisi
made a great saving tackle from Delvecchio and Totti almost snapped the 
crossbar in half with a powerful strike. Torrisi hammered in Parma's second
with another great first time strike after Roma cleared a free kick. Roma
tried in vain to get back in the match and Di Vaio was guilty of wasting
several chances to put Parma further in front on the counter attack. A good
performance by Ortega who worked like a well donkey but Parma need to give
him more protection if they want him to be a real force in attack.

Attendance : 26,000


PERUGIA				3-2			BOLOGNA
Calori 33							Wome 50
Amoruso 60						Signori 64
Ripa 81

Calori headed in Rapajic's free kick. Wome equalised with a vicious drive
past Mazzantini. Amoruso dived low to head in Nakata's fantastic cross.
Signori equalised again (camera's missed the build-up). Pagliuca made a mess
of Amoruso's shot allowing Ripa to lift in the winner. As usual some great
saves by Mazzantini kept Perugia in the match.

Attendance : 12,000


TORINO				0-1			UDINESE
							Jorgensen 26

Jorgensen headed in a corner. Artistico was sent off for a nothing challenge
on Gargo. A horrid miss by Mendez from Ivic's cross. Turci made a great save
to keep out Galante's header. Galante also headed over from a corner.

Attendance : 16,689
Red Card(s) : Artistico 86 (Torino)


FIORENTINA			1-1			JUVENTUS
Batistuta 19						Tudor 16

Inzaghi volleyed wide from Tudor's cross. Chiesa raced onto Tudor's
hospital pass, shot across goal but Rampulla saved. Tudor headed in 
Del Piero's corner. Batistuta hurled himself at a superb cross by Chiesa
to equalise minutes later. Conte's bullet header from a free kick was
superbly saved by Toldo. Torricelli injured himself when pressing Conte.
Chiesa ran onto a fantastic ball from Batistuta, cut inside the box and
blasted a low shot at goal but Rampulla saved. Firicano shoulder charged
Inzaghi in the box as he run onto an awesome Zidane pass, Inzaghi initially
stayed on his feet before tumbling to the ground, no penalty. If he hadn't
dived the ref may have awarded the spot kick.

Adani missed an open goal when heading over a free kick. Kovacevic and
Chiesa tried and failed to score with overhead kicks. Rampulla made a 
miraculous save to tip Chiesa's header off the underside of his crossbar.
Batistuta header over. Rui Costa should have been sent off for a criminal
challenge on Tacchinardi. Adani made a similar, murderous challenge on
Davids, fortunately he managed to jump over before his legs were broken.