Sunday 11 November 2007

Serie A Week 12: Sunday Review

Juventus came back from 2-0 down to snatch a point at Parma, but Fiorentina lose their unbeaten record to Udinese. There were vital wins for Reggina and Siena at the bottom of the table but its the off-the-pitch incidents that will take the headlines once again on another dark day for Serie A.

Inter-Lazio was postponed following the tragic death of a Lazio supporter earlier in the day, and Atalanta-Milan was abandoned following further crowd disturbances. Fans were protesting against the authorities in Bergamo, and as a result of the high tension, Roma's evening match with Cagliari in Rome was also called off.

PARMA2-2 JUVENTUS
Juventus came from two goals down to earn a point from a 2-2 draw at coach Claudio Ranieri's former club Parma on Sunday afternoon. Andrea Gasbarroni put Parma ahead with a penalty in the 43rd minute and Andrea Pisanu doubled their lead on the hour-mark. But the drama was reserved for the final 15 minutes with two goals and three red cards. Nicola Legrottaglie brought Juventus back into the game before Giorgio Chiellini and Domenico Morfeo were sent off for fighting. Vincenzo Iaquinta equalised 10 minutes from the end and had another goal ruled out in stoppage time, just after Ferdinand Coly had been given his marching orders, leaving the home side to finish the game with nine men, but an important point.


FIORENTINA 1-2 UDINESE
Fiorentina's unbeaten home run of 22 matches finally came to an end as they were beaten 2-1 by Udinese at the Stadio Artemio Franchi. The hosts will certainly feel a draw would have been a more deserved result as they controlled most of the match but were punished by a combination of some excellent counter-attacking football produced by the visitors and a lack of precision in front of goal. The Zebrette took the lead through Fabio Quagliarella in the 22nd minute before Giampaolo Pazzini restored parity for the hosts. An Antonio Di Natale strike on the hour-mark ensured all three points for the Friulian side while Fiorentina ended the match with 10 men after the dismissal of Manuel Pasqual.

SIENA 2-3 LIVORNO
Livorno stormed to a 3-2 victory at Tuscan rivals Siena in a battle of Serie A strugglers. In the 17th minute, top-scorer Francesco Tavano opened the scoring on his return to the Livorno side, but seconds later Massimo Maccarone levelled the scores. Martin Bergvold and Dario Knezevic then both claimed their first goals in Serie A to send the visitors into the break 3-1 up before Simone Loria pulled one back for Siena in a very exciting, end-to-end derby match.

REGGINA 2-0 GENOA
Reggina scored either side of half-time to beat Genoa 2-0 and claim their first victory of the season. Nicola Amoruso put the hosts in front after 31 minutes and substitute Inacio Joelson added Reggina's second with 10 minutes left to play. Marco Di Vaio hit the post in the 77th minute as Genoa attempted a comeback, but they were powerless to prevent Reggina climbing off the bottom.

TORINO 1-1 CATANIA
Torino lost not only two points, but two key players in a 1-1 draw with Catania. Dominique Malonga replaced the injured Alessandro Rosina soon after kick-off and celebrated his first Serie A goal in the 15th minute as Torino went ahead. And despite losing Julio Vargas to a red card in the 27th minute, Catania battled back with Jorge Martinez scoring a deserved equaliser midway through the second half. Torino then lost Davide Di Michele to a serious knee injury, leaving them to end the game also with 10 men. The result means Sicilian minnows Catania are a surprising 10th while Torino are 13th in Serie A.

INTER P-P LAZIO
The match between champions Inter and Lazio in Milan was postponed because of the death of a Lazio supporter at a motorway service station in Arezzo earlier in the day. Gabriele Sandri, 26, is believed to have been struck by a police bullet during scenes of disorder.

ATALANTA A-A MILAN
The match between Atalanta and AC Milan was abandoned after seven minutes of play because of crowd disturbances at the Stadio Azzurri d'Italia. The players left the field when the problems started and despite appeals for calm, the trouble persisted. The decision was then taken to call off the match in Bergamo. Referee Massimiliano Saccani sent the teams back to the dressing rooms when Atalanta fans attempting to invade the pitch. The official decided after a 25-minute wait to call off the game. The Atalanta fans had earlier requested that the encounter be postponed following the death of Gabriele Sandri and supporters had clashed with the police outside of the stadium prior to the game.

ROMA P-P CAGLIARI
The game between Roma and Cagliari scheduled for Sunday night at the Stadio Olimpico was postponed. Roma vice-President Rosella Sensi had requested for the contest to be postponed after a Lazio fan was shot and killed in a service station in Arezzo earlier in the day. "It is right to ask for the game to be postponed as a sign of solidarity for the Lazio fans and for the city of Roma hit by the death of Gabriele Sandri," said Sensi. Rome's Prefect Carlo Mosca took the decision hours after the clash between Atalanta and AC Milan in Bergamo was abandoned because of crowd trouble and there was fear more trouble would arrise if the match in Rome went ahead.

SERIE A REVIEW:
[Saturday 10 Nov] - [Sunday 11 Nov] - [Wednesday 5 Dec] - [Wednesday 23 Jan]

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