Serie A Week 6: Sunday Review

AC Milan's stumbling start to the Serie A season continued on Sunday as they were held 1-1 at home by Catania, while David Trezeguet's injury-time goal decided the Turin derby in favour of Juventus. Elsewhere, Napoli and Palermo were beaten, Antonio Cassano bagged his first Sampdoria goal and Lazio continue to struggle.

AC MILAN 1-1 CATANIA
AC Milan had taken just six points from their first five games before the visit of Catania to the San Siro and the draw leaves them seven points adrift of leaders Inter, who won 4-1 at fellow high-fliers Roma on Saturday. Jorge Martinez's header put the Sicilians in front on 25 minutes and the visitors managed to hold out until half-time. Milan were level three minutes after the interval though when Kaka stepped up to score from the penalty spot after a Mark Edusei handball.

TORINO 0-1 JUVENTUS
David Trezeguet's injury-time goal decided the Turin derby in favour of Juventus to take the Bianconeri second in Serie A. Torino will feel hard done by after doing most of the running in the game, while the goal, in the third minute of stoppage time, will have been even more hurtful since it came from a dubious offside position. Trezeguet, who had been marked out of the game to that moment, had found some space behind the Torino defenders to put away his first chance of the game and win all three points for Juve with his seventh goal of the season.

NAPOLI 1-2 GENOA
Napoli fans were not allowed into the Stadio San Paolo for today's match with Genoa, but they may have been glad to have missed it after Giuseppe Sculli's last-minute strike condemned them to a 2-1 defeat. The misbehaviour of a small number of fans at Wednesday's win over Livorno meant the game was played behind closed doors, a fact which may have been some consolation to Paolo Cannavaro when he put through his own net after 12 minutes. But Maurizio Domizzi equalised from the penalty spot seven minutes after the break and the game seemed to be headed for a draw until Sculli struck. The result sees Genoa move to within a point of their hosts in the top half of the Serie A table.

EMPOLI 3-1 PALERMO
Empoli posted their first victory of the Serie A season with a thrilling come-from-behind win over 10-man Palermo. Edison Cavani had put the Sicilian visitors in front just before the break to leave the home fans facing the prospect of another defeat. But clearly Empoli coach Luigi Cagni struck the right note at half-time with his pep-talk as Nicola Pozzi equalised. Following the dismissal of Palermo's Fabio Caserta, a late goal from substitute Sebastian Giovinco and a stoppage-time penalty from Ighli Vannucchi completed the job for the Tuscany-based club.

SAMPDORIA 3-0 ATALANTA
Substitute Antonio Cassano scored his first goal for Sampdoria who secured only their second Serie A victory of the season against previously in-form Atalanta at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris. Cassano, on loan from Real Madrid, was once again forced to settle for a place on the bench but fired a reminder to coach Walter Mazzarri with a clinical strike seven minutes from time. However, Mazzarri's decision to pair Claudio Bellucci and Vincenzo Montella in attack was vindicated when the pair combined superbly for Bellucci's early opener. Montella was also the architect for the second goal 12 minutes after half-time, with substitute Paolo Sammarco providing the finish.

REGGINA 1-1 LAZIO
Reggina are still without a win this season after a second-half equaliser from Lazio's Aleksandar Kolarov. Looking to spark their flagging campaign into life, the Amaranto took a seventh minute lead through midfielder Francesco Cozza but the Biancoceleste grabbed the share of the spoils in a lively encounter at the Stadio Oreste Granillo. The frustrated hosts ended the game with 10 men following the dismissal of Francesco Modesto.

UDINESE 2-1 PARMA
Udinese came from behind to beat Parma at the Stadio Friuli. The home side had the better of the game and could have put the result beyond Parma inside the first 45 minutes, but it was the visitors, with only their second attack of the game, who went ahead through Bernardo Corradi in the 72nd minute. Udinese threw everybody forward and equalised in the 79th minute through substitute Fabio Quagliarella before Cristian Zapata won it in the second minute of stoppage time for the home side.

CAGLIARI 1-0 SIENA
Siena continue to search for an elusive first win of the season after Cagliari claimed the spoils at the Stadio Sant'Elia. Pasquale Foggia scored from the penalty spot early in the match, and that goal proved decisive as the home side claimed only their second win of the campaign. The result maintains an impressive record for the Sardinians, who have never lost in Serie A to Siena at the Sant'Elia having posted two wins and one draw in their previous encounters.

SERIE A REVIEW:
[Saturday 29 Sep] - [Sunday 30 Sep]

Serie A Week 6: Saturday Review

Inter defeated ten-man Roma 4-1 at the Stadio Olimpico to move three points clear of the Giallorossi at the top of the Serie A table, while Fiorentina brushed aside Livorno in the Tuscan derby to move up to second.

ROMA 1-4 INTER
Inter moved clear of Roma at the top of Serie A after outclassing their fellow Scudetto hopefuls, who played with 10 men for over an hour at the Stadio Olimpico. Roma, who started the day level on points with Inter, were always going to struggle to maintain their unbeaten record in Serie A after Ludovic Giuly was shown a straight red card for deliberate handball just 28 minutes in. The summer signing from Barcelona palmed away Zlatan Ibrahimovic's goalbound strike and, to compound his misery, the Sweden striker slotted home the resulting spot-kick to became the leading scorer in Serie A outright with seven goals.

The reigning champions controlled the tempo of the game after going ahead, but an individual error from Maxwell early in the second half gifted Simone Perrotta an equaliser to give Roma hope. But Roberto Mancini's side restored their advantage only four minutes later courtesy of a Hernan Crespo strike and moments later the game was effectively over as a contest when Julio Cruz scored a third. And as Roma pushed men forward, long-serving central defender Ivan Cordoba added a fourth to rub salt into the wounds of the home side.

LIVORNO 0-3 FIORENTINA
Fiorentina moved up to second in Serie A after extending their unbeaten start to the season to six games against struggling Livorno.

Argentinian forward Pablo Daniel Osvaldo bagged a brace on his Viola debut either side of half-time and a deflected Mario Santana goal rounded off a comprehensive win to leave the home side still searching for their first victory, while Livorno's misery was compounded by a red card for Massimo Loviso.

SERIE A REVIEW:
[Saturday 29 Sep] - [Sunday 30 Sep]

Serie B Week 7: Review

Saturday 29 September
Albinoleffe 4-1 Bari
Albinoleffe maintain the leadership of Serie B with this hammering of Bari. Cristiano turned in from close range and Carobbio thumped home a free kick 25 metres out to stun them into submission. Carobbio and Garlini combined for Peluso to beat Gillet and Bari only ever had a look-in when Carozza pulled one back and Rajcic hit the bar. In stoppages ‘Leffe captain Del Prato completed the rout.

Brescia 2-1 Ravenna
Brescia left it late to get the better of Serie B new boys Ravenna and keep up with Albinoleffe on top of the table. Fofana had given the visitors a shock lead just 120 seconds in, his fierce drive in off the inside of the post. The Rondinelle fought back and had several chances before Feczesin managed to equalise, but it was overall an even game. It was only eight minutes from time that Possanzini decided the result with a moment of individual brilliance, dribbling in the area for a smart finish.

Ascoli 3-1 Avellino
It was a tale of three penalties at the Stadio Del Duca and Ascoli bounced back up the standings. The first half was relatively balanced before Bernacci’s header and a Pellicori spot-kick. The referee took centre stage with two penalties converted successfully by Soncin. Bernacci had the chance to make it 4-1 late on, but this time Pantanelli saved it.

Cesena 0-0 Bologna
Bologna were unable to defeat a Cesena side that played with 10 men for over an hour. Goalkeeper Sarti denied Bombardini and Biasi helped him out with a goalline clearance on Adailton. After 25 minutes Sarti was dismissed for bringing down Carrus, but 17-year-old debutant Rossini incredibly saved Adailton’s penalty. The teenager continued his heroics in the second half on Bombardini and Daino, while Cesena nearly snatched all three points late on through Ola’s header.

Frosinone 3-2 Rimini
Frosinone fought back for an exhilarating win over promotion candidates Rimini, especially as it came after two straight defeats. When these teams met in the Coppa Italia in August, it ended 6-0, so the home side were out for revenge. Jeda took advantage of Bocchetti’s error to give Rimini the lead, but Lodi converted a penalty for Milone’s handling offence and just after the restart Evacuo turned it around with his first ever Serie B goal. Lodi was on fine form and extended their advantage on the counter-attack. Although Rimini poured forward in the final stages and pulled one back with Ricchiuti from close range, it was not enough.

Grosseto 2-1 Vicenza
Grosseto won their second game of the season and sent Vicenza hurtling towards the relegation zone. It took a while to get going, as Serafini and Lazzari wasted good chances in the first half. Dall’Acqua put the home side ahead with a screamer, although three minutes later Capone equalised thanks to his free kick. Dall’Acqua completed his brace six minutes from time by converting a penalty.

Lecce 3-0 Chievo
Lecce saw off the Flying Donkeys at the Stadio Via del Mare, but the result was generous, as both sides battled it out. Luciano and Ciaramitaro had good early chances for Chievo, but Abbruscato broke through at the second attempt past Squizzi and doubled their advantage after the break with an angled drive. Esposito’s goalline clearance prevented Pellissier from getting his side back into it, but Malaga brought down Valdes for a late penalty.

Modena 1-0 Messina
Modena recovered from two consecutive defeats to get back on track. Bruno earned the win with a 25th-minute strike, as he Okaka held up the ball and he pounced at the near post. Okaka also hit the upright for the Canarini, while Messina tried to get back into it only for Frezzolini to deny Lazzari and Cordova’s free kick.

Piacenza 1-0 Spezia
Piacenza finally grabbed their first win of the season, but they left it until stoppages against a Spezia side that had Ceccarelli sent off before the break with a second bookable offence. The home side poured forward, but Simon’s goal was disallowed for offside. Spezia were even reduced to nine men, as Padoin was injured after all three substitutions had been completed. Nonetheless, they almost won it when Cassano parried a Guidetti lob. Deep into stoppages Piacenza ensured victory with Anaclerio’s volley.

Treviso 2-3 Pisa
Pisa continue their astonishing campaign and go into fourth place after this thrilling and action-packed encounter. The first half barely left time for the fans to catch their breath at the Stadio Tenni. Cerci made the most of Calderoni’s error to open the scoring, then Treviso equalised through Beghetto’s header. Castillo combined to Kutuzov to restore Pisa’s advantage on the counter with a delightful lob, but there were fireworks just before the break. Gissi saw red, then Trevisan was sent off for blocking a Barreto shot with his hand and the same player converted the penalty to draw Treviso level. There were chances for both sides and Barreto picked up the third red card of the game. It seemed ready to end 2-2 when Calderoni’s howler granted Castillo the winner, as he came rushing out to clear and completely missed the ball, allowing the Pisa hitman to waltz into an empty net.

Triestina 1-0 Mantova
Granoche was the hero and villain, but Mantova are crumbling with a third consecutive defeat. The Uruguayan netted his fifth goal of the season, nodding in the loose ball after Pegolo had parried a Kyriazis effort. Granoche ruined his performance by seeing red and Triestina ended the game with nine men, as Peana suffered from cramp after all the substitutions had been completed. Although Mantova poured forward in the second half, their best chances for Godeas and Lucenti were denied by goalkeeper Rossi.

Source: C4 Football Italia

Scudetto Showdown: Roma v Inter

There is more to Roma and Inter than Francesco Totti and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but the duel between the forwards could be a key feature as the two top sides in Serie A go head-to-head at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday.

Last season's European Golden Boot winner Totti, who has scored four goals in as many Serie A appearances this term, will return to action after missing his side's 2-2 draw at Fiorentina in midweek because of a minor injury.

"Inter and Roma are the favourites to win the Scudetto," said the Roma captain, who turned 31 this week. "It's going to be a difficult game but we have already proved we can beat them."

Roma beat Inter 1-0 at the San Siro in August to take the SuperCoppa after beating the Milan club 7-4 on aggregate in last year's Coppa Italia final. Having finished 22 points behind Inter in Serie A last season, the Giallorossi seem to have closed the gap between themselves and the Nerazzurri having made an impressive start to the new campaign.

However, Roberto Mancini's side showed they are back on the right track after a difficult start with a convincing 3-0 midweek win against Sampdoria and are level with Roma on eleven points after five games.

Ibrahimovic led his team to the success against the Blucerchiati scoring twice to join Juventus' David Trezeguet with six goals at the top of the Serie A scoring chart.

"It's not true that I'm essential to Inter," he said. "We are all strong in this squad and when everyone plays at their best, it's easier for me to do well. I feel in good form. The victory against Sampdoria was a big boost in confidence and we must use that against Roma. We are going to Rome to get a win."

Source: Paolo Menicucci (UEFA)

Serie A Week 6: Weekend Preview

The Italian capital plays host to the first Scudetto face-off of the Serie A season on Saturday as defending champions Inter travel to Roma.

The teams sit joint top of the standings on 11 points after Inter's 3-0 win over Sampdoria coincided with the Romans dropping two points at Fiorentina on Wednesday night.

The 2-2 draw in Florence was the second time the Giallorossi had failed to secure maximum points in a week following last Sunday's draw with Juventus as the early pace-setters relinquished their 100% record.

Luciano Spalletti's men have also shipped four goals in those two matches and the coach admits that is something the team must improve on.

"I think we could have sealed up the win, we just made a couple of little defensive mistakes," he said after the Fiorentina clash. "In any case, we should have scored with all the many chances that we had. Now, we have to intensify our focus on the defensive area of the team."

His opposite number Roberto Mancini is more focused on his own defensive corps, which could include the return of Cristian Chivu to the capital following one of the summer's most protracted transfer sagas.

"It will be very hard in Rome and to get a result we'll have to concede nothing," he said. "It would have been better to have more time to prepare for it. We will have our injured players back soon so if we can stay at the top it will be very interesting because the team is improving match after match."

Third placed Juventus hit ominous form in midweek with a 4-0 thumping of Reggina and will go into the Turin derby on Sunday night with Torino full of confidence.

Claudio Ranieri made a host of changes as his team face three games in a week but was delighted with his side as they still managed to ease to a win.

"The team stayed humble, tight, they played with a lot of heart," he said. "Having to play three matches in seven days, I wanted to rest a few players and Juventus were still great even changing players around."

The city will be buzzing with excitement as the two sides meet in the Derby della Mole for the first time since 2003 and Toro, as the home side, will want to secure their first win of the season.

Napoli and Palermo sit third along with Juve on 10 points and come into their matches off the back of good wins.

Napoli host Genoa in the battle of the Serie A new boys having not conceded in their last five games. However, the home side will have to do without their fans at the Stadio San Paolo after they displayed an offensive banner during the midweek 1-0 win over Livorno.

The visitors won their first game back in the top flight 3-2 against Udinese thanks to a hat-trick from Marco Borriello and will be confident of getting a result in Naples.

Palermo travel to Empoli on the back of a shock stoppage time 2-1 win over AC Milan at the Stadio Renzo Barbera.

The European champions host Catania sitting in midtable and without a win since the opening day as they attempt to claw their way into the upper echelons of the table.

In the weekends other matches joint fourth placed Fiorentina travel to Livorno in the Tuscan derby on Saturday night while Atalanta, who also sit on nine points, travel to Sampdoria.

Elsewhere on Sunday, Udinese host Parma, Lazio travel to Reggina and Cagliari are at home against Siena.

Serie B Week 7: Weekend Preview

After a scintillating midweek round, the action continues in the Cadetti and there are some scores to settle at Via Del Mare.

The most mouth-watering game of the round sees Chievo travel to Lecce to take on some familiar faces in a top of the table clash. Both sides have collected 14 points so far this term and have asserted their promotion credentials. As recent exiles from the Promised Land of Serie A, the expectations are high on both benches and a win could send either side top.

The stakes are especialy high for Lecce pair Simone Tiribocchi and Andrea Zanchetta who were discarded by the Flying Donkeys in January. It is no coincidence that the mystifying decision to shed a goal machine and a free-kick master led to the Veronese outfit’s fall from calcio’s top table and the two men could make their visitors further regret their decision here.

However, Chievo fans will be heartened that Nigerian hitman Victor Obinna is committed to the cause and linking up with the dependable Sergio Pellissier. This truly is anyone’s game and it could be a classic.

Aside from the esoteric Albinoleffe, Pisa are the surprise of the season so far. The Tuscan minnows have settled into the second tier as if they had never left. Tuesday’s 2-1 win over Triestina took the Nerazzurri up to fifth with four wins from six games and has left experts scratching their heads.

Giampiero Ventura's side make the trip to face a Treviso team that seem rooted in the Second Division after a flirtation with the top flight two years ago. The Trevigiani will have listed this as a banker in pre-season, but they approach this game as outsiders.

Brescia entertain Ravenna and are odds-on favourites to take their points tally to 19. While their newly-promoted opponents beat Grosseto in a battle of the newcomers last weekend and are by no means relegation certainties, the Rondinelle are on formidable form.

Brescia boss Serse Cosmi was enraged after he had two Rolex watches snatched from him in midweek and accused Bologna of stealing a point after their 2-2 draw – he will accept nothing less all three here. Nobody has had the guts to ask Cosmi why he needed two watches yet…

Joint leaders Albinoleffe host Bari looking to continue a miraculous start to the campaign, while Piacenza fans are living a nightmare as they play Spezia in what is currently a relegation battle.

Source: C4 Football Italia

Napoli handed home ban

Napoli have been ordered to play Genoa behind closed doors on Sunday as punishment for the conduct of their fans during Wednesday's Serie A game against Livorno.

Azzurri fans displayed an offensive banner and threw a number of bottles onto the Stadio San Paolo pitch during their late 1-0 win.

It was reported that one of the bottles struck the referee’s assistant on the chest.

The incident is the latest in a series of recent problems caused by fans in Italy.

Last Sunday's derby match between Sampdoria and Genoa was marred by clashes between rival fans before kick off, while police arrested 66 Lazio fans on the same day.

The Lazio fans were caught armed with knives, machetes, clubs and knuckle-dusters, before leaving Rome to attend their team's game against Atalanta in Bergamo.

Italian football is still recovering from the death of a police officer at a Serie A game in Catania in February.

Source: Sky Sports

Novellino defies touchline ban

Torino coach Walter Novellino has been fined 10,000 euros and reprimanded for breaching a touchline ban and entering the dressing room before the club's 2-0 loss to Parma.

The Granata coach was serving the suspension for insulting Andrea Gervasoni during his side’s draw with Siena last weekend and was not allowed to give instructions during the game at the Stadio Tardini last night.

However, Novellino hid in a room between the shower room and the changing area to speak with his players before escaping back to the stands.

The daring plan proved futile as the Turin outfit flopped to a 2-0 defeat against their rejuvenated hosts.

It's unlikely Novellino will be handed an extended ban and he will be relieved as they play city rivals Juventus on Sunday night.

Source: C4 Football Italia

Spotlight - Week 5: Marco's masterpiece

Here's a round up of the winners and the losers from Week 5 of the Serie A season.

THE WINNERS
Marco Borriello (Genoa): It's the season of the renaissance in Italy and Marco Borriello has joined in. Having arrived at Genoa under a cloud after a suspension for substance abuse at Milan, he has reinvented himself and is seeing the rewards. His hat-trick against Udinese delivered a precious first Serie A win in 12 years and has taken his tally to four in three games.

Tommaso Rocchi (Lazio): The Venetian hitman could hardly have chosen a better time to open his account. With pressure already building on Coach Delio Rossi after a lifeless start to the campaign, Rocchi put Lazio ahead against Cagliari and saved his boss' fingernails with a late second to make it 3-1.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter): The Swedish star seems to have a season ticket for this column. Once again he was the inspiration as the Nerazzurri silenced their critics with a 3-0 win over Sampdoria. Six goals so far this season and he may need his own Goal of the Season competition at this rate.

THE LOSERS
Massimo Oddo (Milan): The Milan camp spent the build-up to the Palermo game talking about focus and concentration, but Oddo clearly wasn't listening. Having got away with an error in the 91st minute, he gave away a needless free-kick in the 93rd and Fabrizio Miccoli ensured that the Rossoneri paid the price.

Gigi Cagni (Empoli): It is becoming harder and harder to see where Empoli are going to get their goals from this season. The Tuscans have found the net just once in Serie A this term and Catania proved that they can't rely on their miserly defence to get them out of jail every time.

Rubinho (Genoa): It just hasn't been the Brazilian goalkeeper's week. He was hospitalised after being kicked in the head by Claudio Bellucci in a one-on-one last weekend and surprisingly recovered to start against Udinese only to get his marching orders after 50 minutes. He was adjudged to have handled outside his area, but the ball actually seemed to be on the line. They say it comes in threes...

THE GOALS
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter): All the class, strength and tenacity of Zlatan was on show when he turned between three defenders to smash home a left-foot strike against Sampdoria, taking his seasonal tally to six.

Amantino Mancini (Roma): With Francesco Totti injured, the Brazilian decided to take over chip duties with this delightful disguised effort from the edge of the box. Sebastien Frey was caught completely flat-footed.

Clarence Seedorf (Milan): A masterclass in one-touch football from the Rossoneri. Alberto Gilardino and Kaka passed it around to confuse the Palermo defence before Seedorf stroked in the finish.

THE NUMBERS
Game of two halves: Of the 29 goals scored on Wednesday night, 22 came in the second period. All four of Juventus' goals against Reggina came after the break.

Seeing red: Four men received their marching orders - Giacomo Tedesco of Catania, Empoli stopper Lino Marzoratti, Fiorentina's Marco Donadel and luckless Genoa goalkeeper Rubinho.

Goal scoring 101: Juventus' David Trezeguet saw a goal wrongly disallowed, but wasn't to be denied his 101st Serie A strike for long as he drove home in the 77th minute.

Source: Paul Watson (C4 Football Italia)

Serie A Week 5: Midweek Review

Serie A leaders Roma were held to an entertaining 2-2 draw at Fiorentina on the first midweek round of the season. Champions Inter went joint top, while city rivals Milan slumped to a dramatic defeat at Palermo and Juventus thrashed Reggina. Elsewhere there were wins for Catania, Genoa, Lazio, Napoli and Parma.

FIORENTINA 2-2 ROMA
Fiorentina twice came from behind to earn a point in an exciting encounter against Serie A leaders Roma at the Stadio Artemio Franchi. Both teams battled to the end of an entertaining clash which was packed with chances and end-to-end football. Alessandro Mancini opened the scoring for the visitors in the 19th minute, only for Fiorentina to level through Alessandro Gamberini six minutes later. Eight minutes before half-time, Roma were back in front thanks to Ludovic Giuly. The fourth name on the scoresheet was that of Adrian Mutu, who equalised from the penalty spot after Christian Vieri had been clearly fouled by Matteo Ferrari 10 minutes from time. The Viola finished the game with 10 men after Marco Donadel was sent off for a second bookable offence in the 85th minute but they held on for a point.

INTER 3-0 SAMPDORIA
Inter warmed up for Saturday afternoon's top-of-the-table clash with Roma by brushing Sampdoria aside 3-0 at the San Siro. Without having to be at their best, Roberto Mancini's side were able to put three past their opponents, who were made to pay dearly for some uncharacteristically sloppy defending. With two goals, Zlatan Ibrahimovic took his tally for the season to six before Luis Figo rounded off the scoring with over half-an-hour remaining. Samp were able to give Antonio Cassano another 40 minutes of action, but he could not make the difference for the Genovese side, who are without a win since the opening day of the season.

PALERMO 2-1 AC MILAN
Milan's early season woes in Serie A continued as they were surprisingly defeated 2-1 away to Palermo despite taking an early lead through Clarence Seedorf. The Rossoneri, who have won just once in five games, wasted dozens of clear opportunities to score and were made to pay for their profligacy with late goals from Aimo Diana and Fabrizio Miccoli, the latter in added time. The European champions, who are already five points off the Serie A lead, host Catania on Sunday in a must win game.

JUVENTUS 4-0 REGGINA
Juventus gave another demonstration that they are title contenders with a 4-0 demolition of Reggina to set themselves up well for the impending city derby with Torino. Reggina defended stoutly to keep their goal intact for the first half but Juventus took command after the break. Nicola Legrottaglie and Hasan Salihamidzic netted in quick succession after the interval to give Claudio Ranieri's men a winning position they defended with little difficulty. David Trezeguet and Raffaele Palladino then added later goals to emphasise the superiority of a team who are looking top-flight heavyweights once more after serving an enforced one-year absence from Serie A for their part in the Calciopoli scandal.

NAPOLI 1-0 LIVORNO
Newly-promoted Napoli moved to within a point of the Serie A summit after Roberto Sosa's late goal saw off Livorno at the Stadio San Paolo. Sosa struck with three minutes to go to hand their hosts their third win in five games and sink a Livorno side who remain rooted inside the relegation zone. Napoli certainly deserved the victory and were only denied a more convincing win by some wayward finishing and a virtuoso performance from Livorno keeper Marco Amelia.

LAZIO 3-1 CAGLIARI
Tommaso Rocchi scored twice as Lazio secured their first Serie A victory of the season at the expense of Cagliari in Rome. Rocchi, who was left out of the starting line-up in the 2-1 defeat at Atalanta on Sunday, struck twice in the second half to take his goal tally to five in all competitions this season. Rocchi's strike partner Goran Pandev was also on the scoresheet to ensure the Biancoceleste shrugged off the tag of draw specialists and consigned Cagliari to their first defeat on the road this season.

GENOA 3-2 UDINESE
Marco Borriello scored a hat-trick as Genoa won their first game of the season, beating Udinese 3-2 at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris despite having only 10 men for much of the second half. The former Milan striker is the only Genoa player to have scored this season, having now done so four times, and he could even have had more as he hit the woodwork twice. His first goal put promoted Genoa ahead after 20 minutes and he doubled the lead two minutes into the second half. Genoa goalkeeper Rubinho was sent off minutes later and Gyan Asamoah promptly reduced the arrears before Borriello restored the two-goal lead from the penalty spot. Udinese's reaction was immediate once again with Giandomenico Mesto bringing them back to within one goal with just under 15 minutes remaining, but Genoa held on to their first Serie A triumph in over 12 years.

PARMA 2-0 TORINO
Parma built on their weekend draw with Milan as two goals in two second-half minutes earned them victory over Torino. Reginaldo opened the scoring just after the hour mark, before Bernardo Corradi settled the contest shortly after, both goals coming from defensive mistakes by Torino. Parma coach Domenico Di Carlo had urged his side not to let their valuable point at the San Siro go to their heads, but in the end it turned out to be their visitors who had other things on their minds, with Walter Novellino's men seemingly thinking about Sunday's Turin derby with Juventus. The defeat means that Novellino - who had to watch the game from the stand following a touchline ban - is still without a win since taking control at the helm of Torino in the summer.

CATANIA 1-0 EMPOLI
Catania won their first game of the season and left Empoli still searching for theirs with a narrow triumph at the Stadio Massimino. Jorge Martinez's goal three minutes into the second half was enough to give the Sicilians their first home victory since February and take them out of the bottom three, leaving Empoli joint-bottom of the Serie A standings. The game ended with two red cards, one on either side, but referee Luca Marelli brought the proceedings to a close before the game could deteriorate into an all-out brawl in the centre of the field.

SIENA 1-1 ATALANTA
Cristiano Doni's second-half penalty ensured Atalanta grabbed a draw at Siena to keep their unbeaten run intact. The team from Bergamo made great strides under Stefano Colantuono last season and his successor Luigi Del Neri looks to be building on the good work following his predecessor's departure to Palermo. Simone Loria had opened the scoring in the first half for Siena but Doni's spot-kick after the break ensured Atalanta have won two and drawn three of their five Serie A matches this season.

SERIE A REVIEW:
[Wednesday 26 Sep]

Serie B Week 6: Review

Tuesday 25 September
Bologna 2-2 Brescia
Brescia’s perfect record ground to a halt at the Stadio Dall’Ara after five consecutive victories, and it’s a result that also puts Bologna back in the promotion scrap. It was a thrilling encounter and the home side came out fighting with Viviano fingertipping a Bombardini strike round the post. However, the Rondinelle took the lead in curious circumstances, as Antonioli parried Lima’s free kick on to Tacchinardi’s torso and the ball ricocheted into the net. Daino’s header was pushed on to the bar and Castellini’s goalline clearance denied Possanzini following another Antonioli error. Bologna turned it around with two quick goals after the break, Adailton curling in a free kick and a Mingazzini daisy-cutter. Viviano kept Brescia in it with saves on Fava and Carrus, but Lima’s set-piece eluded everyone to slot in to the far corner and earn the visitors a point.

Albinoleffe 1-0 Cesena
Perico’s goal at the death sends Albinoleffe to the top of the table alongside Brescia – a remarkable achievement for a club that expected to be battling against relegation. Both sides saw goalline clearances in the first half to keep out Moscardelli and Ruopolo, but Cesena somewhat disappeared after the break. In the final minutes defender Perico celebrated his first start by tapping in from close range.

Bari 2-0 Mantova
Mantova are surely now in crisis after this latest shock setback at the Stadio San Nicola. Donda has proved to be an excellent signing for Bari, as his solo run and shot was parried into the path of Roma youth product Galasso for the opener. The visitors have just one point from their last three games and lost their heads, as Tarano saw red for striking Rajcic and Balestri followed in stoppages. Between the two incidents, Santoruvo made the result safe with Bari’s second goal.

Chievo 3-0 Avellino
Chievo may have hammered Avellino, but they only really kicked into gear during the final 20 minutes. Pellissier was the star of the show at the Bentegodi, once again proving himself an ideal goal poacher by finalising two moves. Obinna came on as a late substitute and netted one minute later with a brilliant individual effort, putting his summer contract dispute behind him.

Messina 2-0 Treviso
Messina got themselves back on track with this victory in front of the home fans. Biancolino earned and converted a penalty for Viali’s shirt tug and Calderoni kept Treviso in it with a splendid save on Moro’s header. Piovaccari went off injured and Pia had a goal disallowed for offside before Coppola put the win under lock and key.

Piacenza 0-1 Lecce
Piacenza’s crisis is undeniable now after a fifth defeat in six games saw them tumble back down to the foot of the table. The tension caused by their dreadful start to the season is getting to the players, as Abbate and Patrascu both saw red in the space of three minutes. Even with nine men they seemed ready to hang on, but Valdes set up substitute Tulli’s header deep into stoppages to put Lecce joint second.

Pisa 2-1 Triestina
Pisa notch up their second win on the trot to leave Triestina scrambling around in the relegation battle. Former Milan man Kutuzov’s opener was followed by Cerci’s second of the season after the half-time break. Granoche continued his excellent campaign by converting a penalty, but Triestina’s hopes of getting something from this match were hit by Pesaresi’s dismissal.

Ravenna 2-1 Grosseto
The battle of the Serie B new boys went to Ravenna, but it was a hard slog. Pivotto gave the home side the lead from a corner only for Valeri to pounce on Capecchi's howler to equalise on the stroke of half-time. Succi was hero and villain, scoring Ravenna’s winner by redirecting a Sciaccaluga free kick and seeing red in stoppages. This result takes them three points clear of Grosseto.

Rimini 1-0 Modena
The Emilia-Romagna derby went to Rimini at the Stadio Neri, as Modena’s fine start to the season has fallen by the wayside somewhat. Vantaggiato decided the match just 12 minutes from time – 10 minutes after stepping on to the field as a substitute – with a cracking individual strike.

Spezia 3-0 Frosinone
Spezia finally earned their first win of the campaign to lift themselves out of the drop zone, despite the one-point penalty. They had not celebrated victory at the Picco for six months. Zaninelli’s header broke through and Salvatore Bocchetti brought down Colombo for Saverino’s spot-kick. Bocchetti tried to make up for the error, but was denied by a goalline clearance, and Guidetti put the result beyond doubt from close range. Frosinone shot-stopper Sicignano was sent off for a second bookable offence after all the substitutions had been completed, so Cariello went between the posts for the final minutes.

Vicenza 1-1 Ascoli
The entire match was decided in a 10-minute flurry of activity at the Stadio Menti. Vicenza gave the home fans something to cheer about with Capone’s opener, a precise right-foot effort from the edge of the area. But Bernacci ensured the celebration did not last long, as he took advantage of Zancope’s error on Aquilanti’s cross. Guberti had the opportunity to win it for Ascoli, but his free kick smashed against the bar.

Source: C4 Football Italia

[FIXTURE CHANGES] Week 7

The Lega Calcio has announced the early and late games for the Week 7 Serie A fixture list.

Inter's home match against Napoli will kick off at 2030 local time on Saturday 6 October. The other early game is Atalanta v Udinese, to kick off at 1800 local time.

The evening fixture on Sunday 7 October is Lazio v AC Milan, meaning Fiorentina v Juventus will kick off in the afternoon along with the rest of the fixtures.

All kick-off times listed are UK time (+1 for Italy/CET).

Week 7:
Saturday 6 October
Atalanta v Udinese (1700)
Inter v Napoli (1930)
Sunday 7 October
Catania v Livorno, Fiorentina v Juventus, Genoa v Cagliari, Palermo v Reggina, Parma v Roma, Siena v Empoli, Torino v Sampdoria (all 1400)
Lazio v Milan (1930)

SERIE A FIXTURE CHANGES:
[Week 1 & 2] - [Week 3] - [Week 4] - [Week 5 & 6]

Source: C4 Football Italia / Lega Calcio

Napoli-Livorno ref scandal

Pierluigi Collina has ordered a change of referee for tomorrow’s Napoli-Livorno game after the Amaranto club website ‘announced’ the assignation early.

Under Italian rules, the clubs are not told which referees will be assigned to their matches until a maximum of two days before kick-off.

As it is a midweek round on Wednesday evening, the draw for the officials was made on Tuesday. However, the Livorno website published a news item confirming referee Daniele Orsato for the tie on Monday.

The club should not have known about this, so refereeing designator Collina has ordered a change as a precautionary measure.

Now Emidio Morganti will take over the match at the Stadio San Paolo on Wednesday evening with new assistants Romagnoli, De Luca and Pantana.

"I am very irritated and surprised by this," stated Collina when told about the ‘prediction’ made by Livorno.

This incident has brought back fears over Calciopoli, where former Juventus director general Luciano Moggi had telephone conversations with the refereeing designators suggesting which officials to assign.

Source: C4 Football Italia

Serie A Week 5: Midweek Preview

Serie A leaders Roma will be hoping to regain the winning touch when they travel to Fiorentina on Wednesday in the first midweek round of the season.

The Giallorossi dropped their first points as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Juventus on Sunday, but they will be hoping to get back to winning ways when they face a tough task against the unbeaten Tuscans.

Despite losing their 100% record, Roma coach Luciano Spalletti was delighted with his players. He said: "When I see my players next I will tell them that they played a great game and that they merited the win. I didn't think Juve would find the equaliser but you have to hand it to them, they created three chances and they took advantage."

Inter, who travel to the early leaders on Saturday, have now gone two matches without a win and need to regain confidence when they face Sampdoria at the San Siro.

After kicking off their Champions League group stage campaign with a 1-0 defeat in Istanbul, the Nerazzurri were expected to bounce back against struggling Livorno on Sunday. But they were again below-par with Zlatan Ibrahimovic's two goals rescuing a point for the champions.

Samp have had a mixed start to the season, with a win, a defeat and two draws from their first four games. They were held to a disappointing goalless draw in the Genoa derby and coach Walter Mazzarri will be hoping for a better performance in Milan.

AC Milan haven't hit top gear yet this season and they face another tricky test with a trip to Palermo. Carlo Ancelotti's side have been criticised for not performing in Serie A and concentrating too much on their European ambitions following three consecutive 1-1 draws.

Palermo are yet to win at home this season but their confidence will be high ahead of the encounter after Sunday’s victory in Sardinia against Cagliari.

After two Serie A games without a win, Juventus will be confident of gaining maximum points against struggling Reggina. La Vecchia Signora earned a late point in Rome at the weekend following their first defeat of the season against Udinese.

The Southerners were also beaten by Udinese at the weekend as their winless start to Serie A continued and a win in Turin looks unlikely.

Lazio have had a miserable start to their campaign as they prepare to host Cagliari. A late defeat against Atalanta on Sunday and three draws from their first four Serie A games have piled the pressure on coach Delio Rossi to get a result at the Stadio Olimpico.

Cagliari also had a disappointing result at the weekend, being toppled 1-0 at home by Palermo. However despite only having 4 points this season, the Sardinians have in general been playing good football and will fancy their chances of heaping more misery on the Biancocelesti.

Napoli were brought back down to earth after the 0-0 draw with Empoli. Two stunning victories over Udinese and Sampdoria had the Partenopei brimming with confidence, although they will be confident of getting back to winning ways against bottom-of-the-league Livorno.

Siena will be facing a tough task in their quest to gain their first win of the season against third-placed surprise package Atalanta, while Genoa meet a confident Udinese side, who have picked up two straight wins.

Elsewhere, Catania meet Empoli and Torino visit Parma as all four clubs search for their first Serie A win.

Serie B Week 6: Midweek Preview

The pace in the Cadetti can be unforgiving and tonight’s Week 6 fixtures will have come too soon for some sides.

Without a doubt, the match of the night is Bologna v Brescia at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara. Serse Cosmi’s Rondinelle are not just top of Serie B with five wins from five, they have only conceded once all term, but Bologna are a side to fear. The Felsinei have slipped up twice so far, but they are starting to gel and have a terrifying hitman in Brazilian Adailton.

While it looks like a mouth-watering proposition on paper, the reality may be a tight affair. Neither side would be too disappointed with a draw as they both have likely three-point bankers at the weekend.

Avellino’s tough introduction to the second tier continues with a trip to the vast Stadio Bentegodi to face Chievo. Giuseppe Iachini’s Flying Donkeys are fresh from a 2-1 win at Frosinone and will be determined to repeat the dose against a side that has only found the net twice all season.

Mid-table outfits Modena and Rimini square up in an Emilia-Romagna derby. Both teams are coming off the back of disappointing defeats and will see this as a springboard. The Canarini have missed Nigerian star Stefano Chuka Okaka, who has been suspended, but will hope for more magic from wide man Raffaele Longo.

Spezia are already looking at games as six-pointers after losing one of their two points due to financial irregularities. The Eagles host Frosinone – a side they came up from Serie C with the season before last – and need to act fast as they are already two points adrift at the foot of the table.

Meanwhile, the miraculous Albinoleffe entertain Cesena looking to continue their unlikely unbeaten run and struggling Piacenza try to avoid defeat number five against Lecce.

Source: C4 Football Italia

Milan clubs targeted

Italian prosecutors want leading officials at AC Milan and champions Inter to stand trial on charges of false accounting.

Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani, Inter counterpart Rinaldo Ghelfi and former Nerazzurri director Mauro Gambaro are the men under scrutiny.

The request, which in Italy will not necessarily lead to criminal charges and does not indicate guilt, will now be examined by a judge who will decide how to proceed.

Both Inter and Champions League holders Milan have denied any financial irregularities.

The investigation is in relation to alleged inflation of player values during transfer deals.

Inter president Massimo Moratti has labelled the probe "absurd," saying player valuations were volatile and "difficult to understand".

Moratti was initially part of the investigation but was not named in the latest indictment request.

Source: Sky Sports

Spotlight - Week 4: Just Di-licious

Here's a round up of the winners and the losers from Week 4 of the Serie A season.

THE WINNERS
Antonio Di Natale (Udinese): Arguably the most in-form player in Italian football right now, Antonio Di Natale enjoyed another weekend to remember. Having secured Italy the three points in the Ukraine with a brace and then netting the winner at Juventus in Week 3, he made the difference yet again against Reggina. He put his side in the lead with the cheekiest of goals before making sure of the points with a sensational second.

Vincenzo Iaquinta (Juventus): His team may well have been rather fortunate to net a point at Roma, but there is no doubt that he deserved his late goal for his efforts at the Olimpico. Having been surprisingly fielded in a trident attack, the hard-working summer signing repaid the Coach’s faith in him by being Juventus’ most dangerous attacking component. It’ll be hard to drop him for Wednesday’s game against Reggina now.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter): An irreplaceable figure in the Inter starting XI, the Swedish international again underlined just how important he is to Roberto Mancini with a brace at Livorno. In a side which at this point of the season seems to be relying more on individual brilliance rather than cohesive team football, it was little surprise that the dangerous looking Ibra was the Nerazzurri’s most effective player.

THE LOSERS
Domenico Criscito (Juventus): Thrown in at the deep end by Juventus’ questionable defensive summer transfer campaign, his inexperience was cruelly exposed by an on-fire Francesco Totti in the 2-2 draw with Roma. Although he’s highly rated, he’s still got some way to go before he delivers on his potential. Nevertheless, likely to see more regular action after the serious injury sustained by Jorge Andrade.

Fabrizio Miccoli (Palermo): It was a frustrating afternoon for the pint-sized phenomenon at the Stadio Sant’Elia. Although Cagliari gave him the space to play, the Italian was arguably the biggest disappointment out there. He had just one shot of any real significance and ended the game by showing dissent following his inevitable substitution.

Douglas Maicon (Inter): The powerful Brazilian was one of Inter’s better players against Livorno before his moment of madness in the closing stages of the 2-2 draw. A great first half saw him even supply Zlatan Ibrahimovic with an assist before he saw red with 10 minutes of the game left. You can’t kick a grounded Erjon Bogdani and expect anything less than an early bath.

THE GOALS
Antonio Di Natale (Udinese): The Udinese sensation illustrated just how confident he is at the minute by opening the scoring against Reggina with an audacious strike. Standing in a wide position, it seemed as if the Italian’s only option would be to cross for a teammate. Instead, he chipped the ball from the narrowest of angles over a highly surprised Andrea Campagnolo.

Antonio Di Natale (Udinese): Di Natale’s first goal was of the highest quality, but he saved the best for last. Gaetano D’Agostino found the pint-sized attacker with a long ball which Di Natale controlled by flicking it up in the air before instantly blasting a volley into the bottom corner.

Riccardo Zampagna (Atalanta): The Atalanta hitman has a reputation for being a bit of a brute, but his strikes so far this term have illustrated that there is a touch of finesse in his finishing. Having netted a bicycle-kick against Fiorentina, the former Messina man delivered a delicate chip over Nestor Muslera to ensure the Nerazzurri collected a 2-1 over Lazio.

THE NUMBERS
Trez bien: David Trezeguet scored his 100th Serie A goal in 155 games for Juventus by giving his side the lead at Roma. As a result, there are now seven players presently in the top flight who have netted a century – Filippo Inzaghi (127 in 289 games), Hernan Crespo (133 in 246), Christian Vieri (135 in 233), Alessandro Del Piero (135 in 335), Vincenzo Montella (138 in 267) and Francesco Totti (155 in 374).

Treble trouble: Milan have now drawn their last three League games with a 1-1 scoreline – something that hasn’t happened in Serie A since January 1984 when they were held by Verona, Roma and Catania. The Rossoneri eventually finished that campaign in eighth place.

Nil by mouth: The 0-0 draw at the Stadio Castellani between Empoli and Napoli wasn’t exactly a surprise. Three of their last four Serie A meetings also ended scoreless. However, there is a notable exception given that the Tuscan outfit thumped the Azzurri 5-0 back in February 1998. Napoli have now not conceded a goal for 301 minutes.

Source: Antonio Labbate (C4 Football Italia)

Serie C Week 5: Results

Serie C1/A - Week 5:
Cavese 1-1 Verona, Cittadella 2-1 Novara, Foligno 1-1 Padova, Lecco 2-1 Monza, Manfredonia 1-0 Legnano, Paganese 1-3 Pro Sesto, Pro Patria 0-0 Foggia, Ternana 1-2 Cremonese, Venezia 2-0 Sassuolo.

Serie C1/B - Week 5:
Ancona 2-1 Massese, Gallipoli 1-1 Pistoiese, Juve Stabia 1-3 Pescara, Martina 1-5 Crotone, Potenza 0-0 Lanciano, Salernitana 3-2 Taranto, Sambenedettese 1-1 Sorrento, Sangiovannese 1-1 Lucchese, Perugia 1-1 Arezzo.

Serie C2/A - Week 5:
Calcio 1-1 Pavia, Carpenedolo 1-4 Lumezzane, Ivrea 3-2 Canavese, Mezzocorona - Pro Vercelli, Pergocrema 0-0 Rodengo, Pizzighettone 0-0 Alto Adige, Torres 1-0 Cuneo, Valenzana 1-1 Nuorese, Varese 2-1 Olbia.

Serie C2/B - Week 5:
Bellaria 1-1 Prato, Carrarese 1-2 San Marino, Castelnuovo 2-2 Spal, Poggibonsi 1-3 Giulianova, Portosummaga 4-0 Sansovino, Rovigo 0-4 Bassano, Teramo 3-3 Gubbio, Viareggio 0-0 Reggiana, Viterbese 0-0 Cuoiocappiano.

Serie C2/C - Week 5:
Benevento 1-0 Cisco Roma, Cassino 1-0 Celano, Catanzaro 1-1 Scafatese, Igea 1-0 Vigor Lamezia, Monopoli 2-0 Gela, Neapolis 4-2 Andria, Pescina - Melfi, Val Di Sangro 0-0 Marcianise, Vibonese 0-1 Noicattaro.

Source: C4 Football Italia

Serie A Week 4: Sunday Review

A late strike by Vicenzo Iaquinta secured Juventus a point at Roma and ended the capital club's 100 per cent start in Serie A on a day that saw Inter held by Livorno, Lazio beaten at Atalanta and both Palermo and Fiorentina won on their travels. The first Genoa derby in more than 12 years finished in a disappointing draw.

ROMA 2-2 JUVENTUS
Juventus striker Vincenzo Iaquinta headed home a late equaliser to deny Roma and his former coach Luciano Spalletti a fourth successive victory in Serie A. Iaquinta made his name at Udinese under Spalletti but showed no sentiment to his old mentor by converting Giorgio Chiellini's 88th-minute throw-in to hand Juve a point from a pulsating encounter. The Bianconeri had taken the lead after 17 minutes through David Trezeguet's 100th Serie A goal but Francesco Totti's double before the break handed the initiative to the home side. Juve rode their luck at times although they can also point to a missed opportunity of their own when Alessandro Del Piero blazed a penalty over the bar at the start of the second half.

LIVORNO 2-2 INTER
Champions Inter suffered a shock at Livorno but recovered to draw and remain unbeaten in Serie A. Roberto Mancini watched as his side put in a second disappointing performance of the week following their 1-0 defeat to Turkish giants Fenerbache in their opening Champions League fixture on Wednesday night. The Nerazzurri came from behind twice against Serie A's bottom club and were forced to play the final 10 minutes with 10-men after Maicon was shown a straight red card for kicking out at Erjon Bogdani. Daniele de Vezze put the hosts in front inside 60 seconds before Zlatan Ibrahimovic equalised with the first of his two goals. Massimo Loviso restored Livorno's lead from the penalty spot but Sweden international Ibrahimovic converted a penalty 19 minutes from time to level.

ATALANTA 2-1 LAZIO
Lazio remain winless after four Serie A outings this season following a last-minute defeat on the road at Atalanta. Having drawn their first three games of the campaign, Delio Rossi's troops looked on course for a fourth league stalemate in succession after Massimo Mutarelli had cancelled out Antonio Langella's opener for the hosts. But deep into stoppage time at the end of 90 minutes, Riccardo Zampagna popped up with the winner for the Bergamaschi to continue their unbeaten start to the campaign.

CATANIA 0-1 FIORENTINA
Adrian Mutu's early strike secured all three points against 10-man Catania and preserved Fiorentina's unbeaten start to the season. The former Chelsea and Juventus striker rose highest to head home a fourth minute corner and leave the hosts still searching for their first win of the campaign. Matters went from bad to worse for the home side when midfielder Davide Baiocco was dismissed 12 minutes from time. The win propels Fiorentina up to fourth in Serie A, just two points behind early pacesetters Juve.

CAGLIARI 0-1 PALERMO
Cristian Zaccardo's strike proved enough for Palermo to clinch the Derby delle Isole against Cagliari 1-0. In a close affair in Sardinia between teams who were separated only by goal difference at the start of play, Zaccardo struck after 15 minutes to earn the points for the Sicilians. The win means the Rosanero are unbeaten in four league and UEFA cup matches and sit just three points off the top of Serie A.

EMPOLI 0-0 NAPOLI
A momentous week for Empoli ended with a whimper as they shared a goalless draw with Napoli. The Tuscan minnows played their first game in European competition on Thursday night and enjoyed a 2-1 victory over Swiss champions FC Zurich in the first leg of their UEFA Cup first round tie, but a first league win of the season remains elusive following the stalemate with high-flying Napoli. Despite their excursions in continental competition, Empoli coach Luigi Cagni has declared top flight survival as his main priority this season and they now have two points from four games. But Cagni will be pleased with a clean sheet against Napoli, who have impressed on their return to the top flight.

TORINO 1-1 SIENA
Massimo Maccarone missed two penalties before finally finding the net to secure a deserved draw for 10-man Siena at Torino. The former Middlesbrough striker failed to convert from the spot shortly after Paolo Dellafiore had given the hosts a 25th-minute lead. However, after again watching Matteo Sereni parry a second penalty eight minutes after the break, he pounced to tap home the rebound and secure a share of the spoils. The visitors were forced to endure a nervous final 13 minutes as Paul Codrea saw red for a second bookable offence. The point leaves both sides still searching for their first wins of the season having amazingly drawn a combined seven of their opening eight games.

SAMPDORIA 0-0 GENOA
The first Derby della Lanterna in more than 12 years ended in stalemate on Sunday evening as Sampdoria were held at home by battling Genoa in a poor encounter. The highly-anticipated fixture failed to live up to its billing with little in the way of goalmouth action and the best chance of the night coming right at the death. Sampdoria's Gennaro Delvecchio came close to breaking the deadlock during a goalline scramble, but in truth neither side deserved to take anything more than a point from a turgid match.

SERIE A REVIEW:
[Saturday 22 Sep] - [Sunday 23 Sep]

Serie A Week 4: Saturday Review

Antonio Di Natale continued his incredible form for Udinese with two magnificent goals to defeat Reggina, while Milan were held for a third consecutive 1-1 draw in Serie A against Parma at the San Siro.

UDINESE 2-0 REGGINA
Antonio Di Natale inspired Udinese to all three points against Reggina with two sublime strikes worthy of winning any game. The Italy striker curled a fantastic opener lobbing Andrea Campagnolo from a tight angle after only five minutes to put the hosts in front, before an exquisite volley just after the hour-mark wrapped up victory. And although Reggina twice hit the woodwork, they could find no way past a tough Udinese defence and crashed to their second consecutive defeat.

AC MILAN 1-1 PARMA
Milan drew for the third successive time in Serie A as Parma took a point from the San Siro. The Rossoneri began their Champions League defence in midweek with a home win over Benfica, and after Filippo Inzaghi hit the post on 27 minutes tonight, they took the lead late in the first half when the striker's shot was parried by Nicola Pavarini but Paolo Castellini's clearance deflected in off Clarence Seedorf. However the hosts were unable to hang on for the win, Parma equalised with 17 minutes left as Andrea Pisanu volleyed in Reginaldo's cross.

The result leaves the European champions still three points behind leaders Roma, who host Juventus on Sunday afternoon.

SERIE A REVIEW:
[Saturday 22 Sep] - [Sunday 23 Sep]

Serie B Week 5: Review

Saturday 22 September
Brescia 3-1 Messina
There’s no stopping the Rondinelle after their fifth consecutive victory, comfortably disposing of fellow Serie A hopefuls Messina. Dallamano broke through in the opening seconds and, after Viviano had parried two Sicilian attempts, Dallamano made it 2-0. After the restart Biancolino managed to get his side back into the game, but Vass was brought down for Tacchinardi’s penalty. Rea’s red card put an end to Messina’s hopes.

Ascoli 1-0 Spezia
Ascoli made Spezia’s week even worse, after the club was docked one point for failing to hand in financial documents in time. It was a tough slog, though, as only Taibi’s saves managed to keep the visitors at bay. Former Torino defender Cioffi secured the victory with a powerful header just before half-time.

Avellino 0-2 Lecce
Lecce’s clinical finishing even without suspended hitman Tiribocchi gave them this precious away win at the Stadio Partenio. Anastasi would’ve given Avellino the lead in the opening five minutes were it not for the crossbar, but De Angelis’ handling offence gave Valdes his penalty. Even after Angelo was dismissed, 10-man Lecce doubled their advantage with Munari’s counter. It was an ill-tempered match and Maietta saw red for a coming together with Valdes, while referee Ayroldi was struck by a plastic bottle thrown from the stands.

Bari 4-2 Ravenna
Struggling Bari took advantage of 10-man Ravenna to pick up their second home win of the season. It had not started well, as Succi had given the newly promoted side the lead with a solo effort. Santoruvo equalised by nodding in Donda’s free kick and moments later Nicola hauled down Santoruvo for a penalty, converted by Donda. With Nicola given his marching orders, Ravenna still managed to fight back thanks to substitute Aloe’s header. Bari had more stamina in the end and a quick one-two from Stellini and Bonanni put the game beyond Ravenna’s reach.

Cesena 3-3 Vicenza
This was an extraordinary game and Cesena must be kicking themselves. They had gone 2-0 up within 15 minutes when Mezavilla’s backheel set up Cortellini, then the scorer created the second for De Feudis. Scardina nodded in a corner against his old club and Schwoch’s header completed the Vicenza comeback. When Morosini and Serafini were both sent off in quick succession, the Biancorossi could be excused for giving up. Moscardelli thought he’d sealed the 3-2 victory, but late on Scardina incredibly snatched the equaliser for nine-man Vicenza.

Frosinone 1-2 Chievo
Chievo took home all three points from the Matusa and maintain their unbeaten record this season. Just before the break both sides hit the back of the net, as Cesar’s header from a Marchese corner kick was cancelled out by a Pecchia daisy-cutter for Frosinone. The Flying Donkeys took control with Greco allowed far too much space to control Ciaramitaro’s assist and fire in.

Grosseto 2-1 Rimini
Grosseto made history with their first ever Serie B victory and they did it against one of the candidates for promotion. Milone had given Rimini the ideal start with the opener after just 120 seconds, catching the defence napping on a corner kick. The visitors had several chances to make the result stick, but were guilty of lax finishing. Instead, Carparelli curled in a free kick and four minutes later he ran on to Lazzari’s assist to turn the game around.

Mantova 0-1 Pisa
Pisa stunned promotion hopefuls Mantova with a clinical display. Although the home side had far more of the possession, they did precious little with it. Instead Castillo thumped the upright and then went on to score the winner on the counter-attack. Corona and Lucenti had the chances to snatch a point late on, but they could not make the most of them. Pisa are fast earning themselves a reputation as giant-killers.

Modena 2-3 Albinoleffe
Albinoleffe continue to amaze this season with another shock away victory, this time conquering the Stadio Braglia. A deflection lifted Poloni’s strike over the goalkeeper and Longo’s looping header drew level. Just 60 seconds later Cellini pounced on a defensive error, but Bruno equalised with a spectacular backheel. However, the striker took his shirt off to celebrate, forgetting he was already on a yellow card, and forced Modena to play the final half-hour with 10 men. It made the difference, as in the dying moments with Serie B Capocannoniere Cellini’s second of the match, tapping in a loose ball.

Treviso 1-0 Piacenza
Piacenza’s crisis drags on with another disappointing defeat, but Treviso earn their first win since Week 1. Rantier and Barreto had first half opportunities and goalkeeper Cassano required two consecutive stunning saves to deny Venitucci and Russotto. The goal arrived in the final minutes when Iorio brought down Barreto and he got back up to convert the penalty. Barreto received a second booking for taking off his shirt while celebrating.

Triestina 1-3 Bologna
Adailton is proving to be an excellent summer signing, as his two spot-kicks helped Bologna to an important victory. Granoche tried to get Triestina back into it with his third goal of the campaign, a precise header, but Marazzina nodded in Adailton’s free kick to seal the scoreline.

Source: C4 Football Italia

Serie A Week 4: Weekend Preview

Roma renew their rivalry with fellow Serie A title hopefuls Juventus at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday afternoon looking to maintain their 100 per cent start to the season.

The clubs have endured strained relations for years and this will be the first meeting between the two teams since Juventus were demoted in the wake of the Calciopoli scandal. Juve have taken all three points on their last two visits to Roma, including a 4-1 victory in November 2005.

Luciano Spalletti's outfit are the only side in the Italian top flight to have won all three of their opening games - and they have done so without conceding a goal. A 2-0 Champions League victory over Dynamo Kiev in midweek has bolstered confidence, and Spalletti believes the result was of crucial importance. "This win is important for our next few games," he claimed.

Claudio Ranieri's men lie just three points behind the Giallorossi having suffered a shock 1-0 defeat at home to Udinese last weekend.

Second-placed Inter will have an eye on events in Rome as they travel to bottom side Livorno, who have claimed just one point so far, looking to take top spot.

The Nerazzurri have bounced back from their disappointing opening-day draw against Udinese to win their last two league games, but will be under pressure to perform after they opened their Champions League campaign with a 1-0 defeat at Fenerbahce.

On Sunday night, Serie A will welcome back the Derby della Lanterna - one of the most fascinating rivalries in Italian football - after a 13-year absence as Genoa and Sampdoria go head-to-head with the supremacy of the port city at stake.

Samp have had a unspectacular start to their campaign with only four points from three and the shock 2-2 home draw against Danish minnows Aalborg in the UEFA Cup on Thursday, while their rivals Genoa are yet to pick up a win since their return to the top flight.

Third-placed Napoli have been the surprise package so far this term with two victories from three and they will fancy their chances of continuing their fine form at second-bottom Empoli.

The Tuscans will be desperate to record their first win of the season in front of a demanding home crowd, but will be confident after they picked up a historic win in their first ever UEFA Cup tie this week - 2-1 against FC Zurich.

Defending European champions AC Milan host struggling Parma on Saturday night hoping their 2-1 win over Benfica on Tuesday will kickstart their season.

The Rossoneri have been solid if unspectacular so far - unbeaten but with just one league victory to their name - but their hosts are yet to register their first win of the 2007/08 campaign.

Also on five points are Fiorentina and Atalanta, who will be ready to capitalise should Carlo Ancelotti's men slip up, when they come up against Catania and Lazio respectively - both of whom are yet to taste league victories this season.

In the weekend's other games, Sardinian's Cagliari and Sicilian's Palermo face each other in the Derby delle Isole, Siena travel to Torino and an unpredictable Udinese welcome Reggina in Saturday's early game.

Mourinho hints at Serie A switch

Jose Mourinho has hinted tonight he could be looking for a Serie A job. "I have to choose between learning Italian and German," he said.

Mourinho caused shockwaves when he left Chelsea "by mutual consent" on Thursday morning.

He had been linked with the Portuguese national side and Tottenham Hotspur, but rejected both those options for the moment.

"I will come back and manage here (England), but I don't want it as my next step - it must be another country, another experience, another football," Mourinho told the British press in an impromptu media-scrum in London.

The former Porto boss already speaks Portuguese, Spanish, English and French, but admitted he was looking to broaden his horizons by learning another language. "I have to choose between Italian and German," noted 'the Special One.'

The suggestion he will continue his successful career in either Serie A or the Bundesliga is backed up by speculation in the media.

In Italy only the big three can really afford his wages and of those Inter are the favourites to make a move. President Massimo Moratti has never disguised his fondness for Mourinho, while current coach Roberto Mancini is under increasing pressure after the opening Champions League defeat at Fenerbahce.

Juventus and Milan are the other alternatives and Rossoneri vice-President Adriano Galliani joked about the claims he was coming to San Siro. "Mourinho? Sure, he can work one week at Milan and the other at Inter."

If he were to take over at Milan, it would likely be at the end of the season so that Carlo Ancelotti can take over the Italian national team from the disappointing Roberto Donadoni. Ancelotti has made no secret of his desire to lead the Azzurri team and failure to qualify or even impress at Euro 2008 would speed up his switch to the international bench.

In Germany, the only side that could afford and lure Mourinho could be Bayern Munich, while a return to Barcelona and Porto are unlikely. Spanish champions Real Madrid may be another option especially with their annual managerial changing policy.

[Watch Jose Mourinho's Interview]

Source: C4 Football Italia

Serie B Week 5: Weekend Preview

After last weekend’s astonishing array of stalemates, Week 5’s second tier fixtures promise to be altogether more entertaining.

Amazingly, five of Week 4’s 11 games ended in 0-0 draws and there were only 11 goals in total as the Cadetti’s sides cancelled each other out.

However, it seems that there is no stopping Albinoleffe. The Bergamo minnows eased past newly-promoted Ravenna and sit proudly top of the table before Brescia’s rearranged win over Piacenza.

The tiny side with gates that regularly dip below 3,000 have astonished everyone with their brand of attacking football. New boss Elio Gustinetti is the man who led them to Serie B back in 2002 and he is defying the odds again.

Despite the magic of prolific hitman Massimo Cellino and young midfield star Andrea Cristiano, the Italian public aren’t convinced. Leffe are still amongst the least backed sides in the nation’s bookies and the general consensus is that the bubble will burst spectacularly. The miracle men travel to Modena this weekend to face one of Serie B’s most inconsistent sides with a draw the most likely outcome.

It has already been a bad week for Spezia and it could get worse as they visit Ascoli. The Eagles were deducted a point for financial irregularites and now prop up the table. With confidence low after a 1-0 defeat at home to fellow stragglers Triestina, there is nothing to suggest that they can overturn the newly relegated Woodpeckers.

The new leaders in Serie B are Brescia. The Rondinelle have a 100 per cent record after four wins from four and are yet to even concede a goal.

Davide Possanzini is firing on all cylinders and the ex-Juventus man Alessio Tachinardi is reliving his glory days as Serse Cosmi’s brand of direct man management seems to be working wonders. Messina are an uncertain proposition, but they have already been destroyed 4-0 by Mantova on their travels and won’t relish another long trip to Lombardy.

Source: C4 Football Italia

UC Round 1: First Leg Review

Gigi Cagni's Empoli won their first ever UEFA Cup tie against FC Zurich, while Palermo secured a late win in the Czech Republic, Fiorentina were held in the Netherlands and Sampdoria are in trouble after conceding two away goals against Aalborg.

Empoli 2-1 FC Zurich
Empoli secured a historic 2-1 win over FC Zurich at the Stadio Carlo Castellani in their first ever European tie. Felice Piccolo gave the Tuscan minnows the lead on the stroke of half time and then Luca Antonini slotted home from the penalty spot on 52 minutes after he was brought down to double the lead. The Swiss side, though, gave themselves a lifeline for the second leg when Alexandre Alphonse hit home on 74 minutes. While Gigi Cagni's side can be proud of delivering a winning European debut, his men could be made to pay for not keeping a clean sheet.

Mlada Boleslav 0-1 Palermo
Palermo left it late to secure a 1-0 win over Mlada Boleslav at the Mestsky Stadion. An injury time Bosko Jankovic penalty ensure Palermo sneaked the win over the Czech outfit. The Serbia international slotted home to break Mlada hopes after they looked like they were close to securing a hard-fought home draw before they travel to Sicily for the second leg.

Groningen 1-1 Fiorentina
Groningen held a strong Fiorentina side to a 1-1 draw at the Euroborg Stadion. The Dutch side had taken a first half lead when Gorna Lovre fired them in front on 25 minutes. However, Franco Semioli netted an equaliser for the visitors when he netted on 65 minutes to leave the Florence outfit in the box seat for the return leg in two weeks' time.

Sampdoria 2-2 Aalborg
Danish minnows Aalborg scored two away goals in Genoa to secure a thrilling 2-2 draw against Sampdoria. The home side took the lead on 18 minutes when Gennaro Delvecchio pounced to fire home, but the visitors restored parity a minute later when Rade Prica showed composure to equalise. The game then continued to be an entertaining contest and Andreas Johansson looked to have scored a shock turn around and handed an away win over their hosts when he hit the back of the net on 56 minutes. However, Claudio Bellucci hit an equaliser three minutes later to save Walter Mazzarri's side ahead of the return leg.

OTHER RESULTS: [Click Here]

UEFA CUP FIRST ROUND REVIEW:
[First Leg] - [Second Leg]

CL Matchday 1: Wednesday Review

Inter's Champions League campaign began negatively as only Julio Cesar kept the scoreline down in their 1-0 defeat at Fenerbahce, while Roma had a strong start to their campaign as Simone Perrotta and Francesco Totti disposed of Dynamo Kiev.

GROUP G: Fenerbahce 1-0 Inter / PSV Eindhoven 2-1 CSKA Moscow
Fenerbahce produced a dominant display to open their Champions League Group G campaign with a well-earned win against Inter.

Key to the game were the performances of Alex and Deivid, the pair combining for the decisive goal before the break with Deivid firing in an acrobatic shot. Inter may have been depleted at the back but the Turkish side's showing could well have been enough to overcome the full-strength Italian title-holders.

The Nerazzurri will now have to beat Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven at the San Siro on Matchday 2 on October 3. PSV got off to a winning start against CSKA Moscow thanks to second-half strikes from summer signings Danko Lazovic and Kenneth Perez. A last-minute goal from Vagner Love was not enough to earn CSKA a point.

GROUP F: Roma 2-0 Dynamo Kiev / Sporting Lisbon 0-1 Manchester United
Roma continued their fine start to the season with a comfortable win against Dynamo Kiev in their opening fixture of Group F in Rome.

The result was rarely in doubt after Simone Perrotta had given the home side an early lead following a breathtaking move. The Ukrainian champions barely managed a shot in anger but it was not until 20 minutes from time when Roma, thanks to the almost inevitable goal from captain Francesco Totti, made the game safe.

The Giallorossi will travel to Manchester United on Matchday 2 and the English champions secured a tight win in Portugal tonight. Cristiano Ronaldo's diving header against his former club got United's European campaign off to a perfect start.

GROUP E: Barcelona 3-0 Olympique Lyon / Rangers 2-1 Stuttgart

GROUP H: Arsenal 3-0 Sevilla / Slavia Prague 2-1 Steaua Bucharest

CHAMPIONS' LEAGUE REVIEW:
[Tuesday 18 Sep] - [Wednesday 19 Sep]

Serie B: Spezia docked point

Serie B outfit Spezia have been docked a point in the 2007-08 campaign after failing to hand in financial documents by the deadline.

All clubs in Italy must prove their financial stability before they are allowed to register for the new season.

This evening the FIGC's Disciplinary Commission handed down the sentence, taking one point off Spezia’s tally as punishment for the delay. President Giuseppe Ruggieri has also been suspended for six months.

It is a heavy blow for the Liguria outfit, as they face a tough relegation battle and in their first four rounds had only picked up one point.

In the updated Serie B table Spezia prop up the rest on 0, while Brescia lead with a 100 per cent record of 12 points following last night’s rescheduled 2-0 win over Piacenza.

Source: C4 Football Italia