Serie A Matchdays 07/08

[Nipponyid]

Serie A weekend Round Up`s

Juventus 0-0 Sampdoria


Samp took a deserved point home from Turin as Juventus struggled to build on their early dominance.Juventus started in some style, with Marchionni missing an absolute sitter, skying the ball far above an open goal from just six yards.Samp closed ranks after that, but there were still some fine chances for Juve, most notably from Trezeguet, who both hit the bar and had a shot cleared off the line.It was shaping up to be a frustrating afternoon for the hosts, and thus it proved as an emboldened Sampdoria managed to sit back and soak up what little pressure there was.

Livorno 1-0 Empoli
Livorno's revival continued with a smash-and-grab job at home to Empoli.
Empoli had the best of an uneventful first period, but had relatively few chances to show for all their possession.One in particular stood out, though: after being put through by Vannucchi, Saudati launched a fine shot goalwards, but Marco Amelia showed why he's on the shopping list of more than a few clubs with a world-class stop.His team had him to thank, then, for going in level at the break. Then they had a debt to Tavano for giving them the lead, albeit from the spot. Referee Damato awarded a spot-kick after Pratali brought down Vidigal in the area.That was sufficient to win the game as Empoli's spirits abandoned them.

Napoli 2-2 Lazio
A masterclass from Marek Hamsik left Lazio once again searching for a win in Naples.After just five minutes, Hamsik was left unmarked in the box and gratefully swept home on his side's first attack of the game.
But Lazio fought back, and found an equaliser 26 minutes in after a great counterattack and fine long-range finish from Ledesma.Lavezzi almsot re-took the lead for Napoli on the counter, but in fact Goran Pandev was to net first, once again capping off a counterattack after some good link-up play with Tare.Hamsik always looked dangerous for Napoli, but otherwise it was Lazio that began to appear the stronger side, even as Pandev and Tare were substituted off.Blasi was then sent off for Napoli right at the death, and Lazio knew that they'd done enough.Or had they? Apparently not, for Hamsik got the second goal that he'd been angling for all afternoon. The young Slovak smashed home a deflected effort right at the death, before Stendardo was sent off for the hosts to well and truly even things up.

Palermo 2-3 Siena
In a quite unbelievable game on Sicily, it was the Tuscan side that left the happier of the pair after two gutsy comebacks.Within three minutes, Palermo had taken a deserved lead. Amauri added a few more euros to his transfer value with a bullet of a header after Cassani's cross from the right.However, Siena managed instant reply when the roasnero completely failed to clear their lines after a cross from the left, leaving Locatelli to slot home unopposed from close range.It should have been 2-1 seconds later, only for Amauri to stumble on the ball during a goalmouth scramble. Instead, it was 1-2: once again, Palermo's defence failed to deal with a cross, allowing Maccarone to slide in and net from four yards.It was end-to-end stuff after that, with the hosts having the best of it; however, a series of stops from Manninger kept the scores level going into the hour mark.Palermo eventually did equalise when Miccoli converted a penalty but, just as earlier, Siena hit straight back. Just two minutes later, Loria gave the visitors the advantage with a great header that left Fontana stranded.

Reggina 2-0 Cagliari
The big relegation scrapended in tears for Caglairi, who now look dead certs to go down after dropping three vital points in Reggio-Calabria.
The first half was as dull as could be, with both sides more scared of conceding than anything else. Perhaps with the stakes so high, that was understandable.But Reggina needed to use their home advantage: eventually, they did. Twenty minutes into the second period, Brienza took matters into his own hands and beat Storari with a tremendous, left-footed effort from range.Cozza sealed the deal fifteen minutes from time with a good first touch and a powerful finish, leaving Cagliari's fate more than clear.

Roma 2-0 Catania


They made it difficult for themselves, but in the end the capital club picked up a deserved win over struggling Catania.Roma started the better side, showing attacking prowess even without Totti in the lineup. Ludovic Giuly, indeed, made it 1-0 very early on with a tap-in after Taddei's long-range drive hit the post.There were more chances to come, with Mancini proving sadly wasteful in front of goal, but Catania were able to first stabilise and then press forward as the first half ended.But, just like the first, Roma started the second in dominant mood, but were once again unable to convert in front of goal. However, they had a golden chance to do so when Taddei was tugged down in the box by Terlizzi, allowing De Rossi to beautifully stroke home the penalty.

Udinese 0-1 Milan


An Alberto Gilardino strike right at the death ended Milan's Udine hoodoo and brought the rossoneri one step closer to their Champions League dream.Despite the goalless nature of the first half, it was nothing if not eventful. Quagliarella was eager to impress for hte hosts, while Zapata and Pepe had their chances as well.But Ronaldo's chance was perhaps the best of the half, the Brazilian rattling the woodwork from 25 yards.The former Madrid man was again involved after the break, bringing out the best in Handanovic just after half-time.As the game wore on, it seemed that it was destined to be 0-0. But nobody, except perhaps Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti, had reckoned on the contribution of Alberto Gilardino. The striker, who had only been on the pitch for five minutes, slotted home after being put through by Kaka to break the hosts' hearts.

Week 19 20/1/08

Genoa 2 - 1 Atalanta
Fiorentina 2 - 1 Torino
AS Roma 2 - 0 Catania
Juventus 0 - 0 Sampdoria
Livorno 1 - 0 Empoli
Napoli 2 - 2 Lazio
Palermo 2 - 3 Siena
Reggina 2 - 0 Cagliari
Udinese 0 - 1 AC Milan
Inter Milan 3 - 2 Parma

Inter Milan 49 19 15 4 0
Roma 42 19 12 6 1
Juventus 37 19 10 7 2
Fiorentina 34 19 9 7 3
Udinese 32 19 9 5 5
Sampdoria 25 19 7 4 8
Genoa 25 19 6 7 6
Palermo 25 19 6 7 6
Milan 24 16 6 6 4
Napoli 24 19 6 6 7
Atalanta 22 18 5 7 6
Catania 22 19 5 7 7
Livorno 21 18 5 6 7
Lazio 19 19 4 7 8
Parma 18 19 4 6 9
Torino 17 19 2 11 6
Siena 17 19 3 8 8
Reggina 17 18 3 8 7
Empoli 16 19 3 7 9
Cagliari 10 19 2 4 13

Top Scorers
D. Trezeguet Juventus 13
Z. Ibrahimovic Inter Milan 13
A. Mutu Fiorentina 12
M. Borriello Genoa 11 3
J. Cruz Inter Milan 10
F. Totti Roma 10

[Nipponyid]

Serie A re-scheduled games

Atalanta 2-1 Milan


Atalanta produced a big shock as they came from behind to beat Milan 2-1 at the Stadio Azzurri d'Italia.This game was re-scheduled from the abandoned clash from November 11, and as a result it was played behind closed doors. Alexandre Pato made a slow start to the match but he showed a fantastic burst of speed in the box, leaving Gianpaolo Bellini for dead, before he was crowded out. Clarance Seedorf then had a half-volleyed attempt from outside the area that was deflected wide.
On 16 minutes Milan made the breakthrough and it was through an unlikely source. A corner was cleared to the edge of the area and Gennaro Gattuso's cushioned volley was deflected into the bottom corner off the head of Doni.Milan had been completely dominant but they were made to pay for their profligacy as entirely against the run of play Atalanta equalised. A cross from the right from Ferreira Pinto found Antonio Langella and he delightfully dummied Daniele Bonera and Alessandro Nesta before rifling the ball past Kalac.Milan were getting increasingly frustrated and on 68 minutes Atalanta took a shock lead. A dreadful error from Kakha Kaladze allowed Inzaghi a clean run on goal, and he squared for Tissone, who side-footed the ball into an open goal.However with virtually the last kick of the game Milan nearly earned a point as Kaka laid the ball back for Seedorf who unleashed a missile that was brilliantly turned round the post by Coppola.The final whistle sounded soon after and Atalanta could celebrate a fine victory, while Milan suffered their first defeat of 2008.

[Nipponyid]

Serie A weekend Previews & Wraps:


Roma 1-0 Palermo

A red card picked up by Leandro Rinaudo in the second half proved to be the Rosanero’s downfall as Roma took the lead straight after. Roma dominated the game for long periods but at times were disappointing. A draw seemed the likely result but the Giallorossi did enough to ensure they keep in the race for the title. Roma’s celebrations began early in this game as Francesco Totti received an award prior to kick off for his 200 goals for the Giallorossi. The Captain celebrated with fans under the Curva Sud and then he shook the hands of 200 local children who saluted the Roma icon on the pitch just before the teams came out for the game.

Atalanta 2 – 2 Reggina
Atalanta let their lead slip to give battling Reggina a share of the points in Bergamo.
Rivalta gave the hosts a lead with a well-placed 25-yarder that foxed Campagnolo after just 18 minutes.Reginna played most of the game on the break, but the nerazzurri were wise to their tactics and offered little space in the defence.Just after the interval, they in fact scored the second of the game themselves. No sooner had the second half kicked off than Ledesma got on the end of Ferreira Pinto's long ball to stroll through the ailing away defence and slot home.But just as it seemed that the Calabrians were dead and buried, up strolled Vigiani to lessen the deficit after getting on the end of Modesto's cross.Then, just six minutes after that, Barreto sent the tiny visiting support into raptures with a fine finish after Ceravolo's through pass.Reggina then attempted to stave off the inevitable pressure from the home side, and duly did so to net a vital point.

Cagliari 2 – 1 Napoli
Poor finishing and buildup play almost let Cagliari down as they seemed to be limping towards defeat, but two injury team goals sealed a quite amazing victory.Cagliari had the best of the opening 30 minutes in terms of possession, but home 'keeper Storari had to be at his best to pull off a low stop when slack defending let Hamsik through to go one-on-one after a passing move with Lavezzi.Indeed, the hosts had more of the attacking possession as the game went on, but in typical Cagliari fashion, contrived to concede in the second period. Inevitably, it was on-form Hamsik who atoned for his earlier mistake with a cool finish from close range after Bogliacino's cross.Cagliari strode forward in an attempt to level the scores, but defeat - and relegation - seemed to loom at the end of the 90 minutes.Not so, for substitute Matri made it 1-1 one minute into injury time after a long-range effort, before Conti sealed an incredible win just one minute later after Foggia's cross.

Catania 0 – 0 Parma
Neither side could break the deadlock in a to-and-fro encounter at the Angelo Massimino.Parma were quick out of the blocks, but the Sicilians eventually established their own dominance.Indeed, they had the ball in the net five minutes from half time, only for referee Celi to rule out Spinesi's goal for a "foul" during the buildup.Mascara and Spinesi were determined to redress that perceived injustice as the second period began, but Parma sat back and absorbed the pressure.Indeed, they recovered enough to get forward and slip the ball into the net, but Corradi's effort was ruled out for offside.And for all the hue and cry in the middle of the pitch, clear-cut chances began to disappear as the game drew to a close.

Empoli 0 - 2 Fiorentina
Fiorentina edged a close-fought Tuscan derby with two goals - one a somewhat fortunate one - from Adrian Mutu.
In true derby fashion, the tackles flew - and so did the misplaced passes - during the early spells.
Fiorentina were content to hold possession, but Empoli, in front of the home crowd, were more apt to create, and indeed came close through Giovinco at one stage.
Fiorentina rallied somewhat after the restart, but couldn't really make the breakthrough. Tomas Ujfalusi had a fine header ruled out for offside ten minutes after the interval - correctly, as it turned out - after getting on the end of a deep free kick.The Azzurri, meanwhile, were still pressing forward with all due pace, but found that final balls let them down at the crucial moments.They were duly punished four minutes from time when Adrian Mutu, on the end of Pazzini's flick-on, was able to get between his markers and somehow chest/knee the ball over the onrushing Bassi.

Milan 2 – 0 Genoa

AC Milan recovered from a shaky start to leapfrog Genoa in the table with a Pato-inspired fightback.Pato came close twice in the first period - the only two opportunities that his side enjoyed, as it happened - but the Genovese defence looked to be the equal of whatever the huffing and puffing rossoneri could throw at it.Milan were then denied two penalty shouts for handball as a frustrating second half began, only to have their nerves soothed by Pato. The Brazilian youngster was able to guide the ball home from close range after Seedorf tipped on Maldini's free kick.The Grifoni then went down to ten men after Rubinho's professional foul on Pato, necessitating a goalkeeping substitution.It wasn't long before replacement Scarpi emulated his number one in picking the ball out of the net, for Pato made it 2-0 after racing past Fabiano, shooting off the 'keeper, then tapping home the rebound to seal the three points.

Sampdoria 1 – 0 Siena

A first half goal by Antonio Cassano allowed Sampdoria to pick up a slim victory over a feisty Siena side.Sampdoria finally seem to have found some consistency lately, and another good performance by Antonio Cassano, who scored the winning goal today, allowed them to beat Siena 1-0 at home. Last week the Blucerchiati had impressively held Juventus to a 0-0 draw in Turin.

Torino 0-0 Lazio
The 0-0 scoreline belied an eventful and exciting game in Turin, and one in which each side ended up with ten men.
After a rip-roaring opening 45 minutes, Di Michele had come clsoe for the hosts and Pandev for the visitors, but all eyes were on the midfield after Barone's sending-off right on the stroke of half time for a second booking.After the restart, Lazio pressed forward, and brought on new striker Rolando Bianchi for his debut on the hour mark.However, just one minute later, he's picked up a yellow card, and a further four minutes saw him traipse off down the tunnel after a second booking for fouling Zanetti.With both sides down to ten, the play became noticably disjointed and cagey, and 0-0 it ended.

Udinese 0 – 0 Inter

Inter made it two consecutive draws - how long since anyone's been able to say that? - after an exciting ten-man performance in Udine.The visitors started well, but had to readjust after just 20 minutes when Cesar was sent off for two needless bookings.But despite the numerical disadvantage, Inter came close through the likes of Cruz in the first half, although the ambitious zebras tried to hit back through Quagliarella.Indeed, all the strikers seemingly missed sitters over the course of what was a vastly entertaining, yet goalless fixture.

Livorno 1 – 3 Juventus

Juventus racked up a comprehensive win thanks to two goals by David Trezeguet and a third from Alessandro Del Piero, with Livorno playing with ten men for almost the entire second half ...Livorno came into this game full of confidence thanks to their run of 9 consecutive positive league games, with their last defeat dating way back to October at Parma.On the other hand Juventus needed the win to keep Fiorentina at bay following the latter's win in the Tuscan derby.In the end, the Bianconeri triumphed and took home the three precious points in what was sometimes a physical game that saw Livorno play with ten men for the final 35 minutes due to the expulsion of De Vezze.


Week 20 27/1/08

Sampdoria 1 - 0 Siena
AS Roma 1 - 0 Palermo
AC Milan 2 - 0 Genoa
Atalanta 2 - 2 Reggina
Cagliari 2 - 1 Napoli
Catania 0 - 0 Parma
Empoli 0 - 2 Fiorentina
Torino 0 - 0 Lazio
Udinese 0 - 0 Inter Milan
Livorno 1 - 3 Juventus

Inter Milan 50 20 15 5 0
Roma 45 20 13 6 1
Juventus 40 20 11 7 2
Fiorentina 37 20 10 7 3
Udinese 33 20 9 6 5
Sampdoria 28 20 8 4 8
Milan 27 18 7 6 5
Atalanta 26 20 6 8 6
Palermo 25 20 6 7 7
Genoa 25 20 6 7 7
Napoli 24 20 6 6 8
Catania 23 20 5 8 7
Livorno 21 19 5 6 8
Lazio 20 20 4 8 8
Parma 19 20 4 7 9
Torino 18 20 2 12 6
Reggina 18 19 3 9 7
Siena 17 20 3 8 9
Empoli 16 20 3 7 10
Cagliari 13 20 3 4 13

Top Scorers
D. Trezeguet Juventus 15
Z. Ibrahimovic Inter Milan 13
A. Mutu Fiorentina 13
M. Borriello Genoa 11
J. Cruz Inter Milan 10

[Nipponyid]

Serie A weekend Round Up`s

Fiorentina 0 – 1 Milan

This encounter had all ingredients of a tense decider, with both sides under great fan pressure, and also needing a win to strengthen their Champions League bid.In the end it was Milan who came out on top in a tense game which also saw Pato pick up what seemed like a serious injury.The first half was a well-fought battle, but was far from being very spectacular, with very few shots on goal after 45 minutes of play.The first real opportunity in this second period arrived at the feet of Kaka who, with a brilliant move, went past two defenders before shooting wide from an angled position in the 70th minute.This proved not to be Fiorentina's game as, in the 77th minute, the Viola foolishly lost possession when striding forward, and in the following counter-attack, Pato received the ball inside the penalty area and slotted past Frey to make it 0-1.The Rossoneri celebrated the win in bittersweet fashion as in the final minutes Pato sprained his ankle and was stretchered off the pitch in quite apparent pain, leaving his team with ten men for the final minutes of the encounter.In the end, these were three precious and very important points for the remainder of the season as Milan moved closer to the fourth place in the standings, whereas the defeat will dent the morale of the Fiorentina players.

Lazio 2 - 1 Sampdoria
Lazio finally picked up their first home win in almost two months against a Samp side that fought until the end.The hosts had a goal ruled out early on when Ledesma's effort was ruled out due to an active offside against Mauri, but seconds later at the other end, Cassano passed up a brilliant opportunity to hit into an empty net after being put through by Bellucci.Lazio recovered to grab the opener when Mauri thought quickly to bundle home a corner rebound, and his side took the lead into the break.Or, rather, they almost did. For just as the referee was about to blow his whistle, Sampdoria took the lead. Cassano atoned for his earlier error with a fine volley that rattled in off the crossbar.End-to-end stuff followed early in the second half, before the game inevitably slowed down due to fatigue.But the goalscoring wasn't over, for Tomasso Rocchi had a tremendous lob in him yet after Pandev's pass.Pandev himself might have got on the scoresheet just afterwards, but 2-1 was perhaps a fair result.

Siena 3 - 0 Roma

A quickfire double salvo from Siena set them on the road to victory in the first half, before Mario Frick wrapped it up late on to conclude a memorable day in Tuscany.Siena showed the visitors just how it was done just 12 minutes in with an opportunistic finish. Veteran midfielder Simone Vergassola was able to steer the ball home after Ferrari was unable to deal with Kharja's excellent cross.Then, just before the break, Tonetto was credited with an own goal after his frenzied hack off the line only resulted in the ball slamming into the net. It wasn't hit fault, per se: rather, it was a fine cross from De Ceglie that started the whole sorry incident.After more pressure, Frick well and truly sealed the win late on. He was able to waltz through the statuesque Roma back line and make it 3-0 with a far-post finish with seven minutes to go.

Inter 1 - 0 Empoli

Ten-man Inter did enough to keep their march towards the title going relatively smoothly against a battling Empoli side.
It was a fairly bad-tempered and even opening spell, but it wasn't too surprising when Inter took the lead.It came from the spot 34 minutes in, Ibrahimovic sending Bassi the wrong way after Stankovic's shot was apparently handled in the box by Vannucchi.Four minutes later, though, Patrick Vieira was sent off after a quickfire double booking. The first was for a late tackle from behind; the second, for dissent. The Frenchman was furious and had to be held back by his comrades before retreating from the pitch in high dudgeon.Such a numerical disadvantage gave Empoli a way back into the game, but despite some scares in the second half, Inter remained the better side, not least in goal, where Julio Cesar was distinguishing himself.
Indeed, his team had him to thank for all three points when he saved a dubious penalty from Saudati in great style late on.

Juventus 1 - 1 Cagliari

Cagliari showed that there are signs of life in them yet, but Juventus will still regard this as two points dropped.Juve went close three times in the first half, only for finishing to let them down at the last moment, or for new Cagliari 'keeper Marco Storari to pull off a fine save.Still, the first goal in fact fell to the visitors, who took advantage of some poor set-piece defending to have substitute Canini bundle home a corner at the far post ten minutes after the restart.Pavel Nedved, though, took matters into his own hands sixty seconds later with a brilliant 25-yarder by way of instant reply.But despite Juve's early dominance, they now looked a poor side, with Cagliari almost snatching a win after Sissoko gave away the ball to allow Cossu to hit on the break. Sadly, though, it came to nothing.
Juve had their own chance to snatch the win right at the death, but Salihamidzic missed his header, and the game ended 1-1.

Reginna 1 - 3 Torino
An effective performance from Torino put Reggina on the road to relegation.The Calabrese had the first chance early on, but Torino quickly established a rhythm, and were thus able to pick up two goals before the break.First, Rosina's spot-kick effort - borne of a Cirillo foul on Lazetic - left Campagnolo stranded, and then Stellone doubled the advantage with a fine solo effort.After the break, Reggina were given a lifeline when Amoruso headed home from a corner, but Rosina was able to re-establish a two goal advantage with an angled finish, sealing the win.

Genoa 2 - 1 Catania
The Grifoni needed to fight back after conceding an equaliser, but eventually they racked up a deserved win over their Sicilian counterparts.
Genoa started well, and managed a 13th minute lead when Danilo slotted home unopposed after Polito had deflected clear a cross from the tireless Borriello.Polito was called into drastic action twice more as the hosts pushed forward, but on one of their own rare attacking forays, Catania managed a leveler on the hour mark.Unfortunately, it came from a Genoa player. Bovo was left blushing when his attempted clearance header after Silvestri's cross sailed past Scarpi and into his own net. Had it been at the other end, he'd have been praised for his accuracy.Still, Genoa deserved the lead, and duly took it when Borriello converted his own penalty after being hacked down by Terlizzi.

Parma 2 - 3 Atlanta
Atalanta weathered some scary moments to rack up a deserved victory over the Ducali.After a bright start, the visitors took a merited lead through Pellegrino 20 minutes in. The centre-back rose unmarked to head past Bucci for a goal that the hosts would deem preventable.They had a great chance to level fifteen minutes later when Lucarelli stepped up to take a penalty, but although he had his first one in the net, he fluffed the re-take after the referee saw something amiss with the first.Still, Lucarelli did manage his first goal in a Parma shirt just before the break after Cigarini's fine cross.After the interval, though, Atalanta's tenacity paid off when Bellinni made it 2-1 after a great move from a free-kick.Floccari then made it 3-1 after leaving Falcone and Rossi in his wake, and it seemed to be all over.Indeed, it was, with not even Gasbarroni's last-minute penalty being able to spark a recovery.

Week 21 3/2/08

Palermo 1 - 0 Livorno
Napoli 3 - 1 Udinese
Genoa 2 - 1 Catania
Inter Milan 1 - 0 Empoli
Juventus 1 - 1 Cagliari
Lazio 2 - 1 Sampdoria
Parma 2 - 3 Atalanta
Reggina 1 - 3 Torino
Siena 3 - 0 AS Roma
Fiorentina 0 - 1 AC Milan

Inter Milan 53 21 16 5 0
Roma 45 21 13 6 2
Juventus 41 21 11 8 2
Fiorentina 37 21 10 7 4
Milan 33 20 9 6 5
Udinese 33 21 9 6 6
Atalanta 29 21 7 8 6
Sampdoria 28 21 8 4 9
Palermo 28 21 7 7 7
Genoa 28 21 7 7 7
Napoli 27 21 7 6 8
Catania 23 21 5 8 8
Lazio 23 21 5 8 8
Torino 21 21 3 12 6
Livorno 21 20 5 6 9
Siena 20 21 4 8 9
Parma 19 21 4 7 10
Reggina 18 21 3 9 9
Empoli 16 21 3 7 11
Cagliari 14 21 3 5 13

Top Scorers
D. Trezeguet Juventus 15
Z. Ibrahimovic Inter Milan 14
A. Mutu Fiorentina 13
M. Borriello Genoa 12 4
J. Cruz Inter Milan 10
F. Totti Roma 10

[Nipponyid]

Serie A Round up:

AS Roma 2 - 0 Reggina

Goals by Christian Panucci and Amantino Mancini allowed Roma to beat Reggina and keep their Scudetto hopes somewhat alive after the 3-0 loss at Siena last week.After that shocking 3-0 reverse away to Siena last week, Roma needed to bounce back at all costs in the home match against Reggina. In the end they succeded, but it was another less than convincing performance by Luciano Spalletti's men. The victory keeps them within five points of Inter, at least for now, before the Nerazzurri face Catania in Sicily tomorrow night.

Cagliari 1 - 1 Parma
A draw was probably fair on both sides in a game in which the advantage swung from side to side.Parma started well, but neither Cigarini nor Lucarelli could make the most of early chances, allowing Cagliari to take the lead.Jeda managed to skip around Couto and then beat Bucci with an impressive effort to delight the home crowd.However, Reginaldo then hit back with instant reply, Dessena's cross allowing the striker to beat Storari at the near post.Cagliari really should have taken the lead just afterwards, but Bucci's wonder-save left Jeda holding his head in his hands.Right after the break, Parma came out swinging, hitting the post through Falcona and then Couto coming close.But Cagliari re-took the initiative towards the end, particularly after the introduction of Foggia, who kept Bucci busy until the death.

Empoli 1 - 0 Lazio

Lazio's inconsistency struck again as Empoli protected their early lead to pick up three vital points.Vannucchi rifled home a free-kick after just seven minutes to give his side an early lead, and the chase was on for the Romans.However, Pandev, Kolarov and Rocchi all spurned chances in what was to be a frustrating and niggly afternoon for the visitors.Empoli were content to soak up pressure and hit on the break, and this was to pay off as Lazio grew increasingly upset at proceedings.This culminated in a late sending-off for Kolarov, whom the referee felt was too violent in the tackle on Marianini, although the television replays may suggest differently.All in all, that really was the icing on the cake for Lazio, who will not look back on this game with fondness.

Livorno 1 - 1 Genoa
Ten-man Genoa managed to fight back for a vital point against a Livorno side that should have done better.Livorno looked set to continue their renaissance when Tavano gave his side the lead after just fifteen minutes, linking up well with Pasquale and Tristan to open the scoring.However, Genoa came back strongly, and should have equalised eight minutes later after a fine team move, only for Borriello to find his finish wanting.Indeed, the Grifoni were starting to appear the better side, but were struggling in the final third.Their task appeared that much harder when Dos Santos was sent off fifteen minutes from time, but in fact that inspired Di Vaio to equalise with a close-range finish after some poor defending.
The Amaranto will wonder why they gave away that goal, but in the end, a draw was probably fair.

AC Milan 1 - 0 Siena

Alberto Paloschi made the difference in a close-fought game at San Siro.
Milan began in superior fashion, but despite their good work in the midfield, Inzaghi and Ronaldo were either left waiting for a final ball, or unable to do much with it.Indeed, service was a problems Pato and Kaka looked on from the sidelines, and thus Ancelotti sacrificed striker Ronaldo for Seedorf at half time.This was to help, but not quite as much as the introduction of young Alberto Paloschi.For no sooner was he on the pitch than the 18-year-old had scored on his Serie A debut, rifling home a volley from the edge of the box to leave Manninger helpless.Siena tried to hit back, with Vergassola coming close with a fine solo effort, but he was then sent off for deliberate handball, leaving Milan to sail on towards victory.

Sampdoria 2 - 0 Napoli
A late onslaught saw the Genovese past a Napoli side seemingly unable to recapture their form.It was an ugly, brutal first period, with relatively little to redeem it in the eye of the neutral. Napoli offered little, while Samp fluffed their two good chances.After the break, though, the blucerchiati began to hit stride, forcing corner after corner and keeping their visitors on the back foot.This eventually paid off when Delvecchio capitalised on Cassano and Bellucci's fine teamwork to tap home fifteen minutes from time, and then Delvecchio was then involved as he tipped Bellucci's fine cross into the path of Franceschini to make it 2-0.That was enough to flatten Napoli, and the three points stayed up north.

Torino 3 - 1 Palermo
Despite being on the pitch for less than half the game, Di Michele left as man-of-the-match after a game-changing showing against hapless Palermo.The first half was hardly flowing stuff, with the vast majority of action coming in the form of midfield fouls.After 36 minutes though, in-demand Palermo striker Amauri found the net after a truly irresistible run forward that left first Lanna and then goalkeeper Sereni helpless.The hosts needed to react, and did so in the second period after Di Michele came on for Lazetic. Rosina came close, and then the Toro really began to charge.On the hour mark, Diana was able to tap in Di Michele's cross in a move that some interpreted as offside, and then ten minutes later, Di Michele himself netted a classic solo goal to give his side the lead.Amauri was then sent off for a clumsy, late challenge on Comotto, and Di Michele was then on the scoresheet once more ten minutes from time with an easy finish.

Udinese 1 - 2 Juventus

A late comeback from Juventus spared Claudio Ranieri's blushes, and kept his side in the title race.Juventus started dreadfully, struggling to deal with the pace and ambition of their hosts.Within six minutes, Di Natala and Quagriaella had linked up wonderfully to allow the latter to hit the post with a fierce effort, with Dossena then sneaking in to net the rebound.Only Buffon was keeping his side in it as the pressure continued up to half time, and something had to change at the break.In fact, the hosts' pattern of dominance continued, but Juve showed their class with a well-worked equaliser. Camoranesi was beautifully positioned to find Del Piero's corner, rocketing a header past Handanovic.Fifteen minutes later, Iaquinta scored with his first touch after coming on as a substitute, getting on the end of Nedved's through ball to delight the visiting fans.That was enough to seal a quite dramatic and unlikely turnaround, with Udinese left to rue their failure to kill the game off in the first period.

Week 22 - 10/2/08

Atalanta 2 - 2 Fiorentina
AS Roma 2 - 0 Reggina
AC Milan 1 - 0 Siena
Cagliari 1 - 1 Parma
Empoli 1 - 0 Lazio
Livorno 1 - 1 Genoa
Sampdoria 2 - 0 Napoli
Torino 3 - 1 Palermo
Udinese 1 - 2 Juventus
Catania 0 - 2 Inter

Inter Milan 56 22 17 5 0
Roma 48 22 14 6 2
Juventus 44 22 12 8 2
Fiorentina 38 22 10 8 4
Milan 36 21 10 6 5
Udinese 33 22 9 6 7
Sampdoria 31 22 9 4 9
Atalanta 30 22 7 9 6
Genoa 29 22 7 8 7
Palermo 28 22 7 7 8
Napoli 27 22 7 6 9
Torino 24 22 4 12 6
Lazio 23 22 5 8 9
Catania 23 22 5 8 9
Livorno 22 21 5 7 9
Siena 20 22 4 8 10
Parma 20 22 4 8 10
Empoli 19 22 4 7 11
Reggina 18 22 3 9 10
Cagliari 15 22 3 6 13

Top Scorers
D. Trezeguet Juventus 15
Z. Ibrahimovic Inter Milan 14
A. Mutu Fiorentina 13
M. Borriello Genoa 12 4
J. Cruz Inter Milan 10
F. Totti Roma 10
F. Tavano Livorno 10

[Nipponyid]

Serie A weekend Round Up:

Juventus 1-0 Roma

Alessandro Del Piero scored a brilliant free-kick as Juventus virtually ended Roma's Scudetto hopes with a 1-0 win at the Stadio Olimpico in Turin.Del Piero struck just a minute before half-time, arrowing in an unstoppable shot into the top corner to give Juve a deserved first-half lead.
However Roma dominated the second half, without really creating any clear-cut chances, but the Bianconeri held firm to move to within one point of their second-placed opponents.

Parma 0-0 Milan
The spoils are shared in Parma as neither the Ducali or Milan were able to steal the points despite creating several excellent chances.Parma came into this game without a win in six previous matches where as Milan have been enjoying an improving run of good form. It was always going to be hard for the home side and Domenico Di Carlo came into the game knowing that a poor result could mean the end of his time with Parma.Midway through the half Carlo Ancelotti’s men began to apply the pressure as they tried to take the game by the scruff of the neck. Everything move seemed to come through Kaka as the World Player of the year showed his magic on the pitch. The Brazilian unleashed a powerful drive from 30 yards which fizzed just wide. The home side were excellent on the break and at times they did put Milan in difficulty. The Rossoneri however dealt with the pressure.Paolo Maldini came on to make his 1000th professional appearance for the club which is an astonishing achievement in a career which spans well over 20 years.The legend’s introduction seemed to have a positive effect as Milan started to dominate as soon as Maldini stepped onto the pitch. Both sides seemed happy to settle for a draw as the game drew to a close. It was an excellent performance from the home side, who, in all honesty, could have gone on to win the game.

Inter 2-0 Livorno

Inter Milan go 11 points clear at the top of Serie A after a brace from David Suazo gave them a comfortable 2-0 victory over Livorno at San Siro.Inter completeley dominated the first half and after threatening early on they broke the deadlock on 14 minutes as Suazo rose to head in Christian Chivu's free-kick. Three minutes later it was 2-0 as Suazo turned in Maxwell's cross from the left.The Nerazzurri took their foot of the gas for the remainder of the game, although they did have chances to make the scoreline more emphatic through Esteban Cambiasso and Hernan Crespo. Alessandro Diamanti hit the post for Livorno from a free-kick and Julio Cesar pulled off a brillant save from Vidigal but in truth the away side rarely threatened.



Fiorentina 2 - 1 Catania
Fiorentina needed a dramatic late strike from Adrian Mutu to seal a game that they should have wrapped up long before.After a positive opening period, the Viola took a lead through Kuzmanovic, who finished from close range with a fine header just before the interval.
The hosts came out strong after the break, but failed to add to their tally. The Viola were made to rue those missed chances when Vargas hit a wonder-strike of an equaliser, rifling home a half-volley from fully 30 yards.
That saw Catania slip into gear, but just as they looked to be getting a grip on the game, Mutu hit an absolutely world-class strike past Polito fifteen minutes from time to seal the points.

Genoa 0 - 1 Sampdoria
Antonio Cassano put in a masterful showing to help his side to a memorable derby win over ten-man Genoa.The first half was largely even, with neither goalkeeper being troubled too much despite the energetic nature of the game.Early in the second half, though, Antonio Cassano time and again put Genoa under the cosh with a series of great attacking moves, but none of his teammates could find the finish.Genoa came close on the break a few times, which was all the more surprising considering that Danilo had been sent off on the hour mark.But Samp were on top as the game drew to a close, only for a series of missed chances to characterise the closing period, and it seemed that the derby would end goalless. In fact, the "away" support erupted in incredible scenes of jubilation just three minutes from time as Maggio hit home a deflected effort from close range after great work from Cassano to bear three markers on the left flank.

Lazio 3 - 0 Atalanta
The biancocelesti put their recent woes behind them to manage a routine win over an out-of-sorts Atalanta, albeit aided by two spot-kicks.
The hosts had the best of the early play, but struggled to make a breakthrough until 25 minutes in, when Coppola brought down Manfredini inside the area. Rocchi duly converted, and it was 1-0.
Despite dominating the first period, Lazio couldn't find a second goal until after the break. That was when Goran Pandev stepped up to beat the offside trap and then slip the ball past Coppola at the second time of asking.Finally, right at the death, Bellini tripped Bianchi in the box, with the man himself converting to seal an emphatic win.

Napoli 1 - 3 Empoli
Napoli fans will want to forget this one in a hurry. Empoli came to the San Paolo with a mission, and duly pulled it off to ease their relegation worries.
Within twenty minutes they had the lead, with Di Giovino playing an absolutely beautiful ball through to Pozzi, who managed to apply the finish.Napoli tried to fight back through Hamsik, but it was in fact Mannini that found an ill-deserved leveller just before the break after good work from Lavezzi.At the break, though, Piccolo and Zalayeta saw a red cards each for an off-the-ball incident, but Empoli showed that they were better prepared for a ten-men contest.For Pozzi made it two for him and his team just after the hour mark after a great cross from Busce.Just afterwards, Napoli went down to nine men after Domizzi prevented a clear goalscoring opportunity from Giovinco.Empoli capitalised once more as Giovinco and Busce combined nicely to tee up Budel for a late tap-in.

Siena 0 - 0 Torino
A decent encounter in Tuscany ultimately ended goalless, despite the best efforts of both teams.Torino started the stronger side, but the Azzurri gradually came back into it before the break.Just after the interval, Stellone and Di Michele combined for the former to come close as 'Toro' looked to build on their earlier advantage, but once again the visitors began to assert themselves on the game.Still, it ended with Torino narrowly on top, albeit in a game that had grown increasingly disjointed as time went on.

Reggina 1 - 3 Udinese
The hosts didn't trouble the Friuli too much in what was really a one-sided encounter.Pepe gave the visitors the lead after eight minutes, beating Campagnolo at the far post after being set up by D'Agoestino.It could have been 0-3 before the half hour mark, but poor finishing and fine goalkeeping kept it respectable heading into the break.It took Reggina until the hour mark to carve up a chance, but they passed it up and were duly punished. For three minutes later, Di Natale found Inler's pass and beat the 'keeper.Modesto pulled one back with a beautiful piece of control and a fine finish fifteen minutes from time, but Di Natale wrapped it up at the death for the visitors with a great counter-attack.

Palermo 2 - 1 Cagliari
Cagliari's woes continued as Palermo overcame a poor start to pick up three vital points.The visitors, energised through Conti and Foggia, had the bet of the early period, but in fact Palermo picked up a lead 23 minutes in.Tedesco set up Cavani for a cool, close-range finish to delight the home crowd.Then, just before the break, Cassani carved out a chance for Jankovic after some superb solo work, and the Serb did not disappoint with the finish.Just after the break, though, Cavani then bundled the ball into his own net after a second consecutive corner from a rejuvenated Caglairi side.
Still, Palermo had done enough, and 2-1 it ended.


Week 23 17/2/08

Inter Milan 2 - 0 Livorno
Parma 0 - 0 AC Milan
Juventus 1 - 0 AS Roma
Fiorentina 2 - 1 Catania
Genoa 0 - 1 Sampdoria
Lazio 3 - 0 Atalanta
Napoli 1 - 3 Empoli
Palermo 2 - 1 Cagliari
Reggina 1 - 3 Udinese
Siena 0 - 0 Torino

Inter Milan 59 23 18 5 0
Roma 48 23 14 6 3
Juventus 47 23 13 8 2
Fiorentina 41 23 11 8 4
Milan 38 23 10 8 5
Udinese 36 23 10 6 7
Sampdoria 34 23 10 4 9
Palermo 31 23 8 7 8
Atalanta 30 23 7 9 7
Genoa 29 23 7 8 8
Napoli 27 23 7 6 10
Lazio 26 23 6 8 9
Torino 25 23 4 13 6
Catania 23 23 5 8 10
Livorno 23 23 5 8 10
Empoli 22 23 5 7 11
Siena 21 23 4 9 10
Parma 21 23 4 9 10
Reggina 18 23 3 9 11
Cagliari 15 23 3 6 14

Top Scorers
D. Trezeguet Juventus 15
Z. Ibrahimovic Inter Milan 14
A. Mutu Fiorentina 14
M. Borriello Genoa 12 4
J. Cruz Inter Milan 10
A. Del Piero Juventus 10
F. Totti Roma 10
F. Tavano Livorno 10

[Nipponyid]

Serie A Update:

Reggina 2-1 Juventus


A controversial Nicola Amoruso penalty in injury time won the points for Reggina in an entertaining clash at the Granillo.Juventus dominated possession and created more chances than their opponents it was Reggina who took the lead just after half an hour. The Bianconeri failed to deal with a corner which was driven back in by Bareto. Juve’s back line came out in attempt to catch the Reggina front men offside but it didn’t work.
The ball fell kindly to Brienza who, after checking with the linesman that he was in-fact onside, despatched a calm left footed finish into the bottom corner. Bellardi had no chance. It was a one on one from point blank range. It took a touch of luck for Juve to get back on level terms. Del Piero tried from distance with his left foot and the ball swerved and bounced under Campagnolo and into the net. It was a howler by the shot stopper. A minute later Del Piero smashed another left foot shot nut this time the goalkeeper dealt with it. It was a well deserved equaliser. Juventus were playing some excellent football as they tried to grab another but the Calabrians were determined at the back. Reggina hardly came out of their own half as Juve had them under the cosh. There was one final twist at the end as Reggina were awarded a penalty for a wild challenge by Sissoko on Amoruso. The Mali international performed a ridiculous overhead clearance which caught the striker and the referee had no choice but to point to the spot.Amoruso stepped up and won the points for his side. It was the final kick of the game.

Week 24 24/2/08

Reggina 2 - 1 Juventus
Torino 4 - 4 Parma
Atalanta - Siena
Cagliari - Lazio
Empoli - Catania
Livorno - Napoli
Milan - Palermo
Roma - Fiorentina
Sampdoria - Inter
Udinese - Genoa

Inter Milan 60 24 18 6 0
Roma 51 24 15 6 3
Juventus 47 24 13 8 3
Milan 41 24 11 8 5
Fiorentina 41 24 11 8 5
Udinese 36 24 10 6 8
Sampdoria 35 24 10 5 9
Genoa 32 24 8 8 8
Atalanta 31 24 7 10 7
Palermo 31 24 8 7 9
Napoli 30 24 8 6 10
Torino 26 24 4 14 6
Lazio 26 24 6 8 10
Empoli 25 24 6 7 11
Catania 23 24 5 8 11
Livorno 23 24 5 8 11
Siena 22 24 4 10 10
Parma 22 24 4 10 10
Reggina 21 24 4 9 11
Cagliari 18 24 4 6 14

Top Scorers
D. Trezeguet Juventus 15
M. Borriello Genoa 15
Z. Ibrahimovic Inter Milan 14
A. Mutu Fiorentina 14
A. Del Piero Juventus 11
A. Di Natale Udinese 11

[Nipponyid]

Week 25 27/2/08

Juventus 0 - 0 Torino
Atalanta - Sampdoria 4 - 1
Catania - Milan 1 - 1
Fiorentina - Livorno 1 - 0
Genoa - Napoli 2 - 0
Inter Milan - Roma 1 - 1
Lazio - Reggina 1 - 0
Palermo - Empoli 2 - 0
Parma - Udinese 2 - 0
Siena - Cagliari 1 - 0

Inter Milan 61 25 18 7 0
Roma 52 25 15 7 3
Juventus 48 25 13 9 3
Fiorentina 44 25 12 8 5
Milan 42 25 11 9 5
Udinese 36 25 10 6 9
Sampdoria 35 25 10 5 10
Genoa 35 25 9 8 8
Atalanta 34 25 8 10 7
Palermo 34 25 9 7 9
Napoli 30 25 8 6 11
Lazio 29 25 7 8 10
Torino 27 25 4 15 6
Parma 25 25 5 10 10
Siena 25 25 5 10 10
Empoli 25 25 6 7 12
Catania 24 25 5 9 11
Livorno 23 25 5 8 12
Reggina 21 25 4 9 12
Cagliari 18 25 4 6 15

Top Scores
M. Borriello Genoa 16
D. Trezeguet Juventus 15
Z. Ibrahimovic Inter Milan 14
A. Mutu Fiorentina 14
A. Del Piero Juventus 11
F. Totti Roma 11
A. Di Natale Udinese 11

[Nipponyid]

Serie A weekend Round Up:

Napoli 1 – 0 Inter

The Scudetto race is officially re-opened after Napoli defeated Inter at the San Paolo stadium on Sunday evening..nter came into this game wanting to keep Roma away from the top spot, but also with half a mind on the Champions League clash against Liverpool which will be played in one and a half week's time.In any case, the Nerazzurri received a hammer blow as they suffered their first defeat of the season.The Partenopei started out strong and after just three minutes of play they took the lead through Zalayeta, who marked his return to the side with a fine lob into into an empty net from 20 metres away following a blunder by Julio Cesar.The final minutes flowed with Inter failing to create any shots on goal, whereas the Partenopei were always dangerous with their quick counter attacks, and a home win was the correct result.In the end it was a fair outcome as Napoli managed to move up the standings, whilst Inter saw their lead at the top of Serie A cut down to 6 points.The league is now officially re-opened and Roma might actually feel disappointed that they failed to take all points from their clash against the Nerazzurri last Wednesday. Still, there are 12 matchdays left and anything can happen.

Roma 4-0 Parma

The Giallorossi continue their firm hold of second place as they made light work of Parma. Aquilani opened the scoring before Falcone scored an own goal to make it 2-0 to the home side. Totti's classy finish added more misery before Vucinic put the nail in Parma's coffin.Roma proved to strong for their opponents and it seemed as if Parma were never going to get themselves back into the fray. Di Carlo brought on Lucarelli to give them some experience up front but the big striker seemed static. Parma were playing a dangerous game as their defence were playing high up the park leaving them open to counter attacks by the Giallorossi. Totti’s passing hurt the visitors but the home side could not take advantage.
The Roma number 10 then put Parma to the sword with a great goal. Esposito back heeled the ball towards Totti who smashed a super strike into the far post. Bucci had no chance as the ball whizzed in. It was good work by Cicinho who provided Esposito with the initial pass from the right. Parma fell apart and Vucinic made it 4-0 on the night with a simple finish right at the death. The home side thus ensure they keep a firm grip on second place.

Milan 1-1 Lazio

Massimo Oddo's penalty cancelled out Rolando Bianchi's opener as Milan and Lazio shared the spoils in a disappointing game at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.Milan rested a number of players ahead of next week’s big Champions League match with Arsenal. Andrea Pirlo, Kaka, Alessandro Nesta, Massimo Ambrsoini and Filippo Inzaghi were all left out. Giuseppe Favalli was suspended, while Alexander Pato partnered Alberto Gilardino up-front. The goal was coming and on 53 minutes Lazio did indeed take the lead as Rocchi turned the ball into the box, and Bianchi slid in to toe-poke the ball past the keeper.The substitutions at half time had really had a negative effect on Milan, who were all over the place. Pato attempted to take the game by the scruff of the neck and flashed a volley wide of Ballotta’s post.On 65 minutes Milan were handed a lifeline to get back into the game as Kaladze was having his shirt pulled by Behrami and the referee pointed to the spot. Oddo stepped up and fired low to Ballotta’s right to equalise.Milan stepped it up looking for the winner and Gourcuff let fly from 30 yards but it was straight at Ballotta. However this was the best they could muster and Lazio comfortably held on for a deserved point.

Cagliari 2 - 1 Genoa
The hosts overcame a terrible start to pick up a merited victory over lacklustre, complacent Genoa.It seemed as if it was business as usual for Cagliari as the Genovese started well and opened the scoring with a with finish from Lucarelli a quarter-hour in.However, the Sardinians rallied, with Acquafresca getting on the end of a fine pass from Cossu to equalise on the half-hour mark.Then, Rubinho was unable to prevent Acquafresca's effort on the stroke of half time from trickling over the line, with hte 'keeper in fact being credited with the own goal.Both sides had their chances heading into the second half, but Cagliari looked the better side and were well worth their victory in the end.

Empoli 0 - 2 Siena
Siena were well worth their win against struggling Empoli.
Neither side started well, but Robur eventually clicked into gear as the first half wore on.That resulted in an opener 33 minutes in from Portanova, who did well to get on Codrea's long ball and beat Marchisio.The second half saw the visitors dominate even further, and the only surprise was that it took them until the last minute to double their lead.
First, Moro picked up a second booking for Empoli, and then Rigano sealed the victory through a swift counter-attacking move.

Juventus 2 - 3 Fiorentina

A quite spectacular match in Turin saw both sides both take and surrender the advantage before Fiorentina managed the win.
The Viola picked up a deserved lead 20 minutes in through Gobbi, but Juventus rallied to equalise through a wonderful Sissoko overhead kick ten minutes later.That gave the Old Lady a shot in the arm, and Camoranesi duly gave his side the lead just after the break with a volley.But fifteen minutes from time, Papa Waigo equalised, before Osvaldo got on the end of the fellow substitute's cross to silence the home fans right at the death.

Livorno 1 - 0 Catania
Livorno rode their luck at times in the face of long-range attempts from Catania, but in the end managed a fair win.Despite holding less of the possession, Livorno looked slightly more dangerous in the first half, although they were not to be rewarded with a goal.That came later, with Diamanti striking home on the hour mark. The half-time substitute measured his long-range effort perfectly, beating Polito and delighting the home fans.In the end, that proved enough for a vital win.

Reggina 0 - 0 Palermo
Palermo's inconsistency hit them yet againThe rosanero were far from at their best in the first half, although the hosts were none too immpressive either.Indeed, only Brienza's great strike three minutes before the half really troubled the visitors.Reggina improved a bit as the second half began, but there were to be no goals as the match drew to an unsatisfying close for both sides.

Sampdoria 2 - 2 Torino

An Antonio Cassano-inspired comeback twice saw Samp battle back to secure a point against Torino.After a decent start, Torino had the lead early on. Comotto was able to charge into the area before slamming past Castellazzi to shock the hosts.It seemed as if the hosts were to be in trouble heading into the interval, but right at the break, Cassano set up Sala for an equaliser.Torino were back on top just after the restart straight from kick-off when Sala brought down Di Michele in the box, with the latter firing home himself from the spot.However, Cassano made it 2-2 almost immediately afterwards with a classy solo effort from the edge of the area.The hero turned to villain right at the end as he drew a red card for dissent, but the draw was secure by then.

Udinese 2 - 0 Atalanta
Udinese had this one wrapped up by half itme against careless Atalanta.
The Bergamese arrived with lofty ideas of discovering a bit of consistency, but these fell by the wayside as the hosts established a rhythm.
Indeed, in a devastating two-minute spell around the half hour mark, the hosts made it clear that they would be taking all three points.
First, Quagliarella headed past Coppola from a corner to give his side the lead, and then Di Natale doubled the advantage by seizing on a loose ball in the area and firing past the 'keeper.To their credit, the visitors tried to press forward in the second half, but one good chance for Inzaghi aside, they were ineffectual.Indeed, the Udine men could have had more on the counter, but they were presumably pleased to have a routine win on their sides without forcing the issue.

Week 26 2/3/08

AS Roma 4 - 0 Parma
AC Milan 1 - 1 Lazio
Cagliari 2 - 1 Genoa
Empoli 0 - 2 Siena
Juventus 2 - 3 Fiorentina
Livorno 1 - 0 Catania
Reggina 0 - 0 Palermo
Sampdoria 2 - 2 Torino
Udinese 2 - 0 Atalanta
Napoli 1 - 0 Inter Milan

Inter Milan 61 26 18 7 1
Roma 55 26 16 7 3
Juventus 48 26 13 9 4
Fiorentina 47 26 13 8 5
Milan 43 26 11 10 5
Udinese 39 26 11 6 9
Sampdoria 36 26 10 6 10
Genoa 35 26 9 8 9
Palermo 35 26 9 8 9
Atalanta 34 26 8 10 8
Napoli 33 26 9 6 11
Lazio 30 26 7 9 10
Torino 28 26 4 16 6
Siena 28 26 6 10 10
Livorno 26 26 6 8 12
Parma 25 26 5 10 11
Empoli 25 26 6 7 13
Catania 24 26 5 9 12
Reggina 22 26 4 10 12
Cagliari 18 26 5 6 15

Top Scorers
M. Borriello Genoa 16
D. Trezeguet Juventus 15
Z. Ibrahimovic Inter Milan 14
A. Mutu Fiorentina 14
F. Totti Roma 12
A. Di Natale Udinese 12

[Nipponyid]

Week 27 9/3/08

Inter Milan 2 - 0 Reggina
Palermo 1 - 1 Udinese
Catania 2 - 1 Cagliari
Empoli 1 - 3 AC Milan
Lazio 2 - 0 Livorno
Napoli 0 - 2 AS Roma
Parma 1 - 2 Sampdoria
Siena 1 - 0 Fiorentina
Torino 1 - 0 Atalanta
Genoa 0 - 2 Juventus

Inter Milan 64 27 19 7 1
Roma 58 27 17 7 3
Juventus 51 27 14 9 4
Fiorentina 47 27 13 8 6
Milan 46 27 12 10 5
Udinese 40 27 11 7 9
Sampdoria 39 27 11 6 10
Palermo 36 27 9 9 9
Genoa 35 27 9 8 10
Atalanta 34 27 8 10 9
Lazio 33 27 8 9 10
Napoli 33 27 9 6 12
Torino 31 27 5 16 6
Siena 31 27 7 10 10
Catania 27 27 6 9 12
Livorno 26 27 6 8 13
Parma 25 27 5 10 12
Empoli 25 27 6 7 14
Reggina 22 27 4 10 13
Cagliari 18 27 5 6 16


Top Scorers
D. Trezeguet Juventus 16
M. Borriello Genoa 16
Z. Ibrahimovic Inter Milan 15
A. Mutu Fiorentina 14
F. Totti Roma 13
A. Di Natale Udinese 12