The midweek action in the Italian SerieA saw loads of goals and most of them came in Turin and Milan as Juventus put in a stellar performance against Sampdoria in a 5-1 victory and Inter disposed off Palermo in a highly entertaining 5-3 win. AC Milan conceded two late late goals and let a two goal lead slip in Naples as Napoli earned a thoroughy deserved 2-2 draw. Meanwhile Fiorentina lost their second successive game in the league against Genoa and Roma continued their losing streak at Udinese.
Juventus coach Ciro Ferrara knew that his team needed to win the game against second-placed Sampdoria to keep in touch with the league leaders Inter. He deployed a 4-2-3-1 formation which had never been used before with Giovince, Diego and Camoranesi playing behind Amauril. Cannavaro and Sissoko returned to the lineup from their injury lay-offs. After a tentative start to the game by both sides Juve opened the scoring in the 26th minute as Amauri scored from 6 yards out following a corner which the Samp players failed to handle . Three minutes before half-time Juve went two up after some great play by Chiellini. The defender won the ball on the half way line and then ran at the defence and freed Amauri who made his way into the box and squared the ball to Chiellini who duly obliged with a tap-in. Juventus almost went further ahead immediately after the restart but were denied by Castellazzi. The Old Lady did score their third on 50 minutes when Giovinco pulled the ball back for Camoranesi who scored his first of the campaign. Grosso and Giovinco, who showed his true calibre and talent, then shot wide but there was more to come though as in 62nd minute Amauri headed in a Camoranesi cross for his fourth goal in three games. Pazzini did score a consolation for Sampdoria with a close range header two minutes later but it was never going to change the complexion of the game. In fact Juventus went on to score their fifth of the night as Trezeguet headed in a Grosso cross to complete a dominating win for the Bianconeri. Ferrara will be immensely pleased by the success of the 4-2-3-1 and Giovinco proved once again that he deserves to be in the starting line-up.
In Naples, Milan went two goals ahead within the first six minutes as first Inzaghi and then Pato sprung the Partenopei offside trap. Inzaghi volleyed home from inside the box on two minutes and Pato latched on to a Inzaghi flick on near the semi-circle to finish past De Sanctis on six minutes. However after that it was all Napoli as the Azzurri piled pressure on the Milan defence through out the game. They were denied by Dida on numerous occassions and one move in particular saw the Brazilian make three saves. Inzaghi then wasted a great opportunity to kill the game as after rounding Castellazi he failed to hit the open goal. Milan's problems were further compounded when Ignazio Abate was sent-off with four minutes left for his second bookable offence. Napoli then pulled one back in spectacular fashion as substitute Cigarni volleyed home a cleared corner from the edge of the box in the first minute of injury time. This reinvigorated the whole squad who now went looking hungrily for a dramatic equaliser. In the third minute of injury time, the goal did arrive as another substitute Denis headed home to save Napoli from the jaws of defeat. Leonardo will once again have to answer to his critics as he made some questionable decisions in the game. Milan had lost Nesta early on through a muscular problem and despite them being two goals ahead he brought on Borriello for Inzaghi when normally he would have been expected to bring some defensive cover.
Roma suffered their third successive defeat at Udinese. Antonio Floro Flores opened the scoring for the home team with a headed goal on 21 minutes. Roma were on the back foot for much of the half but hit back through De Rossi on 42 minutes. A Juan header was blocked by Handanovic but De Rossi was present to score from the loose ball. The second half kicked off in the worst possible manner for the Romans as Rodrigo Taddei was sent off for hurling insults at the referee. With their numerical superiority Udinese exerted further pressure on the Giallorossi but they held on. Soon both teams were down to ten men as Basta was sent off for his second caution of the evening. And then six minutes from the end Flores scored from another header to give the home side the lead. Roma had a chance to equalize later but Vucinic squandered a glorious opportunity as he failed to connect properly with a Cicinho ball across the face of goal. The defeat meant that Ranieri's men lost their third match in a row and have only collected five points from their previous six games. Protests were taken out agains the club asking Rosella Sensi, the president, to step down. If things do not change fast Roma may be looking at a second coaching change with just ten games gone.
The Romanisti however can take slight comfort in the fact that the capital's other side Lazio are having an equally miserable run. Wednesday night saw the team lose at the Olimpico to Cagliari because of a Muslera howler. The goalkeeper failed to clean collect a freekick and let the ball slip out of his grasp; Matri made no mistake in front of goal to punish this error. The loss meant that Lazio haven't won in the league since Matchday 2. The team have scored only 7 times in their opening 10 games and coach Ballardini looks helpless. The Ultras made their voice heard in the blue section of Rome too as protestors marched to the training ground and reportedly hurled smoke bombs. Like their counterparts Lazio too have to find a solution to their struggles quickly if they are to avoid a long hard season ahead.
Genoa were looking to halt their slide down the table as they welcomed Fiorentina after losing to Inter and Cagliari in the previous rounds. The game was full of chances and like the weekend the Viola had their keeper Frey to thank as he made a number of saves to keep the game level. Palladino opened the scoring in the 43rd minute with a cool finish in front of goal. Fiorentina tried desperately to find an equalizer and were denied twice by the woodwork but it proved to be third time lucky as Marchioini found the net in the 64th minute. But the Genovese side scored the winner through Mesto who half-volleyed diagonally from close range after receiving the ball from Palacio. The win saw them climb up above their opponents into sixth place.
Livorno continued their revival under new coach Serse Cosmi as they won their second game in a row against visiting Atalanta. The Amaranto won thanks to a Miglionico header from a corner. The win sees Livorno move to 18th in the table level on points with Atalanta and Bologna. Bologna recorded their first win in five games as they defeated Siena 2-1 at home. Goals from Adailton and Osvaldo won the game for them, Calaio scored late on for the visitors. Parma too returned to winning ways as two stunning strikes from Bojinov and Paloschi earned them a 2-0 victory against Bari. The result sees the Ducali sitting in an incredible fourth place on their return to the top tier.
Thursday night's game between Inter and Palermo saw Walter Zenga, the Palermo coach, return to the side where he kept goal for 12 years. But Zenga's side were down in the 5th minute as Balotelli was quite foolishly brought down in the area and Eto'o duly converted the resulting penalty. Cavani had an effort sail well wide before a Simplicio drive was palmed away by Julio Cesar. Balotelli got on the score sheet himself after heading in a Maicon corner in the 34th minute. Inter scored two more before the break as first Balotelli got a final touch on a Cambiasso header in the 42nd minute and just a minute later Super Mario turned provider for Eto'o who scored his second of the night. At 4-0 one would have forgiven if they thought the game was over but Zenga's men had other plans. Inter introduced Santon for Chivu at the beginning of the half and then also threw on Milito as Balotelli was suffering an allergic reaction. Miccoli shrugged Cordoba off the ball and looped the ball over Cesar to make it 4-1 within three minutes of the restart. The Sicilians pulled another one back as Cavani squared the ball to Abel Hernandez on the 61st minute and suddenly it looked as if the game may still be alive. Milito then squandered an opportunity to add further distance as his tame shot in front of goal was deflected away. But at the other end unbelievably Palermo made it 4-3 as Miccoli scored his second of the night after collecting a long pass. The Nerazzuri couldn't quite comprehend what was going on. Palermo still had another 27 minutes to complete the mother of all comebacks. However, those hopes were dented when Maicon single-handedly setup Inter's fifth which was scored by Milito on 83 minutes. Milito could have added a sixth in injury time but he failed to control Muntari's ball whilst all alone in front of goal. The 5-3 win was no doubt the highlight of the midweek fixtures and helped Inter extend their lead at the top to four points. Inter have 25 to Juve's 21, Sampdoria are are on 20 and Parma on 17, Milan lie in fifth with 16 points.
In other midweek action from around the globe the biggest talking point was in Spain as third division side Alcoron humiliated Los Galacticos 4-0 in the first leg of their Copa Del Rey tie. The Segunda B side showed little fear of Madrid and this defeat has really put the pressure on coach Manuel Pellegrini. Reports suggest that Roberto Mancini, the former Inter coach, may replace Pellegrini if he is sacked.
Highlights
Juventus 5-1 Sampdoria
Napoli 2-2 AC Milan
Genoa 2-1 Fiorentina
Udinese 2-1 Roma
Inter 5-3 Palermo
Thursday, 29 October 2009
Monday, 26 October 2009
SerieA Week 9 Roundup : Status Quo Maintained...
Week 9 of the SerieA didn't quite produce the excitement of the preceding week as the status quo at the top of the table was maintained. The top three won their games easily and Inter managed to keep their two point lead over Sampdoria intact. Fiorentina and Roma meanwhile dropped points unexpectedly at home losing to Napoli and Livorno respectively. Milan continued their second half revival streak with another come from behind victory away to Cheivo.
Saturday saw Sampdoria host third from bottom Bologna and the Bluecerchiati showed just why they should be considered as real contenders for the Scudetto. Cassano was again in the midst of all the action as he provided Pazzini, wearing a protective mask because of his broken nose, for the first goal of the game after just 7 minutes. It was 2-0 on 16 minutes following some great interplay by the Genovese side. Cassano fed Pazzini who chested the ball and looped it to Mannini who spectacularly volleyed home from close range. And ten minutes later the lead was further increased as Zeigler found the bottom corner from the edge of the area with a diagonal effort. Di Vaio was sent off a minute later and on 33 minutes 'Il Talentino' was at it once again as he drew three defenders and crossed it to Mannini for another tap-in. After an explosive first-half, the second one was predictably calmer and Osvaldo scored a consolation for Bologna in their 4-1 rout.
Inter also were in action on Saturday as they looked to put their Champions League disappointment behind them against visiting Catania. The last encounter between these two produced more fireworks off the pitch as Catania director Pietro Lo Monaco got involved in a verbal sparring with Mourinho. The champions made a dominant start and were gifted the lead by Catania in the 12th minute. Sulley Muntari played a long ball into the box looking to find Eto'o but the Cameroonian couldn't get to it but neither could the keeper who watched helplessly as it bounced into the net. Then on the half-hour mark Sneijder doubled the lead with an inch perfect free kick from just outside the penalty area. The Dutchman really seems to be coming into his own in the past few weeks and his performances have won him plaudits all around. After the goal Inter didn't really have any more meaningful chances but neither did Catania. The Rossazzuri were gifted a lifeline however by Julio Cesar as he spilled an easy catch and subsequently brought down Plasmiati while trying to recover from his error. Giuseppe then made no mistake from 12 yards out to make it to 2-1 with 4 minutes lef. But thats how it ended and the Nerazzuri remain top.
Sunday saw Juventus travel to Siena. The Old Lady were in charge for most of the game but simply couldn't find the net. Buffon made a few important blocks when Siena broke through. The goal finally came in the 72nd minute as a Diego freekick was headed on by Amauri to give the Turin side the lead. There wasn't anything particularly noteworthy to report about after the goal. Juventus thus came away with a deserved but unspectacular victory to end their four game winless streak. Fiorentina however failed to continue their good run in the league as they were beaten by an impressive Napoli side at the Stadio Artemio Franchi in Florence. The Neapolitans exhibited some of the football which people expected off them after spending heavily in the summer. The Viola were stretched to their limits to keep the side from Naples at bay and only some excellent keeping by Sebastian Frey kept the scores level at half-time. Napoli continued to trouble the home side after the break as well and won a penalty after Hamsik was fouled. Quagliarella's effort was however palmed away by Frey. Napoli finally broke the deadlock on 88 minutes as Maggio sneaked the ball in from close range from a German Denis assisst.
Roma meanwhile suffered a shock defeat at the Stadio Olimpico to bottom placed Livorno. The Giallorossi created loads of opportunities in the first half but failed to convert any of them. And shockingly went behind before the break as Francesco Tavano put the ball past Doni with a near post finish from inside the box. The second half played out in identical fashion as the capital side controlled the game but failed to score even after opposing keeper was sent off for time wasting. Livorno recorded their first win of the campaign in the most unlikely of circumstances and now are in second last place above Siena. Palermo won their third game in a row with a 1-0 victory against Udinese courtesy of a late goal by Bovo. The Sicilian side are now remarkably in fourth place and memories and will be hoping for a repeat of the highly successful 2006-07 campaign. In the other afternoon games Parma lost away 3-1 to Atalanta and Lazio too were defeated 1-0 by Bari on their travels. Genoa continued to lose ground as they lost their lead away at Cagliari to succumb to 3-2 defeat, this is their third successive loss in all competitions.
In the final game of the weekend Chievo hosted an AC Milan side, buoyed no doubt by their midweek triumph against Real Madrid in the Champions League. Like in their previous fixtures the Rossoneri fell behind to a Pinzi strike in only the seventh minute. The Flying Donkeys as they are comically called continued to pressurise Milan and forced Dida into a few good saves. Half-time signalled Milan's revival and they began to look more and more threatening. However Chievo keeper Sorrentino made a string of fine saves to deny them. They finally drew level in the 81st minute as a cross by Pirlo was headed onto the crossbar by substitute Boriello but Alessandro Nesta headed in the rebound. Chievo should have taken the lead in injury time but were denied by a miraculous save from Dida who kept out a Granoche header. Then in the second minute of time added on Nesta popped in again at the far post to head home his and Milan's second of the night. The game finished as it was and Milan recorded a 2-1 victory which took them up to sixth in the table.
The 10th Round of fixtures will be played midweek and Sampdoria's trip to Juventus is the game to watch out for. Milan travel to Napoli on Wednesday as well and champions Inter will welcome Palermo on Thursday night. In other major news from around the footballing world Liverpool snapped their four game losing streak by beating Manchester United 2-0 at Anfield. Fernando Torres and David N'Gog scored for the Merseysiders. And in the other big derby around the globe, River Plate and Boca Juniors played out a fierce 1-1 draw in Argentina. Both teams ended the game with ten men. And that is all for now. Come back for the midweek roundup and plenty more of action from around the globe.
Saturday saw Sampdoria host third from bottom Bologna and the Bluecerchiati showed just why they should be considered as real contenders for the Scudetto. Cassano was again in the midst of all the action as he provided Pazzini, wearing a protective mask because of his broken nose, for the first goal of the game after just 7 minutes. It was 2-0 on 16 minutes following some great interplay by the Genovese side. Cassano fed Pazzini who chested the ball and looped it to Mannini who spectacularly volleyed home from close range. And ten minutes later the lead was further increased as Zeigler found the bottom corner from the edge of the area with a diagonal effort. Di Vaio was sent off a minute later and on 33 minutes 'Il Talentino' was at it once again as he drew three defenders and crossed it to Mannini for another tap-in. After an explosive first-half, the second one was predictably calmer and Osvaldo scored a consolation for Bologna in their 4-1 rout.
Inter also were in action on Saturday as they looked to put their Champions League disappointment behind them against visiting Catania. The last encounter between these two produced more fireworks off the pitch as Catania director Pietro Lo Monaco got involved in a verbal sparring with Mourinho. The champions made a dominant start and were gifted the lead by Catania in the 12th minute. Sulley Muntari played a long ball into the box looking to find Eto'o but the Cameroonian couldn't get to it but neither could the keeper who watched helplessly as it bounced into the net. Then on the half-hour mark Sneijder doubled the lead with an inch perfect free kick from just outside the penalty area. The Dutchman really seems to be coming into his own in the past few weeks and his performances have won him plaudits all around. After the goal Inter didn't really have any more meaningful chances but neither did Catania. The Rossazzuri were gifted a lifeline however by Julio Cesar as he spilled an easy catch and subsequently brought down Plasmiati while trying to recover from his error. Giuseppe then made no mistake from 12 yards out to make it to 2-1 with 4 minutes lef. But thats how it ended and the Nerazzuri remain top.
Sunday saw Juventus travel to Siena. The Old Lady were in charge for most of the game but simply couldn't find the net. Buffon made a few important blocks when Siena broke through. The goal finally came in the 72nd minute as a Diego freekick was headed on by Amauri to give the Turin side the lead. There wasn't anything particularly noteworthy to report about after the goal. Juventus thus came away with a deserved but unspectacular victory to end their four game winless streak. Fiorentina however failed to continue their good run in the league as they were beaten by an impressive Napoli side at the Stadio Artemio Franchi in Florence. The Neapolitans exhibited some of the football which people expected off them after spending heavily in the summer. The Viola were stretched to their limits to keep the side from Naples at bay and only some excellent keeping by Sebastian Frey kept the scores level at half-time. Napoli continued to trouble the home side after the break as well and won a penalty after Hamsik was fouled. Quagliarella's effort was however palmed away by Frey. Napoli finally broke the deadlock on 88 minutes as Maggio sneaked the ball in from close range from a German Denis assisst.
Roma meanwhile suffered a shock defeat at the Stadio Olimpico to bottom placed Livorno. The Giallorossi created loads of opportunities in the first half but failed to convert any of them. And shockingly went behind before the break as Francesco Tavano put the ball past Doni with a near post finish from inside the box. The second half played out in identical fashion as the capital side controlled the game but failed to score even after opposing keeper was sent off for time wasting. Livorno recorded their first win of the campaign in the most unlikely of circumstances and now are in second last place above Siena. Palermo won their third game in a row with a 1-0 victory against Udinese courtesy of a late goal by Bovo. The Sicilian side are now remarkably in fourth place and memories and will be hoping for a repeat of the highly successful 2006-07 campaign. In the other afternoon games Parma lost away 3-1 to Atalanta and Lazio too were defeated 1-0 by Bari on their travels. Genoa continued to lose ground as they lost their lead away at Cagliari to succumb to 3-2 defeat, this is their third successive loss in all competitions.
In the final game of the weekend Chievo hosted an AC Milan side, buoyed no doubt by their midweek triumph against Real Madrid in the Champions League. Like in their previous fixtures the Rossoneri fell behind to a Pinzi strike in only the seventh minute. The Flying Donkeys as they are comically called continued to pressurise Milan and forced Dida into a few good saves. Half-time signalled Milan's revival and they began to look more and more threatening. However Chievo keeper Sorrentino made a string of fine saves to deny them. They finally drew level in the 81st minute as a cross by Pirlo was headed onto the crossbar by substitute Boriello but Alessandro Nesta headed in the rebound. Chievo should have taken the lead in injury time but were denied by a miraculous save from Dida who kept out a Granoche header. Then in the second minute of time added on Nesta popped in again at the far post to head home his and Milan's second of the night. The game finished as it was and Milan recorded a 2-1 victory which took them up to sixth in the table.
The 10th Round of fixtures will be played midweek and Sampdoria's trip to Juventus is the game to watch out for. Milan travel to Napoli on Wednesday as well and champions Inter will welcome Palermo on Thursday night. In other major news from around the footballing world Liverpool snapped their four game losing streak by beating Manchester United 2-0 at Anfield. Fernando Torres and David N'Gog scored for the Merseysiders. And in the other big derby around the globe, River Plate and Boca Juniors played out a fierce 1-1 draw in Argentina. Both teams ended the game with ten men. And that is all for now. Come back for the midweek roundup and plenty more of action from around the globe.
Thursday, 22 October 2009
UEFA Champions League Matchday 3 Wrap : Shocks All Round!
The third matchday of the Champions League was being looked forward by one and all for the mega Madrid - Milan clash not only did that match live up to its billing but also there were loads of other stories which caught the football lover's eye.
Tuesday night proved that Michel Platini's plan to expand the Champions League was paying rich dividends. All round there were upsets galore and if anyone was bold enough to put their money on the underdogs must have made a small fortune for themselves.
Group E pitted Italian side Fiorentina against the Hungarian champions Debrecen in Hungary. The home side sensationally took the lead with just two minutes on the clock with a goal from Czvitkovics but their joy was shortlived as some atrocious defending saw Adrian Mutu and Gilardino put the Viola in the lead in a space of ten minutes. Then in the 20th minute Mutu crashed the ball into the bottom of the net from outside the box to give the Italians a 3-1 lead. But Debrecen weren't done yet as Rudolph curled an outrageous effort into Frey's net from an impossible angle to get his side back in the game. But yet again the Hungarian defence was caught out as Santana restored the two goal cushion on the 37th minute. The second half didn't produce as many goals but there was late drama as Coulibaly headed the ball home to give Debrecen an equaliser with two minutes to go. Fiorentina however held on to register a quite remarkable 3-4 win.
The other game in Group E also had plenty of action as Lyon travelled to Anfield to face a Liverpool side which had lost its previous three games. The Reds didn't endure the best of starts to the game and captain Steven Gerrard was forced off because of a recurring injury. The Merseysiders however did take the lead in the 41st minute following a scramble in the box which Youssi Benayoun despatched away. Towards the end of the half Liverpool really piled on the pressure on the French side with Fabio Aurelio going closest to putting them two up but that was not to be and in the 70th minute following a corner Lyon equalised. Reina made two point blank saves put was helpless when Makoun scored with a diving header to put Les Gones on level terms. And then in injury time Liverpool's fate was sealed when Carlos Delgado rolled the ball home from a Sidney Govou pass. The French side condemned the English to their fourth successive loss and now lead the group with 9 points from three games.
Group F was where the biggest upset of the night took place as reigning European champions FC Barcelona were quite incredibly defeated by Russian champions Rubin Kazan. Kazan took a 2nd minute lead through a 30 yard screamer from Alexi Ryazantsev. The Catalans took time to recover from this early shock but couldn't find the net in the first half despite a hatful of chances. But two minutes into the second half Zlatan Ibrahimovic showed why Barca paid as much for him as he controlled the ball on his chest and shot into the botton corner from a long pass by Xavi. But instead of spurring the home team on this seemed to rejuvenate the Russians into action and they took the lead for the second time when Kardeniz scored on the break. The Blaugrana hit the post twice in their efforts to find an equaliser but ultimately Kazan were the ones who walked with all the points from the Camp Nou.
The second game of the group saw Inter Milan take on Dynamo Kyiv at the San Siro. Like the trend of the night it was the unfancied Ukranians who took the lead in the fifth minute via a Mikhalik strike. Stankovic made it 1-1 in the 35th minute following a counter-attack only to see Lucio head into his own net five minutes from the half. Walter Samuel then headed in on 47 minutes following a Sneijder corner and put the Nerazzuri level. However, the Italians were not able to find a way past Kyiv for the rest of the night and were lucky when Andriy Shevchenko squandered a one-on-one with Julio Cesar. That left Jose Mourinho's men devoid of a victory with one round of fixtures played and sitting at the bottom of the group.
Group G also had its share of upsets as Rangers were decimated by Romanian champions Unirea Urziceni at the Ibrox. Rangers took an early lead through a Ricardo own goal but Bilasco put the Romanians back in the game. Steven Davis then missed a penalty for the Gers and from there on the Scottish champions completely lost the plot and two own goals by Lafferty and McCulloch added to their misery. Brandán then put the icing on the cake and Unirea left with an unbelievable 4-1 victory. The other match featured Stuttgart and Sevilla and the Spanish side wholly dominated the Germans and took a 3-0 lead before Elson grabbed a consolation for his side. The 1-3 win for Sevilla put them in charge of the group with a full 9 points from their first three games.
Group H was also not devoid of surprises as AZ Alkmaar scored a last minute leveller against Arsenal. The Gunners had taken the lead through Cesc Fabregas in the 36th minute but the Dutch champions kept on chipping away and they were duly rewarded when David Mendes scored in injury time. There was also a last minute goal in Greece where Olympiakos stole victory against Belgian Standard Liege through a last gasp Stoltidis header. The side from Athens had fallen behind to Camargo goal but Mitroglou made it all square two minutes before half-time.
Wednesday night was also not any less entertaining and the Group A encounter between Bordeaux and Bayern Munich saw two players sent off and two penalties saved. The Germans took the lead in the 6th minute but Ciani got Bordeaux on level terms in the 27th minute. Thomas Müller was the first Bayern player to go in the 30th minute for his second bookable offence and the French capitalised on the numerical advantage through Planus in the 40th minute. In the second half both Yohann Gourcuff and Jussie saw their penalties saved by Butt and Van Buyten was sent off during the second penalty incident.
Juventus were also in action in Group A as they took on Maccabi Haifa in Turin. The Bianconeri had their inspirational captain-goal keeper Gianluigi Buffon to thank for in their slim victory over the Israeli champions. Buffon made a string of superb saves and defended Juve's lead single-handedly. Chiellini was the only goal scorer of the night when he headed in a 47th minute free kick by Diego. The results left Juventus in second place with 5 points two lesser than top placed Bordeaux.
Group B however was a largely dull affair as there was just one goal in the two games. Manchester United won for the first time against Russian opposition as a late Antonio Valencia goal gave the English champions a victory despite having a largely depleted squad. United were the team expectedly who created more chances and Valencia's goal in the 86th minute did justice to the Red Devils efforts. The game in Germany however was devoid of any goals as Wolfsburg and Besiktas played out a goalless draw. The Premier League leaders now top the group with 9 points and Wolfsburg trail them with 4.
Group C hosted the most expected game of the night as Real Madrid took on AC Milan at the Santiago Bernebeau. The game marked Kaka facing his former club for the first time since his summer move to Madrid. The Galacticos took the lead in the 19th minute after a howler by Dida. The Brazilian who had put in a very impressive performance against Roma at the weekend fumbled an easy Granero shot and Raul picked up the pieces. Milan's performance in the first half was mediocre at best but the second half was a completely different story. Pirlo scored an absoulte stunner from a throw-in as he was inexplicably allowed time and space on the ball. However, Milan went from being a goal down to a goal up in a matter of just four minutes as in the 66th minute Ambrosini played the ball over the defence for Pato and Casillas came out of his box leaving the Brazilian the simple job of tapping into the empty net. Los Blancos did find an equaliser in the 76th minute as Drenthe beat Dida with a spectacular effort into the bottom corner from outside the area after recieving the ball from a Raul corner. The Rossoneri had the ball in the back of the net for a third time when Thiago Silva headed in a corner but the goal was controversially ruled out but by the referee for a foul on Raul by Silva. The Milan giants did have the last laugh though as Pato volleyed home a Seedorf cross from close range as the Madrid marking was once again below standards.
In the Group C's other game Marseille defeatead FC Zurich in Zurich by a solitary Gabriel Heinze goal. This was the Argentenians second goal of the campaign and put Marseille in third position in the group. Milan top it over Real Madrid on head-to-head results as both teams have six points.
Group D saw Chelsea earn a resounding 4-0 victory over Atletico Madrid. Ivorian Salomon Kalou scored on either side of half-time to give the Londoners a comfortable lead before Frank Lampard scored a trademark bottom corner strike to give the Blues a 3-0 lead. The game ended with Perea heading beyond his own keeper to hand Chelsea a convincing victory. FC Porto defeated APOEL Nicosia in the last game with the help of two goals one of which was a penalty from the Brazilian Hulk. Nicosia had taken the lead with a 22nd minute Periera strike but the Portuguese recovered from this and maintained their lead inspite of losing Mariano Gonzalez with fifteen minutes to go. Chelsea have now effectively qualified from the group with a perfect 9 points from their 3 games and Porto are behind them with six, Nicosia and Atleti both have just the one point.
And that is all for the midweek action. For those interested in the UEFA Europa League Genoa were beaten 3-0 by Lille in France earlier tonight. Roma managed to steal a last minute draw against Fulham in London through an injury time Marco Andreolli strike from a corner. The other capital side Lazio won 2-1 in Rome courtesy of a late winner by Tommaso Rocchi.
Tuesday night proved that Michel Platini's plan to expand the Champions League was paying rich dividends. All round there were upsets galore and if anyone was bold enough to put their money on the underdogs must have made a small fortune for themselves.
Group E pitted Italian side Fiorentina against the Hungarian champions Debrecen in Hungary. The home side sensationally took the lead with just two minutes on the clock with a goal from Czvitkovics but their joy was shortlived as some atrocious defending saw Adrian Mutu and Gilardino put the Viola in the lead in a space of ten minutes. Then in the 20th minute Mutu crashed the ball into the bottom of the net from outside the box to give the Italians a 3-1 lead. But Debrecen weren't done yet as Rudolph curled an outrageous effort into Frey's net from an impossible angle to get his side back in the game. But yet again the Hungarian defence was caught out as Santana restored the two goal cushion on the 37th minute. The second half didn't produce as many goals but there was late drama as Coulibaly headed the ball home to give Debrecen an equaliser with two minutes to go. Fiorentina however held on to register a quite remarkable 3-4 win.
The other game in Group E also had plenty of action as Lyon travelled to Anfield to face a Liverpool side which had lost its previous three games. The Reds didn't endure the best of starts to the game and captain Steven Gerrard was forced off because of a recurring injury. The Merseysiders however did take the lead in the 41st minute following a scramble in the box which Youssi Benayoun despatched away. Towards the end of the half Liverpool really piled on the pressure on the French side with Fabio Aurelio going closest to putting them two up but that was not to be and in the 70th minute following a corner Lyon equalised. Reina made two point blank saves put was helpless when Makoun scored with a diving header to put Les Gones on level terms. And then in injury time Liverpool's fate was sealed when Carlos Delgado rolled the ball home from a Sidney Govou pass. The French side condemned the English to their fourth successive loss and now lead the group with 9 points from three games.
Group F was where the biggest upset of the night took place as reigning European champions FC Barcelona were quite incredibly defeated by Russian champions Rubin Kazan. Kazan took a 2nd minute lead through a 30 yard screamer from Alexi Ryazantsev. The Catalans took time to recover from this early shock but couldn't find the net in the first half despite a hatful of chances. But two minutes into the second half Zlatan Ibrahimovic showed why Barca paid as much for him as he controlled the ball on his chest and shot into the botton corner from a long pass by Xavi. But instead of spurring the home team on this seemed to rejuvenate the Russians into action and they took the lead for the second time when Kardeniz scored on the break. The Blaugrana hit the post twice in their efforts to find an equaliser but ultimately Kazan were the ones who walked with all the points from the Camp Nou.
The second game of the group saw Inter Milan take on Dynamo Kyiv at the San Siro. Like the trend of the night it was the unfancied Ukranians who took the lead in the fifth minute via a Mikhalik strike. Stankovic made it 1-1 in the 35th minute following a counter-attack only to see Lucio head into his own net five minutes from the half. Walter Samuel then headed in on 47 minutes following a Sneijder corner and put the Nerazzuri level. However, the Italians were not able to find a way past Kyiv for the rest of the night and were lucky when Andriy Shevchenko squandered a one-on-one with Julio Cesar. That left Jose Mourinho's men devoid of a victory with one round of fixtures played and sitting at the bottom of the group.
Group G also had its share of upsets as Rangers were decimated by Romanian champions Unirea Urziceni at the Ibrox. Rangers took an early lead through a Ricardo own goal but Bilasco put the Romanians back in the game. Steven Davis then missed a penalty for the Gers and from there on the Scottish champions completely lost the plot and two own goals by Lafferty and McCulloch added to their misery. Brandán then put the icing on the cake and Unirea left with an unbelievable 4-1 victory. The other match featured Stuttgart and Sevilla and the Spanish side wholly dominated the Germans and took a 3-0 lead before Elson grabbed a consolation for his side. The 1-3 win for Sevilla put them in charge of the group with a full 9 points from their first three games.
Group H was also not devoid of surprises as AZ Alkmaar scored a last minute leveller against Arsenal. The Gunners had taken the lead through Cesc Fabregas in the 36th minute but the Dutch champions kept on chipping away and they were duly rewarded when David Mendes scored in injury time. There was also a last minute goal in Greece where Olympiakos stole victory against Belgian Standard Liege through a last gasp Stoltidis header. The side from Athens had fallen behind to Camargo goal but Mitroglou made it all square two minutes before half-time.
Wednesday night was also not any less entertaining and the Group A encounter between Bordeaux and Bayern Munich saw two players sent off and two penalties saved. The Germans took the lead in the 6th minute but Ciani got Bordeaux on level terms in the 27th minute. Thomas Müller was the first Bayern player to go in the 30th minute for his second bookable offence and the French capitalised on the numerical advantage through Planus in the 40th minute. In the second half both Yohann Gourcuff and Jussie saw their penalties saved by Butt and Van Buyten was sent off during the second penalty incident.
Juventus were also in action in Group A as they took on Maccabi Haifa in Turin. The Bianconeri had their inspirational captain-goal keeper Gianluigi Buffon to thank for in their slim victory over the Israeli champions. Buffon made a string of superb saves and defended Juve's lead single-handedly. Chiellini was the only goal scorer of the night when he headed in a 47th minute free kick by Diego. The results left Juventus in second place with 5 points two lesser than top placed Bordeaux.
Group B however was a largely dull affair as there was just one goal in the two games. Manchester United won for the first time against Russian opposition as a late Antonio Valencia goal gave the English champions a victory despite having a largely depleted squad. United were the team expectedly who created more chances and Valencia's goal in the 86th minute did justice to the Red Devils efforts. The game in Germany however was devoid of any goals as Wolfsburg and Besiktas played out a goalless draw. The Premier League leaders now top the group with 9 points and Wolfsburg trail them with 4.
Group C hosted the most expected game of the night as Real Madrid took on AC Milan at the Santiago Bernebeau. The game marked Kaka facing his former club for the first time since his summer move to Madrid. The Galacticos took the lead in the 19th minute after a howler by Dida. The Brazilian who had put in a very impressive performance against Roma at the weekend fumbled an easy Granero shot and Raul picked up the pieces. Milan's performance in the first half was mediocre at best but the second half was a completely different story. Pirlo scored an absoulte stunner from a throw-in as he was inexplicably allowed time and space on the ball. However, Milan went from being a goal down to a goal up in a matter of just four minutes as in the 66th minute Ambrosini played the ball over the defence for Pato and Casillas came out of his box leaving the Brazilian the simple job of tapping into the empty net. Los Blancos did find an equaliser in the 76th minute as Drenthe beat Dida with a spectacular effort into the bottom corner from outside the area after recieving the ball from a Raul corner. The Rossoneri had the ball in the back of the net for a third time when Thiago Silva headed in a corner but the goal was controversially ruled out but by the referee for a foul on Raul by Silva. The Milan giants did have the last laugh though as Pato volleyed home a Seedorf cross from close range as the Madrid marking was once again below standards.
In the Group C's other game Marseille defeatead FC Zurich in Zurich by a solitary Gabriel Heinze goal. This was the Argentenians second goal of the campaign and put Marseille in third position in the group. Milan top it over Real Madrid on head-to-head results as both teams have six points.
Group D saw Chelsea earn a resounding 4-0 victory over Atletico Madrid. Ivorian Salomon Kalou scored on either side of half-time to give the Londoners a comfortable lead before Frank Lampard scored a trademark bottom corner strike to give the Blues a 3-0 lead. The game ended with Perea heading beyond his own keeper to hand Chelsea a convincing victory. FC Porto defeated APOEL Nicosia in the last game with the help of two goals one of which was a penalty from the Brazilian Hulk. Nicosia had taken the lead with a 22nd minute Periera strike but the Portuguese recovered from this and maintained their lead inspite of losing Mariano Gonzalez with fifteen minutes to go. Chelsea have now effectively qualified from the group with a perfect 9 points from their 3 games and Porto are behind them with six, Nicosia and Atleti both have just the one point.
And that is all for the midweek action. For those interested in the UEFA Europa League Genoa were beaten 3-0 by Lille in France earlier tonight. Roma managed to steal a last minute draw against Fulham in London through an injury time Marco Andreolli strike from a corner. The other capital side Lazio won 2-1 in Rome courtesy of a late winner by Tommaso Rocchi.
Monday, 19 October 2009
SerieA Week 8 Round-Up : Inter Run Riot!
The 8th round of the SerieA season brought with it plenty of action and excitement but the top of the table saw little change. Champions Inter demolished upcoming Genoa, Juventus had to settle for a draw against Fiorentina while honors were also shared between Sampdoria and Lazio, Milan meanwhile got back to winning ways with a victory over Roma.
The weekend's fixtures started in memorable fashion for the Scudetto holders as they put in a thoroughly dominating performance at the Stadio Marassi against Genoa to record a memorable 5-0 thumping of the home side. Goals from Cambiasso and Balotelli in the first half hour put Inter in control before Dejan Stankovic outrageously volleyed home a miscued Amelia clearance from the center circle at the stroke of half-time. Viera and Maicon added insult to injury in the second half and rounded up a glorious win for the Nerazzuri. Inter's summer purchase Wesley Sneijder was particularly impressive as he played a part in three Inter goals and seems to be adjusting to life in the SerieA.
The other fixture of the night saw Juventus host Fiorentina. The Old Lady fell behind to a flowing Viola move which was finished off by Vargas after just five minutes but created a host of opportunities after that and deservedly equalized on nineteen minutes through Amauri. The Bianconeri continued creating chances but some stubborn defending by the Florence defenders and good goalkeeping by Sebastien Frey ensured that they left Turin with at least a point. Juventus have now failed to win any of their last four games and coach Ciro Ferrara's tactics and experience have come under the scanner. The team already finds itself trailing Inter in the title race by four points and they need to substantially improve their performances if they wish to challenge for the Scudetto.
Sunday was dominated by the Milan-Roma game which was due to kick-off in the night but the afternoon games saw Sampdoria in action against Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico. Both teams played attacking and flowing football and the visitors took the lead in the 40th minute when Pazzini headed home a Stankevicius cross from close range. But just two minutes later the capital side were level as Matuzalem found the back of the net after beautifully receiving and controlling a knock-on from Rocchi. Both teams ended the game with ten men after Padalino and Baronio were sent off for their second bookable offences, the latter in particularly controversial fashion as he clearly got the ball first before catching Cassano on his follow through.
In the other games of the afternoon both Parma and Palermo continued their good starts to the season as they recorded home and away victories respectively. Parma won through a sole goal scored by Valeri Bojinov against second from bottom Siena whereas Palermo fell behind at last placed Livorno before scoring through Miccoli and Balzaretti to run out 2-1 winners. Udinese's Antonio Di Natale who made the most prolific start to a SerieA season by finding the net 9 times in the first 7 games failed to do the same in his team's 1-3 loss at home to Atlanta.
The final game of the week saw AC Milan host AS Roma. The game got off to the worst possible start for the Rossoneri as a slack back pass by Thiago Silva was intercepted and duly finished off by Jeremy Menez. The Romans continued to pile the pressure on the Milanese side as they had numerous shots at goal which were well saved by the returning Dida. Milan almost found an equaliser in the first half when Seedorf struck the post from inside the penalty area but Ambrosini failed to connect with the rebound. The second half saw a hugely different Milan side take the field as first Ronaldinho scored from the penalty spot following a highly contentious foul by Burdisso on Nesta in the aftermath of a corner. And after that the two-time 'World Player Of The Year' played in a delightful long ball to Pato which the Brazilian excellently controlled and slotted past Doni to give them the lead on 67 minutes. There were not too many clear cut chances for either team after the goal and Milan registered their first win since September leaving Roma to rue the chances they wasted the first half. Ronaldinho's return to form was a good sign for the Milan faithful who will be keeping their fingers crossed for it to continue into the midweek clash with Real Madrid in the Champions League.
Inter are now sole occupiers of the top spot in Italy with 19 points from their 8 games and they are followed by Sampdoria who have claimed 17 points yet. Juventus and Fiorentina both sit in third with 15 points. Milan have now jumped into the top half of the table with 12 points and are in 8th place.
SerieA Highlights
Genoa 0-5 Inter
Juventus 1-1 Fiorentina
Lazio 1-1 Sampdoria
Milan 2-1 Roma
The weekend's fixtures started in memorable fashion for the Scudetto holders as they put in a thoroughly dominating performance at the Stadio Marassi against Genoa to record a memorable 5-0 thumping of the home side. Goals from Cambiasso and Balotelli in the first half hour put Inter in control before Dejan Stankovic outrageously volleyed home a miscued Amelia clearance from the center circle at the stroke of half-time. Viera and Maicon added insult to injury in the second half and rounded up a glorious win for the Nerazzuri. Inter's summer purchase Wesley Sneijder was particularly impressive as he played a part in three Inter goals and seems to be adjusting to life in the SerieA.
The other fixture of the night saw Juventus host Fiorentina. The Old Lady fell behind to a flowing Viola move which was finished off by Vargas after just five minutes but created a host of opportunities after that and deservedly equalized on nineteen minutes through Amauri. The Bianconeri continued creating chances but some stubborn defending by the Florence defenders and good goalkeeping by Sebastien Frey ensured that they left Turin with at least a point. Juventus have now failed to win any of their last four games and coach Ciro Ferrara's tactics and experience have come under the scanner. The team already finds itself trailing Inter in the title race by four points and they need to substantially improve their performances if they wish to challenge for the Scudetto.
Sunday was dominated by the Milan-Roma game which was due to kick-off in the night but the afternoon games saw Sampdoria in action against Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico. Both teams played attacking and flowing football and the visitors took the lead in the 40th minute when Pazzini headed home a Stankevicius cross from close range. But just two minutes later the capital side were level as Matuzalem found the back of the net after beautifully receiving and controlling a knock-on from Rocchi. Both teams ended the game with ten men after Padalino and Baronio were sent off for their second bookable offences, the latter in particularly controversial fashion as he clearly got the ball first before catching Cassano on his follow through.
In the other games of the afternoon both Parma and Palermo continued their good starts to the season as they recorded home and away victories respectively. Parma won through a sole goal scored by Valeri Bojinov against second from bottom Siena whereas Palermo fell behind at last placed Livorno before scoring through Miccoli and Balzaretti to run out 2-1 winners. Udinese's Antonio Di Natale who made the most prolific start to a SerieA season by finding the net 9 times in the first 7 games failed to do the same in his team's 1-3 loss at home to Atlanta.
The final game of the week saw AC Milan host AS Roma. The game got off to the worst possible start for the Rossoneri as a slack back pass by Thiago Silva was intercepted and duly finished off by Jeremy Menez. The Romans continued to pile the pressure on the Milanese side as they had numerous shots at goal which were well saved by the returning Dida. Milan almost found an equaliser in the first half when Seedorf struck the post from inside the penalty area but Ambrosini failed to connect with the rebound. The second half saw a hugely different Milan side take the field as first Ronaldinho scored from the penalty spot following a highly contentious foul by Burdisso on Nesta in the aftermath of a corner. And after that the two-time 'World Player Of The Year' played in a delightful long ball to Pato which the Brazilian excellently controlled and slotted past Doni to give them the lead on 67 minutes. There were not too many clear cut chances for either team after the goal and Milan registered their first win since September leaving Roma to rue the chances they wasted the first half. Ronaldinho's return to form was a good sign for the Milan faithful who will be keeping their fingers crossed for it to continue into the midweek clash with Real Madrid in the Champions League.
Inter are now sole occupiers of the top spot in Italy with 19 points from their 8 games and they are followed by Sampdoria who have claimed 17 points yet. Juventus and Fiorentina both sit in third with 15 points. Milan have now jumped into the top half of the table with 12 points and are in 8th place.
SerieA Highlights
Genoa 0-5 Inter
Juventus 1-1 Fiorentina
Lazio 1-1 Sampdoria
Milan 2-1 Roma
Wednesday, 14 October 2009
The Italian Job Done - What next for the Azzurri?
When Alberto Gilardino wrong footed Manchester City's Shay Given and stoked the ball into the net with a close range finish in Dublin he booked Italy's ticket to South Africa ,whilst the Irish will now have to face the play-offs. This was incidentally only the third time that the Azzurri had qualified for the World Cup with one match to spare and on the two previous occassions that happened the Italians went on to win the trophy in 1982 and 2006. But do the Italians really have it in them to complete this unique hat-trick?
Marcello Lippi's side have had quite an uninspiring qualification campaign despite being in one of the weaker groups and scored only 18 times in their 10 games. Wednesday night's victory over Cyprus might have made for an extremely enthralling encounter with Gilardino scoring a hat-trick in the last 12 mins of the game to rescue the Azzurri once again but it also exposed some glaring deficiencies in the squad. Throughout the qualifying games the Italian side looked as if they were lacking new ideas. Lippi has retained the same philosophy of football which he deployed in Germany three years ago and whats even more surprising is that he has decided to stick to the same players as well.
The squad which triumphed in Berlin is no longer what it was and has suffered from a combination of a general decline in form and aging. Only a handful of the members still seem to have the appetite and more importantly the character to maintain a place in the current team. The other Azzurri winners have been very inconsistent with their recent performances and need to put in a lot of effort if they desire to retain the crown in South Africa. Gennaru Gattusso in particular has been a shadow of the player he was both on the international stage and the domestic stage. The same could be said about his Milan team-mate Gianluca Zambrotta who played a pivotal role in the last World Cup. But since then Zambrotta has seen his place challenged by the new generation of Italian footballers including the likes of 19 year old Davide Santon who put in a stellar performance against Cyprus along with Domenico Criscito of Genoa. The defensive department will also need some more work as apart from the Juve duo of Cannavaro and Chiellini the reserves look a little fragile. And if unfortunately one of them were to be injured before or during the World Cup it could prove to be a massive headache for Lippi.
The midfield too could do with a little bit of polishing. Italy's playing style has become highly predictable as they have been using the same tactics for the past four years and moreover the players pulling the strings too have remained unchanged. As mentioned before Gattusso seems to be out of sorts in recent times and the other selections lack in creativity. True, Pirlo can still cut defences with his incisive passing but he has always been used as a deep-lying midfielder and so that essential link between the attack and the midfield is missing and this has been evident time and again as Italy have at numerous times seemed to be at a loss of ideas. The whole of the peninsula feels that 'Il Talentino' Antonio Cassano is the answer to this problem as the man has single-handedly driven Sampdoria to the top of the table from being mid-table regulars over the past two years. Cassano's talent is undeniable and his previously questionable attitude is pretty much reformed and at a time like this where Italy need an injection in their attack he seems to be the 'right man at the right place at the right time' but Lippi somehow chooses not to see it. His stubborn refusal to call up the ex-Real Madrid man has suggested that the issue is more personal than professional if that were to be the case it would be a great loss to the Italian side. Recent rumors have suggested that the dressing room is happy with Cassano's absence and hence that maybe prolonged. There is some good news though as youngsters have again been leaving their marks up for evaluation and they seem to be doing a good job as Marchisio has become a regular feature of the team and others like Pepe, Galloppa continue to do well on the club level.
The forward line also sees more players knocking on the door to book their flying tickets than those with confirmed bookings. Iaquinta has been doing rather well at Juventus and he is sure to travel to Africa and now so is Gilardino who has scored four crucial goals for Italy in his past two games. SerieA's current topscorer Di Natale should also confirm his place in the squad if he were to maintain his current form. Then their are players like Balotelli and Giovinco who risk failing to make the cut as they don't fit into his 'experience and grooming' philosophy. Both the aforementioned players are so enormously gifted that it would be disservice not to take them along. Plus now with Totti having announced his intention to play for the national team again it is likely to give Lippi plenty of headache.
If the Italians are to claim the World Cup for a record fifth time they need to do a lot of work and improve in all areas and to do that they will surely require new blood in their squad as the current one seems to have exhausted its potential. But Lippi is a man who is known to usually stick to the men he has had and so it might prove to be a difficult task for him to change his footballing philosophies so now we can just wait and watch for the next few months to see who will be and who won't be on that flight to South Africa.
Marcello Lippi's side have had quite an uninspiring qualification campaign despite being in one of the weaker groups and scored only 18 times in their 10 games. Wednesday night's victory over Cyprus might have made for an extremely enthralling encounter with Gilardino scoring a hat-trick in the last 12 mins of the game to rescue the Azzurri once again but it also exposed some glaring deficiencies in the squad. Throughout the qualifying games the Italian side looked as if they were lacking new ideas. Lippi has retained the same philosophy of football which he deployed in Germany three years ago and whats even more surprising is that he has decided to stick to the same players as well.
The squad which triumphed in Berlin is no longer what it was and has suffered from a combination of a general decline in form and aging. Only a handful of the members still seem to have the appetite and more importantly the character to maintain a place in the current team. The other Azzurri winners have been very inconsistent with their recent performances and need to put in a lot of effort if they desire to retain the crown in South Africa. Gennaru Gattusso in particular has been a shadow of the player he was both on the international stage and the domestic stage. The same could be said about his Milan team-mate Gianluca Zambrotta who played a pivotal role in the last World Cup. But since then Zambrotta has seen his place challenged by the new generation of Italian footballers including the likes of 19 year old Davide Santon who put in a stellar performance against Cyprus along with Domenico Criscito of Genoa. The defensive department will also need some more work as apart from the Juve duo of Cannavaro and Chiellini the reserves look a little fragile. And if unfortunately one of them were to be injured before or during the World Cup it could prove to be a massive headache for Lippi.
The midfield too could do with a little bit of polishing. Italy's playing style has become highly predictable as they have been using the same tactics for the past four years and moreover the players pulling the strings too have remained unchanged. As mentioned before Gattusso seems to be out of sorts in recent times and the other selections lack in creativity. True, Pirlo can still cut defences with his incisive passing but he has always been used as a deep-lying midfielder and so that essential link between the attack and the midfield is missing and this has been evident time and again as Italy have at numerous times seemed to be at a loss of ideas. The whole of the peninsula feels that 'Il Talentino' Antonio Cassano is the answer to this problem as the man has single-handedly driven Sampdoria to the top of the table from being mid-table regulars over the past two years. Cassano's talent is undeniable and his previously questionable attitude is pretty much reformed and at a time like this where Italy need an injection in their attack he seems to be the 'right man at the right place at the right time' but Lippi somehow chooses not to see it. His stubborn refusal to call up the ex-Real Madrid man has suggested that the issue is more personal than professional if that were to be the case it would be a great loss to the Italian side. Recent rumors have suggested that the dressing room is happy with Cassano's absence and hence that maybe prolonged. There is some good news though as youngsters have again been leaving their marks up for evaluation and they seem to be doing a good job as Marchisio has become a regular feature of the team and others like Pepe, Galloppa continue to do well on the club level.
The forward line also sees more players knocking on the door to book their flying tickets than those with confirmed bookings. Iaquinta has been doing rather well at Juventus and he is sure to travel to Africa and now so is Gilardino who has scored four crucial goals for Italy in his past two games. SerieA's current topscorer Di Natale should also confirm his place in the squad if he were to maintain his current form. Then their are players like Balotelli and Giovinco who risk failing to make the cut as they don't fit into his 'experience and grooming' philosophy. Both the aforementioned players are so enormously gifted that it would be disservice not to take them along. Plus now with Totti having announced his intention to play for the national team again it is likely to give Lippi plenty of headache.
If the Italians are to claim the World Cup for a record fifth time they need to do a lot of work and improve in all areas and to do that they will surely require new blood in their squad as the current one seems to have exhausted its potential. But Lippi is a man who is known to usually stick to the men he has had and so it might prove to be a difficult task for him to change his footballing philosophies so now we can just wait and watch for the next few months to see who will be and who won't be on that flight to South Africa.
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