Italian Serie A News, Results, Analysis and Features on Football Soccer

Scot Munroe On April - 14 - 2012

Serie A Week 32 Review: Roma inching towards third?

After Easter Saturday disappointing performance away at Lecce, Roma bounced back with a very impressive home win over fellow Champions league contenders Udinese where Francesco Totti rolled back the years with a captain’s performance. The other team to win who are chasing third place was Inter who won at home to Siena, Lazio lost away at Juventus thanks to a late strike from Alex Del Piero. While Napoli lost again this time at home to Atalanta and they are a club in freefall.

Tuesday 10th April

There was one game on Tuesday night where AC Milan travelled to Chievo an tried to put to bed the disappointing result from Saturday. Their nerves were eased when seven minutes to the game, AC Milan took the lead with the only goal of the game. Sulley Muntari let fly from twenty five yards out which rifled into the bottom corner of Stefano Sorrentino goal. AC Milan had to work hard for this result as Chievo failed to convert their chances, Cyril Thearu, Luca Rigoni and Serge Pelissier missed their chances to equalise.

Wednesday 11th April

Fiorentina and Palermo shared a goalless draw in Florence. Amauri did have the ball in the back of the net where it looked like he headed home. But replays show he actually handled the ball into the net and was rightly booked for his actions.

Parma got a vital home win over relegation threatened Novara. Both goals came in the first half from Sebastian Giovinco and on loan Inter winger Jonathan. Novara missed a chance to pull one back in the second half as Marco Rigoni had a weak penalty saved by Parma keeper Antonio Mirante.

Lecce amazing form continues as after their impressive win on Saturday they travelled to Catania and won the game late on to get the points in their hunt for safety in Serie A. Catania took the lead in the second half when a Francesco Lodi free kick was cleared to Pablo Barrientos whose effort cannoned off the cross bar and Gonzalo Bergessio was on hand to head home the rebound. David Di Michele then wasted a golden chance when he missed his penalty which went wide after Marchese handled in the penalty area. Two minutes from Lecce equalised when through on goal Luis Muriel unselfishly passed to Daniele Corvia to equalise. Juan Pablo Carrizo was sent off for protesting as Luis Muriel was offside, so Francesco Lodi went in goal. David Di Michele made amends for the penalty kick miss by scoring the winner in added time when Daniele Corvia had his shot parried by Francesco Lodi and Di Michele was there to net the winner.

Napoli retched form continues, they have been in freefall ever since the Champions League defeat to Chelsea in the last 16. Atalanta took the lead in the tenth minute when Giacomo Bonaventura angle drive beat the outstretched hand of Morgan De Sanctis. Napoli equalised in the first half after two attempts Ezequiel Lavezzi equalised, his first effort was parried but the rebound he found the back of the net. Atalanta managed to get two late goals from captain Gianpaolo Bellini after a lovely lofted ball by Ezequiel Schelotto. The third was added by Carlos Carmona when he let fly from outside of the area and his effort flew into the bottom corner. Goran Pandev then got himself stupidly sent off after kicking out at Maxi Morales

Inter got back to back home wins over Siena, but it didn’t start of well as the away side opened the scoring. It took three opportunites to score as Julio Cesar pulled off two saves to deny Franco Brienza and Mattia Destro but at the third time of asking Gaetano D’Agostino netted with a long drive from the edge of the area. Moments before half time Inter equalised and it was Diego Milito who headed home in off the underside of the cross bar after Siena failed to clear a Inter set piece. Diego Milto added to his tally this time from the penalty spot after Yuto Nagatomo was fouled. Siena had their goalkeeper sent off Gianluca Pegolo for protesting at the referee too much

Genoa are in major danger after this home draw with Cesena, they are getting dragged into a relegation battle. Marco Rossi opened the scoring when he stabbed home Giuseppe Sculli knock down. But Cesena equalised in the second half with a brilliant strike from Adrian Mutu when he curled home from just inside of the area.

After getting embarrassed at Lecce, Roma had to buck up their ideas and they did that with a very impressive 3-1 home win over Udinese. Pablo Osvaldo opened the scoring when he riggled his way through the Udinese defence and had his first effort saved by Samir Handanovic but he netted the rebound in off the cross bar. Udinese equalised before the half time interval when Antonio Di Natale played a lovely scooped ball on to Gelson Fernandes who ghosted into the box un marked to volley home. Roma had to wait until four minutes from time to get the winner when Pablo Osvaldo broke through the Udinese defence and rounded the Udinese keeper and passed to Francesco Totti who side footed home from two yards out. Then into stoppage time Roma added a third when Bojan broke down the left and crossed in for Marquinho who headed home.

Juventus took their unbeaten run this season in the league to thirty two with a fine 2-1 home win over Lazio thanks to a late winner from Alessandro Del Piero. Juventus took the lead on the half hour when Andrea Pirlo crossed in for Simone Pepe who controlled the ball on his chest and acrobatically bicycled kick his effort past Federico Marchetti. With one minute before the half time interval Lazio equalised when Lionel Scaloni crossed in from the right for Stefano Mauri to head home. With eight minutes remaining Alessandro Del Piero sent the Juventus stadium wild with a brilliant free kick which wrong footed Marchetti. In stoppage time it got worse for Lazio as they had coach Edy Reja sent off and then Libor Kozak sent off after a clash with Leonardo Bonucci.

Thursday 12th April

The last game of the midweek action was Bologna home game with Cagliari where Alessandro Diamanti proved to be the star of the show. The only goal of the game came seven minutes into the second half and what a peach of a goal it was. Alessandro Diamanti curled in a brilliant free kick from twenty five yards out past Michael Agazzi.

Scot Munroe

A Football fan for around 18 years since the age of 6 years old. My first love is Swindon town now managed by the mad man that is Paolo Di Canio. I have been a fan of Italian football for around 10-15 years now since the Channel four days back in the Uk with James Richardson. I am a Roma fan as well and i have been following the club since 2003 with the attack minded football with Totti and Cassano.

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