Readers as you may or may not know Serie A Weekly is an affiliated site of the OwnGoalNetwork
and we pride ourselves on partnering with some very excellent bloggers and podcasters bringing you soccer news from across the world leagues.

Make sure to visit our OGN sister sites and today's topics from across the network today are as follows,

MadAboutFutbol - U-20 World Cup Has Interesting Start
The Third Half - The Fall of Farve from Hertha Berlin
Last Minute Second Leg - LMSL Competition: Win A Football League Team Shirt!
The Kartik Report - Beşiktaş’ wings clipped again.

Join Kevin and Dov as they discuss late night Jazz voices, Inter and Fiorentina in Day 2 of Champions League Group stage, and the scorelines from matchday 6 of Serie A.

This is a double episode so take an extra 10 to enjoy the discussion.

If you wish to download the OGN/Serie A Weekly Minute+10 podcast and listen later,
right click the audio icon -> and save or subscribe to iTunes to get the latest episodes.

To say that AC Milan’s performances have been below par this season is probably an understatement. The Rossoneri have all but impressed thus far - with the only exception being the opening day game against Siena - and to be honest it doesn’t look like things are going to get better anytime soon.

Whether or not Milan manages to direct themselves out of their early crisis remains to be seen. But considering the major changes that took place during the summer combined with the lack of activities on the player mercato none of us should be truly surprised at the current situation.

Milan began on a new chapter during the summer. Club legend and icon Paolo Maldini bowed out of the game after spending a quarter of a century wearing the Milan jersey. On the final match day Carlo Ancelotti officially announced that he was taking over the coaching duties at Chelsea after eight years on the Milan bench. And finally starplayer and future captain to be, Ricardo Kaká was sacrificed to Real Madrid after spending six seasons in the fashion capital in order to balance the books.

The inexperienced Leonardo was handed the task of guiding the club that had lost the important influences of both Kaká and Maldini and when you combine that with the club’s unwillingness to splash the cash on a squad that obviously lacks both strength and depth it soon adds up to mission impossible.

No replacement was brought in for Kaká, instead promises that Ronaldinho was to be handed his former team mates responsibilities was issued to the general public. Considering the Brazilian’s mediocre first season in Serie A there was some justified doubts of whether or not that would be a successful call.

The Milan-slaughter during the pre-season gave us all an indication of what was to come, but despite our better judgments we were all drawn into the hype surrounding their impressive 2-1 victory over Siena on match day 1.

Since then the team has been massacred by city rivals Inter Milan, held by the likes of Livorno and Bari. The team has only managed to score a single goal after the Siena victory as they scraped by to get a 1-0 win over relegation candidates Bologna - bringing their total goal tally to a miserable three goals.

Although Leonardo quickly declared that he wanted his side to play entertaining offensive football with quick full backs the most important component is still missing. At the moment only Gianluca Zambrotta matches the description - just barely.
Six games into the season we can confirm that Milan are having trouble on every department - with the one exception being the goalkeeper. Marco Storari has replaced the injured Christian Abbiati but after his recent heroic performances the veteran shotstopper is sure continue guarding the goal.

The team has showcased a slow and immobile game in the past few weeks. The defense has been pried open far too easily on several occasions despite Alessandro Nesta and Thiago Silva having performed admirably. The midfield lacks both technique and creativity with Gennaro Gattuso, Andrea Pirlo, Massimo Ambrosini and Clarence Seedorf all past their expiration dates. Despite the disappointing performances of Klass-Jan Huntelaar till date, the only part that holds up somewhat is the offense where Alexandre Pato and SuperPippo Inzaghi have looked lively - but with the lack of balls being played through to the attacking duo they’ve hardly had anything to work with.

Milan is under construction and although Leonardo was given anything but ideal conditions to work with as he took over the post, the new tactician is under fire. Eight points in six games and 11th place in the table is simply not acceptable for a club of Milan’s caliber. Although patience is required at times like these it remains to be seen just how much of it Adriano Galliani and Co are willing to give the Brazilian.

Italians welcome Champions League today with Fiorentina vs Liverpool at the Stadio Artemio Franchi in Firenze. I understand the two cities/clubs have been recently paired as sisters but for the Fiorentina manager Cesare Prandelli this is an even more historic moment facing a side he hasn't seen in European competition since the Heysel Disaster as a Juventus player.

Prandelli will have to use all his tactical wits to over come a formidable opponent in England's Liverpool. La Viola currently sit fourth in Serie A having won four of their last five while they are unbeaten at the Stadio Franchi.

Prandelli and crew have however relied upon a fast breaking counter-attack to make good on their achievements of which Andrea Dossena claims will not work against the well organized defence of Liverpool.


“You should be frightened by the 6-1 win over Hull, because our team concede very little,”

the full-back told La Gazzetta dello Sport


(On 4 July 2008, Liverpool confirmed the signing of Dossena on a four-year deal for an undisclosed fee, reported to be in the region of £7 million, becoming the first ever Italian to play for the club.)


Prandelli plays a 4-2-3-1 formation, normally with Alberto Gilardino as the lone striker having either Adrian Mutu or Stevan Jovetic sit just in behind him. For today's match that arrangement will definitely have to be adjusted. I cannot fathom Gilardino working alone against this Liverpool squad which has shown itself to be very hard to breakdown and yet still having frailties with crosses into the box. Perhaps the Montenegran Jovetic who recently has caught much attention in Serie A will play the partner role to Gilardino and looks good value at 7/2 to score anytime.

Fiorentina will definitely want to capitalise on the six goals conceded by the Reds on their travels so look for an attacking performance by the Viola as Prandelli's men can ill afford to play as Inter two weeks ago against visitors Barca. Inter Milan played out an unattractive 0-0 draw on home turf in their first run out, not an option for the Viola looking for points to counter the 0-1 defeat to Olympique Lyon two weeks ago.

Matchday 6 provided 5 draw outcomes not good for the gambling man, good thing I advised others this was a No-bet weekend. Big surprises with Inter losing to Sampdoria in the first match early Saturday and Udinese working over high flying Genoa 2-0 on Sunday.

22 year-old Napoli midfielder Marek Hamik scored two on the weekend to help his club win their second of the season. If you're in a fantasy league you'll want this young Slovak international on your squad, and that reminds me come join us at SerieALive.com for Serie A fantasy football.

For all the matchday 6 video highlights click on the Read More tab.

Tuttosport
Juve hit the brakes
Ferrara: “I know why”
Moratti in Russia: Mou cannot slip up anymore
Samp alone at the top for first time in 18 years
Napoli: Victory and venom
Marino sacked on TV
Milan: Black crisis

Gazzetta dello Sport
They are all there
Juve can't close out the game with Bologna
Samp stay alone at the top
Inter and Fiorentina are a point from the Bianconeri
Milan draw 0-0 with a spectacular Bari
De Laurentiis fires Marino on TV
Roma save themselves at the death

Corriere dello Sport
Napoli ruckus
The team gets back to winning, but De Laurentiis fires Marino
Bologna freeze Juve
Ferrara: “It's my fault”
What a present for Roma in Catania
Cagliari fly
Milan are whistled after 0-0 draw with Bari
Inter fly to Russia
Eto'o: “Stop talking and start winning”

AC Milan vs Bari
Match CLOSED

Courtesy of Yahoo UK Sports Today's Live Commentary in text chat

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Real Madrid on Saturday added another to the win column with a 3-0 victory over recently promoted Tenerife, but the nicest piece of work on the day was the third goal by Ricky Kaka in open play.

Although a week prior Kaka had already scored for Real during the 2-0 win over Villarreal, that bludge in the netting was from the penalty spot while yesterday's finish really showed the fans up close and personal at Estadio Bernabéu the magic of Kaka all to familar to the San Siro crowd.

Madrid manager Pellegrini was quick to admit the match influence of Kaka, “It is not a mystery that Kaka changes the way that the side plays. We tried to remove him from the side because we have Champions League fixture in midweek, but we did not play well in the first half, however we played far better in the second period, we created space and had good chances. I am pleased with the win.”

Watch the following video highlights and see for yourselves the followup performance by Kaka. The Brazilian initially threads a top drawer pass to Frenchman Karim Benzema who in turn passes off to Raul who tries for goal but is denied. Kaka retrieving the ball sends his own rocket past the keeper and into the side-netting. Lovely curve on the ball Ricky.

Lazio vs Palermo

Will Palermo win one on the road?

Welcome back Serie A Weekly product reviews and our first of the season is the Nike Juventus Line-Up Jacket from SoccerPro.com.

Represent your team in style with the Juventus Line-Up Men's Soccer Jacket, a lightweight design ideal for warming up or cheering from the sidelines.


Jacket Features

• Mock-neck


• Color-block design


• Side-slit pockets


• Team logo at left chest


• Rib cuffs and hem


• Fabric: 100% polyester

If Juventus is not your team the line-up jacket is also available for Inter Milan, Manchester United, FC Barcelona, Club America, Celtic and the USA track team.

The Juventus Line-up version comes in two color schemes of white-black representing the traditional home jersey of the Old Lady and also the current away colors black-silver-silver. both have the embroidered logo on the left chest and swoosh on the right chest.

I've been given the traditional white-black design and first thing I noticed was the bold team name on the reverse. Also not mentioned in the product specs are dual large inside pockets for your cell or ipod nice added touch. Finally the color-block design works well fashion prima donnas, the elbows and waist zone are black helping to hide potential stains and rubs with the white block staying as white as can be.

Additional Product Images
Home Juventus Line-Up Full Front
Away Juventus Line-Up Front
Away Juventus Line-Up Back
Close up of Embroidered logo on the left chest

Make sure to visit SoccerPro.com for their wide selection of soccer training jackets and soccer apparel

Surprise surprise Pazzini scores again and so timely hope Don Lippi is watching he can pick up a pair of much needed replacements for the National team cheap in Pazzini-Cassano but the clock is ticking...tick-tock tick-tock.



click on the read more button to view goal highlights from both Saturday matches.



Video Highlights Sampdoria 1-0 Inter Milan 09.26.09




Video Highlights Livorno 0-1 Fiorentina 09.26.09

Should be a topsy turvy matchday as 7 of the clubs have European Cup commitments in 3 to 4 days.

LMSL - The Brian Clough Guide To The Football League
The Kartik Report - Roberto Carlos to have one last match with Fenerbahçe
The Third Half - Hertha Berlin, Bayer Leverkusen and Hamburg Knocked Out of the German Cup
MadAboutFutbol - MLS Tries To Shake Up CUP

Classic video advert by EA Sports I can't remember so many footballers in one common advertisement for quite some time. If this were Romper Room I'd say, "I see Chiellini, and Muntari, and Xavi, and Benzema, and Rooney, and...

HEY EA SPORTS REPS send Serie A Weekly several copies as give-a-ways thank you very much

I have yet to wade into the Cassano/Lippi debate fully, but after another superlative performance from ‘FantAntnio’ I just couldn’t hold my tongue any longer. Marcelo Lippi… You must take Antonio Cassano to the World Cup!

Antonio Cassano’s temper tantrums are well documented, spraying a member of Roma’s coaching staff in the face with a water bottle, kicking a corner flag in half, falling out with numerous coaches and more recently challenging the referee to a fight after being sent off last season against Torino. In his autobiography he states that, “I only play to 50 percent of my potential.” If this is true then I cannot wait till he nears the magical 100 percent mark.

Lippi has somewhat frozen him out of the Italy set-up, claiming that his attitude is not what La Nazionale need. A fair point, Cassano isn’t nicknamed the Bari brat for no reason. However, it seems this attitude, the cause of so much bad feeling and angst, has changed.

Cassano reported to pre-season training a week earlier than the rest of his team-mates. A move that surprised most around the peninsula and has most definitely paid dividends so far at least. It has been reported Cassano held a mini team-talk before the game against Siena, saying, “Lads, pay attention, because it’s games like these, against Siena, that we risk the most.” These cannot be the words of a brat, surely? He has also said he is willing to play left-back for the Azzurri, Fabio Grosso might not be too happy, but to even say such a thing shows the desire he has to once again pull on the magnificent Savoy blue jersey.

Calls have also been growing in the football world for Cassano to be given a chance for the Azzurri. "Cassano and Italy? It's obvious that Cassano delights people with his extraordinary play, I cannot do more than wish Antonio the best because he deserves a call up." Said Samp director Beppe Marotta.

Enrico Chiesa added his voice, “Cassano deserves La Nazionale, but in football those who deserve it don't always play, it also happens in club football. Often a lot of other factors are decisive.”

While Pietro Vierchowod, Sampdoria legend and an Italian Football FanCast ‘Legend of Calcio’ commented that “Cassano is the best, he is the player with the most fantasia in Italy. He cannot be left at home. He has to be in that group of 22 players, because he can suddenly resolve problems.”

And finally, England coach Fabio Capello, a former manger of Cassano added his weight behind the campaign for a FantAntonio call up, “I have always said that he is the biggest Italian talent and I hope that one day he will be included in the squad for the World Cup.”

I might not add much weight behind the Cassano for Italy campaign, but he needs to be called up, Italy lack creativity and he can provide that in spades, in the four games he has played in Serie A, its four assists and a solitary goal. Further evidence that a fantastic season is in the offing.

With Italy all but qualified for the World Cup, now is the time to get Antonio in the side and let the fantasista show the nation what he can do.

Matchday 5 arrives early with 9 games played at 20:45 CET later today, followed by Genoa vs Juventus tomorrow.

Match of the Day Fiorentina vs Sampdoria

Sampdoria will be put to the test as Pazzini and bunch meet up against Fiorentina. Pazzini, a former Fiorentina man, has a chance to see his side go 5 for 5 and stay atop the scudetto charts but I'm sure the Viola have other things in mind as they welcome the blue and white visitors to Firenze.

While waiting for match time to roll or if you're simply looking for today's reading material on the beautiful game make sure to visit our sister sites at OwnGoalNetwork

Over at MAF you'll discover This Weekend in Mexico as the boys discuss Paschua and crew. The Kartik Report enters the realm of up-and-coming stars when raising the topic of the U20 World Cup Time. Great timing by Johnathan Starling in hunting down Martin Tyler for an interview as The Third Half presents, The Third Half 8: Martin Tyler. Finally, our new team of writers at The Last Minute Second Leg provide a view of caution to those following the Championship in England with their piece, Ipswich Should Not Be Too Keane To Panic

Make a visit to OwnGoalNetwork and discover a treasures chest of soccer news and entertainment.

Soccerpro has produced a Homeless World Cup T-shirt and right now revenue from the shirt program will be donated to the Homeless WorldCup but hurry the offer ends September 30th so place your order today.

The 2009 Homeless World Cup Tee-Shirt is a great way to show your support for The Homeless World Cup! The Homeless World Cup is an organization working to change the lives of homeless soccer players across the world. The 2009 Homeless World Cup is held in Milan, Italy and nations from across the globe will be participating.

Check out soccerpro for all your soccer needs.

Related Posts

Serie A Weekly - Homeless World Cup Is The Focuse of Milano

Sampdoria are topping the table alongside Juventus and together they are the only teams in Serie A with a hundred per cent record after the first four outings of the new campaign.

After the impressive summer mercato from Juventus the expectations on the Bianconeri were sky-high, but the same can hardly be said for the Blucerchiati. Instead the Genoa based club look set to become this season’s surprise package.

Sampdoria are currently firing on all cylinders. The team’s recent success can be tracked down to a handful of deal-breaking factors which includes the arrival of Luigi Del Neri, FantAntonio’s superb form, the smart activities on the transfer market and the team spirit.

Del Neri has implemented his tactics well and the transition from Samp’s 3-5-2 to a more offensive minded 4-4-2 has gone incredibly smooth. The wingers’ contributions play a bigger role in the team’s style of play where both the defense and attack is organized by a coach who is extremely well prepared comes match day.

After two seasons in Atalanta, Del Neri decided as early as in April that it was time to part ways with the Bergamo-club. The reason was simply that his ambitions didn’t match that of the club’s.

The tactician’s impact has been obvious in Sampdoria and their high standings as well as Atalanta’s early crisis. Del Neri’s former club is currently housing at bottom the charts with four consecutive defeats which yesterday resulted in his successor Angelo Gregucci getting the sack.

Despite the club’s recent success the tactician has tried to tone down the expectations on his side by saying;

“We're not aiming for anything but we have no limits either. The objective is simply to play well and show group spirit. Then there are supersonic players, like a certain player from Bari [Antonio Cassano], who makes the difference when he has the ball at his feet and works a lot for the team.”

This obviously brings us to the team’s brightest gem; Antonio Cassano’s who’s pure brilliance has resulted in renewed hopes of glory for the Blucerchiati. After years of disciplinary issues the Bari-born forward has matured beyond recognition and has finally let the displays on the pitch do the talking. The speed and impressive technique combined with his playmaking abilities makes him the main reason to why Sampdoria can finally dare to dream again.

Arrivals such as Daniele Mannini from Napoli, Fernando Tissone from Udinese, Marco Rossi from Parma and Luciano Zauri from Fiorentina have paid dividends. On top of that Giampaolo Pazzini has continued on his fine goalscoring form from last season and the way the former Viola-man and Cassano complement each other is simply mind-boggling.

Last year’s poor start and ultimately 13th place finish in the standings is sought to be improved on and by the looks of things some form of European cup could be on the horizon for the Blucerchiati come May. Last year Samp only managed to collect three victories on their away trips but this year they’ve already managed to bag two in as many games and with an average of 2.5 goals in each of their games thus far their confidence simply going through the roof.

However, one has to see the realistic side of the story as well. Is this just a bubble waiting to be burst? Del Neri’s men face some very tricky games in their upcoming fixtures as they are set to travel to Florence to take on Fiorentina on Wednesday followed by an encounter against the reigning champions at home.

Can Sampdoria hold on to their recent success?

Hello SerieAWeekly readers

as I work to find a homepage place for the matchday Serie A fixture list please look toward the blog post area on Friday mornings for the time being.

I will try to update this post before today's matches with several match previews.

Gazzetta dello Sport
New Nesta
‘Milan and myself, the fear has gone’
Moratti: ‘Inter stronger without Ibra’
Europa League
Genoa shine, Lazio mess, Roma fall

Corriere dello Sport
‘Inter like Barca’
Moratti: ‘We are studying to be as good as them, we’ll do it’
Del Piero: Juve resist, I’ll soon help you
Lazio and Roma, how embarrassing

Tuttosport
Juve - Operation Champions!
Super bonuses but only for the Scudetto or Champions League
Milan and Real Madrid bids for Amauri and Sissoko rebuffed
Genoa show in Europe
Ranieri, two slaps in Basle
Lazio, incredible mistakes and KO

Genoa Cricket and Football Club take themselves back into an arena that they haven’t experienced in a long time, the European arena, as they face Slavia Prague in the Europa League. This event coupled with the 4-1 victory over Napoli on Sunday evening, it has been a truly wonderful week for the Genovese side.

The match between Genoa and Napoli was a highly anticipated game as it contained two of Serie A’s most attacking and entertaining sides. Although Napoli were under a bit of pressure after an indifferent start to the season, Genoa were sitting proudly as joint leaders of Serie A.

The match itself was a brilliant advert for Calcio, end to end stuff, stunning goals, penalties and red cards a plenty, no football fan could have asked for a more entertaining evening. Napoli landed the early blows and were aided in their efforts by Domenico Criscito being sent off after half an hour for a foul-mouthed tirade aimed at the referee. Marek Hamsik then put Napoli in the lead with a fine pass and move goal, culminating in a shot from the tightest of angles.

Genoa refused to give up, this underlines the attitude of Il grifone and the rewards were soon to come. Hugo Campagnaro was sent off for a send bookable offence as he tripped Guiseppe Sculli in the penalty area; Sergio Floccari duly converted the spot kick. Parity restored.

As the game wore on Genoa pressed and gained their advantage from Giandomenico Mesto, who cut in from the left and powered a shot into the far top corner from about 25 yards. A magnificent way to take the lead. Further goals from Hernan Crespo and Houssine Kharja wrapped up a thrilling game and superlative performance from Genoa.

Victory over Napoli kept Genoa’s 100 percent record for the season in tact and the emphatic nature of the result meant they leapt to the summit of Serie A. The current side have also equalled the Genoa side of 1932-33, as this was the last time they won their opening three fixtures in the top flight.

Another interesting observation was the unbridled sense of team unity, team spirit and belief. Even going a goal down and a man down, the rossoblu continued to attack and at least try to pin their opponents back. After every goal, it was a team celebration not just an individual player then after the full time whistle, the entire Genoa side saluted the ultras in emphatic and appreciative fashion. The mood among Gasperini’s men seems to be extremely upbeat and positive which can only bode well in the future.

To add further celebration, this week marks the first European outing for Genoa for a long while and a 2-0 win over Slavia Prague added extra sweetness to the festivities. The future definitely looks bright for them, also if this form can be maintained then a serious Scudetto challenge could be in the offing.

Considering the amount of transfer activity at the Marassi in the summer, it is a wonder Genoa have gelled so quickly. This is testament to Gasperini who is quickly establishing himself as one of Europe’s most talented coaches. But only time will tell how the season will unfold, but on recent evidence, things look very bright indeed.

We have 3 match highlights for you today with Genoa vs Napoli first up, goals and red cards galore, then Fiorentina vs Cagliari as the Viola scratch out a 1-0 win with a goal from Alberto Gilardino and finally Chievo vs Bologna where the home side triumphs by a score of 2-0 over the visitors.



Genoa 4-1 Napoli





Fiorentina 1-0 Cagliari





Chievo 2-0 Bologna

Our OGN sister site The Kartik Report have two previews posted today by Dave Trotter that might interest the Serie A Weekly reader.

Champions League Preview - Juventus vs. Bordeaux

wo teams that are looking quite impressive so far in their respective leagues are Italian side Juventus and French side Bordeaux.

Juventus has won three out of three games so far this season with an impressive win over Lazio last weekend. Bordeaux have won four out of five games this year, with the odd game out being a draw to Olympique Marseille on the road...

read more @ The Kartik Report

Champions League Preview - Marseille vs. AC Milan

The Champions League trophy has found its way on French soil only once in its 54 year history. That place was Marseille.

The team they defeated in the finals in Munich that year was AC Milan. And since that match up 16 years ago, these teams have yet to meet again. But that will change Wednesday.

There is a history between these two team, ...

read more @ The Kartik Report

Join Kevin and Dov at Serie A Weekly as they discuss matchday 3 in Italian Serie A where, Juventus wins it's third in a row but loses their new Brazilian import Diego to injury, AS Roma get a last minute goal from John A Riise to gather in their first points of the season, and Genoa down to 10 men rally against the visitors to score 4 and send Napoli packing.

read more for embedded audio

If you wish to download the OGN/Serie A Weekly Minute+10 podcast and listen later,
right click the audio icon -> and save or subscribe to iTunes to get the latest episodes.

Part I includes highlights from the Lazio vs Juventus match on Saturday plus the Siena vs Roma on Sunday.


Lazio 0-2 Juventus

Siena 1-2 Roma Goal Highlights 09.13.09

Great weekend for footie in Italy as I'm sensing a continuation from last season with an enlarged middle of the table zone. The quality of play keeps increasing across the league, making for greater parity.

Make sure to checkout the related links section at the bottom of this post for your morning read. Finally, our OGN/SerieAWeekly treble pick (Marseille/Roma/Fiorentina) hit once again on the weekend. This was the 9th winner in a row!


Gazzetta dello Sport
Inter’ooo
Genoa capital
Eto’o and Milito launch the Nerazzurri against Parma
Diego, 15 day stop. The injury is not serious
Ronaldinho a problem. Place at risk against Marseille

Corriere dello Sport
Mourinho bites Juve
‘I stopped watching the game after Lazio’s disallowed goal’
Meanwhile, Inter beat Parma with Eto’o-Milito and are -2 from top
Genoa command, Roma restart
Champions League: Juve without Diego, Ronaldinho out for Milan

Tuttosport
Ferrara: ‘I want more’
Diego KO for two weeks
Samp: Leaders promoted with full marks. Cassano magic, Mannini goal
Genoa: Comeback worth leadership. Four strikes for Donadoni, he’s at risk

Related Posts

La Gazzetta dello Sport - Juve are alone on topAnd Trezeguet gets a goal
Football Italia - Muntari hits back at Ibrahimovic
Football Italia - Ronaldinho to be dropped

Goal.com - Calcio Debate: Is This The Worst Milan Team In 25 Years?

Goal.com - Philippe Mexes Hails Battling Roma

I originally posted these comments at Punter's Lounge this morning but decided it would be good to copy and paste them up at serieaweekly for those looking for a betting edge this weekend.


You show me your Treble I'll show you Mine, play the Serie A Weekly treble challenge.

In Serie A this weekend I've got JUVE/Roma/Fiorentina all pegged as winners.

Juve are operating on all cylinders with new imports Diego, Melo and I'm guessing Grosso providing a flying start for their new club.

Roma, I expect a 100% motivated side for this match. The new coach syndrome is in play and regardless what pundits say Roma is a quality side.

Fiorentina without Mutu is still a very deadly side, Jovetic looks good in his performance so far and I have faith in Gilardino to make an impact against a weaker opponent in Cagliari, Fiorentina will not be short on offensive power. Finally, the 12th man (home advantage) at the stadio Franchi doesn't hurt but hope they've fixed that dust bowl of a pitch before Sunday.

A very viable alternative is Sampdoria away to Atalanta. Manager Del Neri returns to his old stomping grounds and with the strike partnership of Cassano-Pazzini playing for him I see this one as both an over 2.5 and away win.

visit http://www.serieaweekly.com/ as I expand the writers corp. offer new jersey contests and provide weekly commentary with the Minute+10 podcast.

Matchday 3 Fixtures

September 12th
18:00 Livorno vs AC Milan
20:45 Lazio vs Juventus

September 13th
15:00 Atalanta vs Sampdoria
15:00 Bologna vs Chievo
15:00 Fiorentina vs Cagliari
15:00 Inter Milan vs Parma
15:00 Palermo vs Bari
15:00 Siena vs AS Roma
15:00 Udinese vs Catania
20:45 Genoa vs Napoli

Can you guess who the two Lazio players are? Try the zoom option, click on the image.



This Saturday at 8:45pm CET Lazio welcome Juventus to the stadio Olimpico as Juventus attempt to win back-to back victories against the Capitale. On matchday 2 the Old Lady journeyed to Rome and defeated AS Roma by a score of 3-1, what is in store for the neutral fan this time round I wonder? I suspect another over 2.5 meeting with the likes of Diego, Amauri, and Zarate ready to poach one.

Head to Head

Tuttosport
Moratti is anxious: ‘Juve, I’m supporting Lazio’
Inter President sparks yet another controversy
More drops of Nerazzurri poison towards Cobolli and Lippi
Italy boss: ‘I only made a prediction’
Bianconeri track Kacar, Hertha’s new Mihajlovic
Toro: Leon two-match ban for agent bungle
Foschi: ‘We’ll create a great youth academy’
Milan: Huntelaar takes crossing lessons
Ancelotti calls on Pato to quit
Sculli: ‘To win with Napoli’
De Rossi: ‘Spalletti, such dignity’
Argentina revolt against Diego

Gazzetta dello Sport
Capello speaks out: Inter MUST win the Champions League
‘The team was built for this. Eto’o-Ibra a straight swap’
‘I hope to see an England-Italy World Cup Final’
Maradona flops: he loses and gets fatter
Moratti, Lippi, Cobolli - who is supporting who
Nerazzurro: ‘If the Coach says Juve, I can cheer on Lazio’
Response: ‘I only support Italy’
Juve President: ‘I won’t choose’
Lotito: ‘I represent an example for everyone’

Corriere dello Sport
Moratti attacks Lippi
‘If he is behind Juve, then in the big game I choose Lazio’
The Italy Coach: ‘I only support the Azzurri’
Zarate tells Lazio: ‘I want to play’
Juve, Diego and Amauri break through
Maradona fury
Centre-backs, Nesta beats Terry by one vote
Vieri’s new life as a poker player in America
Montezemolo-Alonso say yes

Match previews for matchday 3 posted later today

Step aside AC Milan and Internazionale Team Homeless is in town. Representing the world in Milano from the 6th to the 13th of September, the Homeless World Cup takes light with teams from 48 countries competing in the sixth annual Homeless WC tournament.

And because this event is no joke major sponsors Nike, UEFA, Vodafone have jumped onboard to make this a reality for years to come. Professional clubs like Manchester United, Real Madrid, Tottenham Hotspur and the aforementioned Inter and AC Milan are lenting a hand also in helping organizers reach their goal of improving the lives of those less fortunate.

Visit the homeless worldcup website, check the videos and pictures, think about how you could contribute next year or simply make a donation. According to the organization's website,

"73% of players are changing their lives for the better by coming off drugs and alcohol, moving into jobs, education, homes, training, reuniting with families and even going on to become players and coaches for pro or semi-pro football teams."



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Serie A Weekly - Hey Get The Word Out SoccerPro Is Helping The Homeless

Italy took another step towards World Cup qualification a 2-0 victory over Georgia courtesy of a Kakha Kaladze own-goal brace. However, this result does mask what was a lacklustre performance from the Azzurri and if this is the best Italy can do then the title of ‘World Champions’ will most definitely be shifting.

As the line ups were announced, Lippi sprung a couple of surprises, preferring Domenico Criscito to Fabio Grosso while giving Marco Marchionni his first Azzurri start since 2006 and starting He also started with a 4-4-2 formation, instead of the 4-3-3 that has been the Italian staple for the last couple of years.

In terms of player performances, the most notable were Criscito along with Camoranesi, substitutes D’Agostino and Quagliarella. Buffon also did well when called upon and produced a couple of truly stunning reaction saves, for me, still the best in his position.

It must be said; the lack of creativity and killer touch in attack is vast. Giuseppe Rossi was given a rare start and produced a woeful performance, which led to his removal. Iaquinta for all his hard work does not, it seems, possess the required quality to play at this level, for all his endeavour he continues to be wasteful in front of goal.

Criscito made a fine claim for the starting left-back slot as his marauding runs forward were proving to be extremely dangerous to the Georgian backline, and on one occasion he dribbled past three players in the penalty area before being bundled over, but the referee waved play on.

Quagliarella was dangerous when he came on, looking lively upfront and hitting the upright with a diving header. D’Agostino carried his form over from last season and was extremely assured in the centre of midfield.

Problems for Lippi remain, the Antonio Cassano question will not go away. When asked after the match if the team needed a fantasista he replied, "We have our own fantasista in goal, his name is Gigi Buffon. A great goalkeeper like him does nothing for an hour and then comes up with a decisive intervention."

This is all well and good, having a top-class ‘keeper is essential in the modern game but for me and pretty much every other Nazionale supporter, Cassano is a must have in the team, going on his performances of the previous year. One other addition could be his partner in crime, Giampaolo Pazzini, who has been unable to stop scoring since his move to Sampdoria in January.

After the indifferent performance against the Georgians, he also went on to say Italy will be a much stronger team come the World Cup in 2010, “We have always been a national team built for tournaments. Now we are focusing on getting to there, but wait until the World Cup, as in those 30-40 days it will all be different.”

Things that appear different are actually the same, Italy have all the same problems they did at the Confederations Cup and Lippi does not want to remedy them. The lack of firepower is apparent with alternatives in Serie A begging for a chance, the possibility of Amauri being given an Azzurri chance seems more and more likely, with the Brazilian commenting, "I hope to be in South Africa. If the call comes, I would be honoured to wear the Azzurri shirt." But with issues over his passport application it should only be a matter of time till he puts on the blue of Italy.

SATURDAY September 5th

This week's Minute+10 on Italian Serie A is little late to production but considering there is no matchday this weekend due to the international break, perhaps the podcast will help keep everything fresh in your minds as we await week 3 in 7 days time.

Welcome to matchday 2 in Italian Serie A. 27 goals scored on matchday 2 and only one draw result, is this a sign of things to come? Dov Schiavone from Italian Football Fancast joins me once again to discuss all things Serie A and Italian calcio.

Give us a listen and leave your comments below, ciao.

If you wish to download the OGN/Serie A Weekly Minute+10 podcast and listen later,
right click the audio icon -> and save or subscribe to iTunes to get the latest episodes.

As anticipation grew, the media focused on whether or not Jose Mourinho could overcome a Milan side that were assured and impressive in the first round of games. Milan, it seemed had turned a corner, Ronaldinho finally found his range of passing and regained the creativity which had been lacking in the previous campaign, Pato looked ever the world class centre forward and with Nesta returning to shore up the rearguard, the Diavolo were having a wonderful time of it.

Inter though, plugged the creative gap in their team with the signing of Wesley Sniedjer who slotted into the Nerazzurri midfield as the trequartista, just behind Samuel Eto’o and Gabriel Milito. Christian Chivu and Walter Samuel made the starting line up with Javier Zanetti moving to the right side of midfield. Inter looked a formidable unit, and so it proved.

Milan coach Leonardo’s face told a million stories, the lack of creativity going forward, an ineffectual Ronaldinho and complete lack of physical imputes. All the optimism the Rossoneri had going into the 271^st Derby della Madoninna had dissipated within the first thirty minutes. Inter had clearly moved up a number of levels from the previous weekends disappointing draw with Bari. Milan were well and truly destroyed.

Marco Boriello managed to keep his place in the Milan first eleven; I personally want an explanation for that. He did not justify his inclusion; he was poor against Siena and invisible on Saturday night. Maicon ruined Marek Jankulovski throughout the evening, with the Czech at fault for a couple Inter’s goals. Gattuso has definitely lost some of the physical prowess that was the foundation of his game, perhaps this led to his sending off, as he could not compete with the Inter midfield and alongside Pirlo, who again looks well past his best, Milan were well off the pace all night.

One glimmer of hope was Alexandre Pato, the young Brazilian terrorised the Inter defence, especially when drifting to both flanks, he is truly a world superstar in the making, but this alone is not enough for the Rossoneri.

The team were shown up by a far superior side, Silvio Berlusconi is kidding himself if he thinks this squad has the quality to challenge for the Scudetto never mind the Champions League, as said in the summer, a complete overhaul is needed badly. As mentioned previously, Milan Coach, Leonardo did not seem to have any answer to the Jose juggernaught, his face told of a coach void of ideas and with no clear direction in his tactics of team selection. My early season optimism has evaporated.

This was a sore defeat and one that will ring loud on the ears of the Milan faithful, one that will surely make the AC Milan hierarchy realise, this team needs to be changed. Not only were they beaten by a superlative Internazionale side, they were beaten by their own inadequacies. Problems that have surfaced over and over, finally led to a humiliating capitulation and rout. Milan may overcome the smaller teams in Serie A but when it comes to the stronger teams, I’m afraid the flaws, which are already there, will be exposed time and time again.