Crotone 1-2 Atalanta. Saturday afternoon Serie A in Calabria. Three goals in the first 45’ placed Atalanta in second in the classifica. Two goals from the Colombian attacker Muriel. Didn’t get to watch this as I was concentrated on Serie B. Anyone get a good peek at it?
Serie B: Salernitana - Reggiana. The match was put to go ahead however the team from Emilia Romagna didn’t appear to take the field, ala Juventus and Napoli a few weeks before. As mentioned earlier in this threat, there were many personnel with the virus from the club. Neither their youth squad would be put the test.
Vicenza 4-4 Pisa. MAMMA MIA… was the call from the telecronista when the fourth goal from the Pisa player Gugher found the back of the net, his second of the evening, a truly wonderful shot. At the 26 minute, Pisa found a space with a great run and then a finish by Vido that gave the visitors to go ahead 1-2, but it wasn’t finished there, the goals kept coming and coming to end all square at four four. If your checking out the second division highlights, this one will be a great one.
Cittadella 1-2 Monza. Two penalty goals from Kevin “Prince” Boateng lifted Monza up the classifica in serie b this "early"14:00 kick off this Saturday afternoon. Cittadella is a difficult place to play and to win there should be noted. The road ahead for promotion monza seems to have begun well!
Serie A: Udinese 1-2 Milan. Sunday lunchtime match delivered. Both clubs playing attacking football and defending well. Of course, gaps were there on both sides but were created not suddenly found. Ibra was back and played well. He even got the final overhead kick goal to hammer the nail in the udinese coffin proprio! Udinese played well but were unfortunate to not get anything today.
Serie B: A thick fog suspended the match between Venezia and Empoli. At the 61’ not only was it not clear from the TV to see the match most of the first half, the players and referees finally succumbed to the reality. Today, Sunday at 14:00 the rest of the match will be played out. The home team were up two nil.
Torino 3-4 Lazio. Turin’s olympic stadium rocked today as the club from the capital Lazio over came a strong Torino to grab the three points. Incredibly, it seemed that the home squad would take it all away, but a late penalty from the ex Immobile and an incredibly fortunate bounce of the ball in the box to the feet of the Ecuadorian forward Caicedo…a shot that went between the Torino keeper Sirigu and a goal that ended up stealing the toro parade in extra time, 97’. On the Torino side, Bellotti is such a gun, it’s incredible how much drive he has. Also bagged a penalty. In the middle Rincon also managed and pushed Torino to its limit. Great game.
La Spezia 1-4 Juventus. Another game at Cesena in Emilia Romagna, home away from home for La Spezia. Heard Ronaldo got a double after coming on in the second half. Anyone got the scoop?
Serie B: Reggina 0-1 Spal. The club from Ferrara handed the first loss of the season to Reggina this late afternoon in Calabria. Having played most of the game a man down, Reggina couldn’t get a good rhythm past the opposing defenders. The Reggina (formerly of Napoli, Atalanta and Udinese) forward Germán Denis missed his 2nd penalty from the spot.
Apparently Sean Connery was abit of a football fan. Read in a paper today that he attended a Roma Juventus game back in the day. Sporting a white beard for the first time, and for the fear of being discovered, his head was covered by a silk covering. He watched the clash between the Italian heavyweights from the stands at the stadio olimpico, and he seemed to really enjoy it. Think what you may, but that would be a very cool afternoon imo. I’m sure he had a borghetti shot this time and not a martini
Problems this week in Lazio camp ahead of the lunchtime partita on Sunday against Juventus. Three players testing positive to the virus this week, the main man Immobile, Leiva and the goalkeeper Strakosha. However, a new test was done yesterday, a laboratory in Avellino, and the whole squad resulted negative! Giornalists making this into a bigger story than it really should. On top of that, this week, Roma’s prolific striker Edin Dzeko also tested positive to the virus, having to skip out on this weekends match in Genova, and spend a week quarantined at home.
Serie B: Spal 2-0 Salernitana. Ex-Bologna and the son of the current Cagliari manager Eusebio Di Francesco’s son Federico Di Francesco (that’s a mouth full ) scored and helped the home team dominate Friday’s opening second division match on match day seven. An early goal in the first 6 minutes from Valoti opened the scoring that eventually sealed the 3 points. Salernitana didn’t show up 100% and were simply punished for it. Interestingly, Spal are now one point minus from the leaders Empoli, Chievo Verona and Frosinone, but with a game in hand. The stadium and it’s surroundings in Ferrara is cool. Having gone there once before the team’s recent success in Serie A. Curva Ovest is a great terrace too! A must if your visiting.
Benevento 0-3 Spezia. Second win for the club from Liguria in Serie A. The visitors finding open space twice in the box, and secondly, a strong header punished the home team to its pulp. Sealing the game, the French striker Nzola scored two goals in close procession of each other giving Italiano’s squad a boost in confidence.
Serie B: Monza 2-0 Frosinone. Both goals captured in the second forty-five minutes. Big statement again from Monza, considering the opposing team from the Lazio region, Frosinone, play good football and are very strong home and away. You get the feeling something is cooking at camp Monza… beyond a fresh polenta.
Cremonese 0-1 Vicenza. First win for Vicenza in Serie B was much needed. Arriving in Cremona with an objective, a point - at least, but came away with all three! Previously, laying at the base of the table, the late away goal, scored by the captain and defender Padella, came from a corner, literally in the thick of the mist in the box. The victory pushes the venezian club away from relegation misery zone.
Empoli 3-0 Reggina. The table leaders Empoli makes another firm statement to the other clubs in the second division. Organised in defence and midfield and attacking up front, it is hard to not recognise a club that’s pushing beyond, a few years running now. The win also comes even better received as earlier Chievo Verona slipped up in transfer at Pordenone with a draw. The ex-Pescara striker Mancuso opening the scoring early in the second 45’ from a great cross in a compact box, speaks volumes for the quality the club has. Two other goals, Matos and a first for Olivieri, came from opportuned moments through out the second half.
Lazio 1-1 Juventus. La lunchtime partita between these two clubs was explosive, right up to the final minute, with both clubs finding good attacking chances. But for the club from the capital, however, it was the defensive effort by Pirlo’s boys that proved to be too difficult to break down, even though there was no shortage of attack from Lazio. At 15’ Juventus found a goal through a wonderful run from Cuadrado beating two Lazio players on the way to place a low cross to Ronaldo. A team performance, absolutely, however, by the closing of the first half, the Portuguese striker had shot for goal for the fifth time. After the break, Lazio made some player changes and improved, the Argentine midfielder Correa being the best, but the bianconeri intensified, finding themselves in the opposition box a few times, dangerously close for Inzaghi’s men. Then, it was Lazio’s turn, after the hour mark they were ever increasingly on the edge of the juve box or in it, but again unable to find the equaliser. A game that ignited early on and kept the flame burning ended in the right manner. It wasn’t until the 94’ that Lazio finally scored. Another attack into the box by Correa, with no one able to stop him, the ball finding its way to feet of Caicedo and then the shot to equalise… goal! Great Sunday match! No Ciro Immobile due to an ASL order to not allow the striker to play (the Rome based sports newspaper declared ASL 3-0 Lolito).
Serie B: Pescara 3-1 Cittadella. Sitting at the bottom of the table, Pescara’s season can only go up, and this Sunday afternoon at the adriatica stadium, it certainly did… way up! Grabbing their first victory this season against a club that has always been difficult for Pescara. This afternoon when rumours of a new club take-over hangs in the balance and what seems like a last chance for manager Massimo Oddo (ex-player for Lazio and Milan fame), Pescara came out firing… pulling the trigger 3 times good! Two brilliant early goals from the ex-Cagliari Colombian striker Ceter, and the club from Abruzzo were up two nil, goals that would make a highlight reel of the season. The visitors Cittadella were not allowed the movement they liked due to the surprisingly great organisation of the midfield and defenders of Pescara. Just before the break, Pescara went up three by midfielder Vokic who scored an inspiring goal from a free kick just outside the box. In the second half, the visitors got one back, came close with a second, and a missed chance from the spot that flew up to row z.
Serie C: Sambenedettese 1-1 Perugia. The match at the Riviera delle Palme in San Benedetto del Tronto was a pleasure to see. Recently relegated club Perugia now playing in the 3rd division had alot to deal with coming into the game, having players and staff absent with the virus. The match: an early penalty to the home team kept the hopes high for the club from Le Marche that really kept a strong display through out the match. Ex-Cagliari player Melchiorri got the equaliser before the first 45’ for the visitors and really showed good determination for a follow up. In the second half, both clubs had chances but couldn’t produce the winner. Great stadium to watch a match, especially when the supporters are present. While there, find the time to have a pizza margherita and the olive all’ascolana with a beer at the Old Spirit Football Pub in the ol’ town centre. Old Spirit Authentic Football Pub - Home | Facebook Interestingly, the local ultras from Sambenedettese have an old friendship (amongst others) with German club Bayern Munich (bayern monaco in italian) that is sure to keep a conversation going.
Culturally relevant. 11/11/20 marks a significant date in the tifoseria italiana. In 2007, on a way to a match in milan, Gabriele Sandri (nicknamed gabbo), a fan of Lazio, was shot dead by a policeman while sitting in a back of a car at an autogrill station (a highway service station/bar) near Arezzo, near Florence. This week, the incident is still well remembered and talked about.
Juventus 2-0 Cagliari. The bianconeri dominated Saturday’s top division match in Turin that even made the Cagliari manager, Di Francesco, admit that his club were out classed. From early on in the match it was all Juventus. Kulusevski enjoyed plenty of space in attack that gave Bernardeschi and Alvaro many choices. Two goals from the main man Ronaldo in the first half lifted the italian’s favourite club (debatable in a bar) up to the second position on the table. More games on Sunday, including Napoli-Milan at the San Paolo.
Serie B: SPAL 2-0 Pescara. Back in the second division, the club from Ferrara are climbing the ladder again, with only one defeat to record so far. Even though the afternoon’s match at the Stadio Paolo Mazza wasn’t an easy one, they still managed to hurt the visitors when they needed to. Midfielders Di Francesco and Dickmann showed great attacking skill and composure. The visiting club, Pescara, have a good attacking spirit, somewhat strong defence, and a great goal-keeper, Fiorillo, however Pescara made some poor decisions coming in to the final third of the play and then were punished by a clever attack from SPAL, in both of the two goals. I hasn’t been an easy road, a new club owner looms in the air, a few injuries including another one today to on load Genoa attacker Asencio, time will tell if Pescara will be able to lift from here.
Lecce 7-1 Reggiana. News came out early that during the match, the carpark was used as a helipad for a covid victim, which lifted a few eyebrows and put the match being played in conditions like so in question by a few. The match: As you can tell by the score, it was goal lovers dream at the Stadio Via del Mare. Right away, Lecce attacked well, Coda taking the first goal in the first 5 minutes, grabbing 3 in the whole match, which began with a brilliant play by Mancosu and a cross to the back post and boom, the first goal…and they kept coming, on the 20th, 37th, 50th, 69th, 75th and the last coming at the 84th minute! Reggiana are in difficulties, you almost feel sorry for them, as it’s not a good time for the club from Reggio Emilia. Having got one goal back, Reggiana were not in a position to make a difference from there on. I keep saying it, Serie B, a difficult league to compete in.
Fiorentina 0-1 Benevento. The lunch time partita was fairly even between the two in the opening fourty five, shots on target were distant. Former French attacker Riberi suffering an injury just short of the first half. On the 51’ Viola made a mistake from the defence and Benevento took advantage through skillful “pressing” and stealing of the ball striker Roberto Insigne, followed by being able to manoeuvre the ball to midfielder Improta who was in good space in the d of the penalty to slot the ball past the Viola keeper. The rest of the match, Benevento were in charge, while still being an arm wrestle. Lapadula came close from a penalty kick outside the box late on, wass it only not the great save.
Amongst the tifoseria: Historic leader of ultras viola (Pietro Vuturo) passed away recently from long term illness. A respectful gesture today before the lunch time partita Fiorentina - Benevento.
Lazio 1-3 Udinese. The sun made an appearance onto the pitch at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico this Sunday as the home town club, Lazio, fought hard against a strong performance by the visiting Udinese. One minute silence to Maradona pre-set all matches in the Italian leagues through out the weekend (one also at the 10’ mark). In the first half the bianconeri found good space and attacking spirit, especially from the left. Long and direct passes and accurately placed players undone the home teams defence and midfield. In fact, that continuous action resulting in the first goal, thanks a final shot by the midfielder Arslan, who shot a slick shot pass the keeper. It wasn’t all one way, Lazio maintained a good attack, but were not able to penetrate through the Udinese defence, really really good defence. Just before half time, Udinese made it two, after a turn over of play, goal to attacker Pussetto. Great attack from halfway, poor defending from Lazio. The second half started like the first, even though there was an improvement from the home team, Udinese also improved. Ten minutes past the hour mark, Udinese made it three, this time it was the attacker Forestieri. A few short minutes later, a bad backpass by Udinese defence made Immobile pounce and chase the ball, only to have the keeper take him down in the box. Resulting in a penalty and then to goal, which was taken by Immobile. The game finished like so. Great performance by the visiting Udinese.
Serie C: For those following Serie C. A little club called Ternana have started a great season, 10 victories, 3 draws and 0 losses. Club from lower Umbria battle in the Group C. A team definitely to watch out for. Recently, even beating a club flying high Teramo. Yesterday’s match, Vibonese 2-3 Ternana.
) scored and helped the home team dominate Friday’s opening second division match on match day seven. An early goal in the first 6 minutes from Valoti opened the scoring that eventually sealed the 3 points. Salernitana didn’t show up 100% and were simply punished for it. Interestingly, Spal are now one point minus from the leaders Empoli, Chievo Verona and Frosinone, but with a game in hand. The stadium and it’s surroundings in Ferrara is cool. Having gone there once before the team’s recent success in Serie A. Curva Ovest is a great terrace too! A must if your visiting.
