Serie A round 6

[Juventino]

Cesena - Chievo
Fiorentina - Lazio
Inter - Napoli (Saturday)
Juventus - Milan
Lecce - Cagliari
Novara - Catania
Palermo - Siena
Parma - Genoa
Roma - Atalanta (Saturday)
Udinese - Bologna

A couple of big games this weekend, plus an intriguing encounter on Sunday in Florence.

On Rai (note daylight saving starts Sunday morning so matches are an hour later):
Roma v Atalanta (Sunday 1:30am, which could turn into 2:30am, just make sure)
Inter v Napoli (Sunday 5:15am)
Novara v Catania (Sunday 9pm)
Fiorentina v Lazio (Sunday 11:30pm)
Juventus v Milan (Monday 5:15am)

I wonder how Inter v Napoli will go. We know what Napoli's gameplan will be, but how will Ranieri setup Inter? Will he get them to push and push, or sit back a little more with Napoli's speed and precision on the counter?

[LFTWNG11]

Tough away trip for Lazio, will be happy with a point.

[El Pibe D'Oro]

Fiorentina were very calculated against us. I see a draw there.

[Juventino]

So will Cavani be back for the match on Saturday?

[El Pibe D'Oro]

If you believe reports then Cavani will not be playing.

[Napoli]

I've read also that Lavezzi may also miss.

[El Pibe D'Oro]

I cant see both of them missing out.

Apparently Cavani is now looking ok - maybe a bit of gamesmanship.

Pazzini has been ruled out and no Sneijder for Inter either.

Anyways, what a game it will be.

[BAGGIO 15]

I'm amazed the NAPS haven't commented on a title contenders display that see's Inter very close to relegation. They looked the real deal tonight. Love seeing Inter get belted, who was it that missed the sitter at 2 nil for Napoli?

[El Pibe D'Oro]

It was Zuniga - should have been four or five. To be fair, the send off changed the game, having said that when it was 11 v 11 i thought we were still the better side.

Good to see we closed the game out the way it should have been.

I cant understand why the Inter players were going mental just before half time, they clearly were rattled. Lucio the biggest culprit.

Funny Juilo Cesar complaining that Campagnaro encroached on the pen, but there were two inter players in there before him!!

Cesar should concentrate on improving his form he has been woeful since they won the CL.

[sacred_june (GrooveChild)]

When you are hungrier than your opposite number, attack the ball and are playing well, you get "luckier". the bounce of the ball tends to go your way; as do refereeing decisions.

[sacred_june (GrooveChild)]

Also even after inter went 1-0 down and a man down as well, they lost it. The way they responded wasn't the refs fault. Plenty of teams have come from that exact position and won the game, they wouldn't have been the first. That sort of decision makes stronger teams rally and dig in their heels. Inter, however, just rolled over

[Blue Mastiff]

Viva la revoluzione!!!!!!!

[El Pibe D'Oro]

Maicon, Lucio and Samuel really struggled.

They could have sold Maicon for 20 milllion euro in the summer too.

[Juventino]

I close my eyes for a second at about 4am and next thing I know there is sunshine outside and it is 10am! Not happy at all, I really wanted to see Napoli beat Inter.

[David Puddy]

Ranieri may have been able to paper over the cracks in his first couple of games in charge, but the bottom line is that Inter are not that good. Too old, too slow, and weak defensively (3 goals allowed tonight and 2 in CL midweek).

Hope they remain where they are right now for the rest of the season. That's where you belong INTER MERDA!

[El Pibe D'Oro]

Glad to have done you the favor Puddy.

I think you have a point - inter are a very slow side, we just happen to have an extremely quick one.

[Juventino]

Novara 3 - 3 Catania
Cesena 0 - 0 Chievo
Fiorentina 1 - 2 Lazio
Lecce 0 - 2 Cagliari
Palermo 2 - 0 Siena
Parma 3 - 1 Genoa
Udinese 2 - 0 Bologna

- I really enjoyed Novara v Catania, end-to-end stuff and I like the way Novara plays. Both teams deserved something from the match, so a draw I guess is the fair result Great free kick from the specialist Lodi, while Gomez finished his chance at the end very well and had a good game throughout.

- Not sure how Fiorentina didn't take at least a draw out of their match against Lazio. Cerci gave them the lead but Hernanes equalised with a quality strike across Boruc. Fiorentina had one or two good chances in the second half, but Lazio hit with about 15 minutes left with a header from Klose.

- Mutu had a penalty saved by Sorrentino to deny Cesena a first win of the season, but they are at least off the mark.

- First half goals from Ribiero and Biondini keep Cagliari near the top of the table as they dispose of Lecce.

- Migliaccio with the opener for Palermo (but I have forgotten how it occured), with Hernandez finishing it off at the end with a penalty. A red card apiece in this match.

- Giovinco opened the scoring early on for Parma who didn't look back against Genoa. He scored from the spot just before half time and Morrone sealed it in the second half. Palacio scored a late consolation penalty.

- Udinese won thanks to a goal from Benatia and a penalty converted by Di Natale. They are alone at the top for now.


And we have the big one tonight at the Juventus Stadium. Possible formations:

Juventus (4-2-3-1): Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Pirlo, Marchisio; Krasic, Vidal, Pepe; Vucinic.
Bench: Storari, Grosso, Elia, Giaccherini, Quagliarella, Del Piero, Matri.

Milan (4-3-1-2): Abbiati; Bonera, Nesta, Thiago Silva, Zambrotta; Nocerino, Van Bommel, Seedorf; K.P. Boateng; Ibrahimovic, Cassano.
Bench: Amelia, Antonini, Taiwo, Ambrosini, Aquilani, El Shaarawy, Inzaghi.

No De Ceglie so Chiellini may go to the left and Vucinic would get a start after his one match suspension.

[El Pibe D'Oro]

Top result for Juventus and deserved I must say.

How bad was Abbiati for the second goal!!

Also interesting reaction by Conte at the end of the game - looks like he thought he'd won the championship already - i get its a big result, but its no big surprise Juve won to be honest. Milan are struggling at the moment

[makaveli]

Top result for Juventus and deserved I must say.

How bad was Abbiati for the second goal!!

Also interesting reaction by Conte at the end of the game - looks like he thought he'd won the championship already - i get its a big result, but its no big surprise Juve won to be honest. Milan are struggling at the moment

Very emotional rival for Conte... Good to see him get excited after a win like that against the defending champs! Also nice result the other day, 3vs0 great to see.

Ohhh and congrats on the gig champ! ;)

[Juventino]

It was a great Juventus performance, we gave Milan nothing (except that Nocerino chance early in the second half), pressed and harassed in midfield to win the ball back and looked dangerous up front. It was difficult when we played it slowly as Milan got numbers back to shut down the space but considering that we did fashion enough chances to warrant the victory.

After seeing shots flash wide and hit the underside of the crossbar I'll take them however they come. Pirlo played well, with Milan not really closing him down enough, which I felt was strange as they would know as well as anybody what happens when he is shut down - Boateng could have shadowed him.

Conte was hesitant in making a substitute after the Krasic one, maybe on another day he would be blasted in the media for not doing so, here he is vindicated.

[gazza]

Also even after inter went 1-0 down and a man down as well, they lost it. The way they responded wasn't the refs fault. Plenty of teams have come from that exact position and won the game, they wouldn't have been the first. That sort of decision makes stronger teams rally and dig in their heels. Inter, however, just rolled over

Referee Rocchi has been suspended for three games!!!

[sacred_june (GrooveChild)]

Also even after inter went 1-0 down and a man down as well, they lost it. The way they responded wasn't the refs fault. Plenty of teams have come from that exact position and won the game, they wouldn't have been the first. That sort of decision makes stronger teams rally and dig in their heels. Inter, however, just rolled over

Referee Rocchi has been suspended for three games!!!

And so he should. Got plenty of calls wrong for both sides, not to mention giving a penalty for a foul outside the box, and not issuing a retake of the penalty.

I believe the penalty should have been retaken due to the fact that at least 3 players (1 for Napoli and 2 for Inter) encroached the penalty zone before the kick was taken. However, let's not forget that the penalty was saved. So my question, if Inter had cleared their lines, should the penalty still have been retaken?

[getborn]

^ true. BUT if a penalty was retaken everytime a player encroached or whenever the keeper moves off his line before the ball is struck we would be retaking alot of penalties.

[scipio africanus]

Also even after inter went 1-0 down and a man down as well, they lost it. The way they responded wasn't the refs fault. Plenty of teams have come from that exact position and won the game, they wouldn't have been the first. That sort of decision makes stronger teams rally and dig in their heels. Inter, however, just rolled over

Referee Rocchi has been suspended for three games!!!

And so he should. Got plenty of calls wrong for both sides, not to mention giving a penalty for a foul outside the box, and not issuing a retake of the penalty.

I believe the penalty should have been retaken due to the fact that at least 3 players (1 for Napoli and 2 for Inter) encroached the penalty zone before the kick was taken. However, let's not forget that the penalty was saved. So my question, if Inter had cleared their lines, should the penalty still have been retaken?

for me, it shoudl depend who encroaches.

If the defending team encroaches, and the penalty taker scores, then no need to take the penalty.

Conversely, if the attacking team encroaches, and the penalty taker scores, then it should be disallowed and penalty retaken. If the penalty taker had missed, the miss should stand.

In the case where both teams encroach, as the perdenti player encroached first, I would have allowed the penalty to stand, as he drew other players into the box.

[El Pibe D'Oro]

Referee Rocchi has been suspended for three games!!![/quote]

And so he should. Got plenty of calls wrong for both sides, not to mention giving a penalty for a foul outside the box, and not issuing a retake of the penalty.

I believe the penalty should have been retaken due to the fact that at least 3 players (1 for Napoli and 2 for Inter) encroached the penalty zone before the kick was taken. However, let's not forget that the penalty was saved. So my question, if Inter had cleared their lines, should the penalty still have been retaken?[/quote]

for me, it shoudl depend who encroaches.

If the defending team encroaches, and the penalty taker scores, then no need to take the penalty.

Conversely, if the attacking team encroaches, and the penalty taker scores, then it should be disallowed and penalty retaken. If the penalty taker had missed, the miss should stand.

In the case where both teams encroach, as the perdenti player encroached first, I would have allowed the penalty to stand, as he drew other players into the box.[/quote]

Well said - in this instance 4 players encroached - Campagnaro (Napoli), Maicon, Cambiasso and Zanetti (all Inter) from memory - Hamsik missed the pen, Campagnaro scored the rebound - as Inter players also encroached it should stand.

[Juventino]

Another coaching casaulty - Bisoli gone, Pioli the new coach at Bologna.

[BAGGIO 15]

The international week has come at the wrong time, 2 dead ties for Italia, I just want to see Serie A games.

[Juventino]

True, although Verona v Torino on Sunday night should be good.