The Italian Weekend Review: Eagles Take the Top Spot, Yet Again!

SERIE A WEEK 7 RESULTS:

AC Milan 3 – 1  Chievo

AS Roma  2 – 1 Genoa

Cagliari 0 – 1  Inter Milan

Brescia 0 – 1 Udinese

Catania 1 – 1 Napoli

Cesena 1 – 1 Parma

Juventus 4 – 0 Lecce

Palermo 4 – 1 Bologna

Sampdoria  2 – 1  Fiorentina

Bari 0 – 2  Lazio

The Duck with a brace

After a few jitters, it was AC Milan who came out on top against the Flying Donkeys at the San Siro in Milan. Massimiliano Allegri jeopardized his club’s chances against Real Madrid in the Champions League by including Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the starting Eleven. The Swede braved stomach cramps and played an instrumental role in the win which saw Milan enjoying the Summit temporarily. He set up Alexandro Pato for both of his goals in the first half. The first was a delightful volley and the second was a result of a quick free kick by Ibra which saw Pato going through the defence. The score line said 2-0 after half an hour into the clash.

Chievo were constantly threatening the Milan backline however it was an own goal by Ibrahimovic in the 71 minute mark that really gave them hope to equalize. The Rossoneri were not able to control the midfield after Allegri again chose to go with the Rino-Pirlo-Seedorf combination. They possess a legendary status, however they make the transition from defence to attack very slow .This was soon noticed and Allegri took off Seedorf for the ever enthusiastic Ghanaian. This move gave Milan the legs and strength they needed to control the game. Robinho was substituted for Pato on the 70^th minute mark and who would have known that the Brazilian will score his first goal in Milan colors to seal the game. It was stoppage time and Ronaldinho held his pass till the right second to see Robinho taking the ball past Sorrentino and guiding it to the net. It was a relief for him and his celebration after the goal acknowledged the Milan fans for their patience in him.

End to the Relegation Nightmare

Roma were banking on their talismanic captain Francesco Totti and ex Genoa striker Marco Borriello to save their reputation at home. Claudio Ranieri’s men were well aware that on paper they had the weakest defence this season giving away 11 goals before coming into this match. The Romans silenced all the critics when they took the lead through Borriello’s flick into the goal after a low cross by Totti. Genoa kept coming back at Roma but looked tired and could not convert all the chances they had. The two most discussed moments in the match were the lob attempts made by Totti. One found the back of the goal but was wrongly disallowed as an offside. The other showed the love and appreciation that the Stadio Olimpico has for their captain. Genoa keeper Eduardo was just back in time to stop the lob but was enough for the crowd to stand and applaud the effort. Matteo Brighi left Gasperini stunned when he completed a brilliant move involving Perrotta and Borriello, scoring in the 53^rd minute.  Rudolf was the only player who looked like troubling the Roman giants. He did get a consolation goal for the Rossoblu but Roma managed to escape out of the relegation zone.

The Racism Saga 

Undoubtedly, this was the most controversial match of the season till now. The battle had just started and the Cagliari fans started targeting Samuel Eto’o with racist remarks. Referee Tagliavento was quick to act and threatened the crowd by announcing the match to be suspended. Action resumed after the first warning. The Nerazzuri were under constant pressure to obtain three points to go equal with AC Milan on the league table. It was an irony that Samuel Eto’o scored the only goal of the match on the 40 minute mark with a classy turn and shoot. The after match press conference included verbal volleys against the poor referee who was being criticized to having stopped play in the first place. Cagliari president Massimo Cellino was convinced about the “error in judgment” and defended the home crowd. This match will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.

Salentini Thrashed by the Girlfriend of Italy

After a good performance against Inter before the International break, Juventus returned with a roar. Lecce looked out of sorts under the constant surge of attacks by the Bianconeri. It all started when Alberto Aquilani gave them the lead with a master shot from the edge of the box in the thirteenth minute. Turin saw another bad decision by the referee when he awarded a penalty after Milos Krasic fell on a tackle by Rispoli. Melo ensured that Juventus doubled their lead with a clinical spot kick. Lecce were found resting on their heels just one minute before the break when Quagliarella made it 3-0.

Lecce never looked like catching up. The only potential goal was also saved by Storari when Rispoli attempted to break the deadlock ten minutes from time. When the Old Lady is on song how can one keep Del Piero out of action? The Legendry Italian got his name on the scoresheet making it 4-0 eight minutes before the final whistle. With this win, Juventus has surely revived its Scudetto campaign.

The Aquile Back at the Summit

The last match of the week had the potential to change the way the league table could look after Week 7. Lazio were expected to go all out against Bari and grab the three points to top the table leaving Milan and Inter behind. The start lacked intent with both the teams playing conservative football.  The deadlock was finally broken when Hernanes scored for Lazio in the 52^nd minute. The Eagles can thank God for doubling the lead 10 minutes later as they tried best not to score. What has to go in goes in and even poor attempts by Mauri and Floccari could not stop the ball from going over Gillet.

Bari, out of nowhere got some confidence in the dying moments of the match but it was too late. Lazio again finished above Milan and Inter to top the Serie A table this week. Hernanes has been the star to look out for this season and has been instrumental in taking his team to the top spot.

Top Scorers in Serie A: