Serie A - Round-up: Juventus close the gap

Eurosport - Mon, 19 Jan 07:10:00 2009

Juventus drew 1-1 with Lazio at Stadio Olimpico to cut Internazionale's lead at the top of Serie A to three points.

FOOTBALL 2008-2009 Serie A Lazio-Juventus Rozenhal Mellberg Ledesma - 0

Cristian Ledesma put Lazio ahead on 24 minutes, but Swedish international Olof Mellberg levelled for Juventus five minutes later to complete the scoring for the evening.

After a tight start to the match, Ledesma broke the deadlock with a curling free-kick from the left touchline that looped over Alex Manninger with the goalkeeper stuck at the near post.

Mellberg brought parity to proceedings with a thumping header from Alessandro Del Piero's right-wing corner just shy of the half-hour mark.

Nicola Legrottaglie hit the post for Juventus with a thumping 25-yard drive late on, but ultimately a draw was a fair result for a match lacking in clear-cut opportunities.

Atalanta 3-1 Internazionale

Atalanta beat Serie A leaders Internazionale 3-1 in Bergamo thanks to first-half goals from Sergio Floccari and Cristiano Doni.

Floccari opened the scoring with a smart turn and shot before Doni bagged a brace with a deflected free-kick and a glancing header.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored a late consolation for the visitors.

Inter were as bad as they have been in the 18 months since Jose Mourinho took charge. They offered little going forward and were hesitant and disorganised at the back.

Indeed, the uninformed observer would have thought Atalanta the league leaders and Inter the side languishing in mid-table.

The hosts dominated from kick off while Inter were sluggish and disinterested, typified by Ibrahimovic's lack of will to do anything resembling work.

Luigi Del Neri's side took a deserved lead on 18 minutes when Floccari latched on to a Doni header, turned his marker and swept a low, left-foot drive past Julio Cesar into the bottom right.

Jaime Valdes and Floccari again went close with shots from the edge of the box, but Atalanta doubled their lead on 28 minutes when Doni's free-kick took a heavy deflection off the hand of Ibrahimovic to wrong-foot Julio Cesar and nestle in to the bottom right corner.

Jose Mourinho is renowned for making snap changes when his team are struggling, and he responded to going two goals down by bringing Victor Obinna on for the defensively-minded Cristian Chivu.

The bold move did not work. Three minutes later it was 3-0 thanks to a marvellous glancing header from Doni, who rose to beat Ivan Cordoba and Nicolas Burdisso to Valdes's cross.

At half-time, Mourinho brought Adriano on for the ineffectual Hernan Crespo and the Brazilian almost had an immediate impact with a spectacular bicycle kick that flew over the bar.

That was an aberration though, as Atalanta went close again, first through substitute Diego De Ascentis - who rammed the ball against the post from close range after Julio Cesar spilled a routine long-range drive from Adriano - and then through Doni once again, who saw his deflected shot trickle just past the left-hand post.

Ferdinando Coppola made his first save after the hour mark when Ibrahimovic sent a low drive on goal, which highlighted how off-colour Inter were offensively as well as at the back.

Inter grew into the game in its latter stages as Javier Zanetti made some good runs and Adriano looked threatening.

But it was injury time before they made an impact on the scoreline, when Coppola failed to hold on to an Adriano header from a corner and Swedish striker Ibrahimovic was on hand to put the ball in to the net.

The goal was merely consolation for the Serie A leaders, however, and Atalanta closed out a comfortable win.

Torino 0 Roma 1

Julio Baptista's stunning injury-time winner put Roma just five points from a Champions League berth.

The Brazilian forward, who scored twice in the 2-0 win over Sampdoria in midweek, chested down and volleyed acrobatically into the corner after a scrappy encounter.

Third-from-bottom Torino, two points from safety, had Simone Barone sent off just after the goal when he was shown a second yellow card for dissent.

- - - -

Cagliari 2 Udinese 0

Udinese's awful run continued at the hands of Cagliari. An early deflected free kick from Daniele Conti gave the Sardinians a perfect start and then Davide Biondini guided in a cross unmarked at the back post on 20 minutes.

Udinese have not won in 10 league games having been early season pacesetters. Gaetano D'Agostino hit post with a free kick for the struggling visitors.

- - - -

Catania 1 Bologna 2

Bologna put more distance between themselves and the drop zone with a hard-fought win. Serie A top scorer Marco Di Vaio netted his 14th of the league season with a close range header soon after the restart before Adailton's diving header made it two.

Catania, who grabbed a consolation through Michele Paolucci's powerful finish, were not helped by Argentine midfielder Mariano Izco being dismissed on 37 minutes for a horror tackle on Davide Bombardini. Giuseppe Mascara also missed a penalty for the Sicilians.

- - - -

Chievo 2 Napoli 1

Michele Marcolini converted two penalties to boost joint bottom Chievo but replays suggested Simone Bentivoglio dived for the second spot-kick. Marcolini scored his first just after the half hour mark after Matteo Contini was adjudged to have pulled down Giampiero Pinzi.

Napoli talisman Ezequiel Lavezzi squeezed a shot into the far corner to bring the visitors level on 53 minutes but team mate Marek Hamsik was sent off for foul and abusive language two minutes later. Chievo's Santiago Morero received a second yellow for the hosts before Marcolini's 74th-minute winner.

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Lecce 0 Genoa 2

Bosko Jankovic's cheeky back-heel helped in-form Genoa rise up to fourth.

The Serbian midfielder broke the deadlock midway through the second half and Giuseppe Sculli tapped into an open goal in injury time.

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Sampdoria 0 Palermo 2

Mark Bresciano scored twice to seal an easy win for Palermo against a consistently ineffective Sampdoria.

The Australia midfielder calmly headed in at the far post to give the away side the lead just before the interval and slid home in the second half after a good move.

The hosts, who handed a debut to former Fiorentina striker Giampaolo Pazzini, had limited chances.

Reda Maher / Will Tidey / Reuters

Comment 1 - 7 of 7

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  1. Jose M must have been having his period again. he does this occassionally, but he will kickass today and expect that to be the last thrashing of the season

    From EleanaV, on Mon 19 Jan 8:33AM
  2. JUVEEEEEEEEEEEEE FOR LIFE forza juve

    From Abdulrahmaan, on Sun 18 Jan 11:14PM
  3. tanks juve always we have hope FORZA JUVE...............tanks again

    From Abdulrahmaan, on Sun 18 Jan 11:11PM
  4. Zanetti is coming off an injury and Marchisio was way off today...
    I hate to think that we are going to play Fiorentina without sisoko wich in my opinion was the man of the match for Juve...he was simply fantastic out there...melberg too...
    I think Sisoko is the best transfer in the last 3 years for Juve...
    I personally can't wait to have buffon back...and Camoranesi...Trezeguet hasn't really been missed so much since we have Amauri now but I think he could help the team by easing the presure on our Brazillian...he is the Juventus player with the most minutes on the field...

    From ZzaK, on Sun 18 Jan 10:17PM
  5. JUVE LACKED IN THE MIDFIELD TODAY!!!!
    MARCHIONNI NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND HE DOSENT NEED TO DRIBBLE SO MUCH AND NEDVED WAS JUST PLAIN TIRED, IMAGINE SISSOKO AND LEGROTALIA MADE SHOTS ON GOAL!! WHERE WAS THE MIDFIELD??? I UNDERSTAND DEL PIERO AND AMAURI DID NOTHING CAUSE OF NO SERVICE .AT ONE POINT OF THE GAME YOU COULD SEE HOW FAR PIERO DROPED BACK SO AS TO TRY AND MAKE AND IMPACT. FOR SHAME WE DIDNT GET ALL 3 POINT WHOLE WEEK HAD BUTTERFLIES FOR THIS RESULT??? CHEERS TO MELLBERG AND CONGRATS TO LAZIO THEY HAD AN EXCELLENT GAME.
    FORZA JUVE

    From danny_marcelin, on Sun 18 Jan 9:39PM
  6. indeed FORZA JUVE!!!!

    From Anverch, on Sun 18 Jan 5:27PM
  7. open minded.... or open "something else" lol

    thank you inter................FORZA JUVE!!!!

    From roderick_gatt, on Sun 18 Jan 5:03PM
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