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║ Serie A Season 2014-15 ║

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Moratti quits Inter after 19 years

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By Kris Voakes
Oct 23, 2014 16:22:00

The former owner of the Milanese giants has announced his decision to leave the club after almost two decades

Massimo Moratti has ended his 19-year association with Inter by resigning as the club's honorary president.

The former president, who sold a 70 per cent stake in the club to Indonesian media magnate Erick Thohir in October 2013 and passed over the presidency to the new owner the following month, has announced his decision to step aside in a statement which also confirmed the exit of his one of his sons, as well as two close allies.

"Internazionale Holding Srl, a company owned by Mr Massimo Moratti and his sons, Mr Angelomario Moratti and Mr Giovanni Moratti, and which holds a stake of 29.5 per cent in FC Internazionale Milano Spa, announces that Mr Angelomario Moratti, Mr Rinaldo Ghelfi and Mr Alberto Manzonetto each individually resigned today from their posts as directors of FC Internazionale Milano Spa," read a statement.

"Internazionale Holding Srl also announces that Massimo Moratti has today resigned as honorary president of FC Internazionale Milano Spa, a position kindly offered to him by Mr Erick Thohir in November last year."

Moratti took the reins at Inter in 1995, succeeding Ernesto Pellegrini as president, and the club won an unprecedented treble of Champions League, Serie A and Coppa Italia as recently 2009-10. In total, the Nerazzurri collected five league titles, four domestic cups, four Supercoppe Italiana, a Uefa Cup and the 2010 Club World Cup under Moratti.

However, financial restraints brought on by Uefa's Financial Fair Play regulations resulted in a period of struggle for Inter, leading Moratti to sell to Thohir in 2013.

The 69-year-old was in the news earlier this week after claiming that Walter Mazzarri could be living on borrowed time at San Siro, only for the coach to blast back: "I don't have time to think about what Moratti says, I don't even want to waste energy answering him."

Inter host Saint-Etienne at the Giuseppe Meazza on Thursday in the Uefa Europa League having so far racked up two wins from two in Group F.

 

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Serie A Preview: Roma out to repay fans


23 October 2014

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Roma are out to repay their fans at Sampdoria on Saturday in Serie A and bounce back from UEFA Champions League embarrassment.

Rudi Garcia's side were thrashed 7-1 by Bayern Munich in Europe's elite club competition on Tuesday - a match in which the Bundesliga champions led 5-0 after 36 minutes.

The Bavarian giants were exhilarating in the first half, but Roma, given a chance of causing an upset in front of their home fans, could only pull one goal back - through Gervinho - before substitutes Franck Ribery and Xherdan Shaqiri added polish to Bayern's rout.

The belief is evidently high at Roma, though, and president James Pallotta revealed that the support the capital club received after the match moved him to tears.

"Unfortunately [it was] just one of those days," Pallotta wrote in a brief statement on the club website.

"One day doesn't change anything. It happens on the way to glory. I saw a video of our fans after the game: [it] made me cry.

"You [fans] are the best in the world. [I am] so proud of being part of Roma."

Roma legend Francesco Totti echoed Pallotta's words, with the forward posting on his blog: "Our fans are unique in the world and proved that again last night at the end of the defeat to Bayern Munich, showing their warmth and proud attitude."

Coach Rudi Garcia accepted responsibility for Tuesday's defeat and is likely to adopt a more defensive approach in a key game at third-placed Sampdoria.

Roma - who sit three points above them in second, just behind leaders Juventus - have won six of their Serie A matches this season.

Sampdoria, inspired by forward Manolo Gabbiadini - who has four league goals this term - are unbeaten this season and like Roma, have conceded just four times.

Fourth-placed Milan, on an unbeaten streak of four, will hope to make up further ground on Sampdoria and Roma with victory at home to Fiorentina.

No Serie A side has scored more than Milan's 16 goals this term, with Japanese midfielder Keisuke Honda contributing six of them.

Fiorentina find themselves in 11th after a patchy start and will face a fresher Milan side, who do not have any European commitments this season.

Defending champions Juventus remain unbeaten and are expected to extend that record this weekend when they host a Palermo side who only registered their first win last Sunday.

Juve also have a disappointing midweek 1-0 UEFA Champions League loss to Olympiacos to bounce back from.

At the other end of the table, rock-bottom Parma host 19th-placed Sassuolo aiming for a win that could drag the likes of Cagliari and Cesena - who play Empoli and Inter respectively - back into the relegation zone.

Napoli have finally found form and are unbeaten in four in Serie A, with a home fixture against Hellas Verona to come, while Lazio will be out to make it four straight league wins when they face Torino.

Elsewhere, Chievo take on Genoa and Udinese meet Atalanta.


 

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Pogba extends Juve deal

24 October 2014

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Paul Pogba has signed a new deal at Juventus that will keep him at the Serie A champions until 2019.

The France international joined the Turin giants from Manchester United in 2012 and has since become a mainstay of the Juve midfield alongside the likes of Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal.

Pogba's original contract was due to expire at the end of the 2015-16 campaign, with speculation continuing to grow in recent weeks that the two parties were close to an agreement.

And on Friday the club announced the 21-year-old had agreed terms for an extra three years.

Pogba won the Scudetto in each of his first two seasons in Turin and scored seven league goals in 36 appearances in 2013-14 as, under Antonio Conte, Juve romped to the title by 17 points ahead of Roma.

Under Conte's successor Massimiliano Allegri, Juve have made a strong start to the new campaign, but dropped points for the first time last weekend against Sassuolo, Pogba finding the net in a 1-1 draw.


 

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Serie A review: Roma held, Sassuolo rampant

25 October 2014

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Roma missed out on the chance to go top of Serie A as they were held to a 0-0 draw at Sampdoria.

Rudi Garcia's side were looking to bounce back from their humiliating 7-1 UEFA Champions League defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich but were unable to breakdown a stubborn Sampdoria, for whom goalkeeper Sergio Romero impressed.

Former Arsenal forward Gervinho came closest to breaking the deadlock for Roma when he rounded the Argentina international but struck the bottom of the post from an acute angle.

Juventus will establish a three-point lead over Roma if they win at home to lowly Palermo on Sunday.

Sassuolo secured a 3-1 derby victory over bottom club Parma - their first three-point haul of the season.

Sergio Floccari headed the visitors into a 20th-minute lead and Francesco Acerbi touched home from a free-kick to double the advantage four minutes later.

Saphir Taider struck the post with a free-kick on the stroke of half time but the same player blasted emphatically into the top corner to put Sassuolo 3-0 ahead, rendering Antonio Cassano's opportunist strike a consolation.

Cagliari were similarly emphatic winners, leapfrogging Empoli with a 4-0 win - all the goals in their second win of the season coming in a frantic 16-minute period at the end of the first half.

Marco Sau scored the equaliser as Cagliari battled back from 2-0 down to claim a point against Sampdoria last week and he curled home a 31st minute opener before Danilo Avelar netted via the underside of the crossbar and the penalty spot in the space of three minutes.

Albin Ekdal won the spot-kick and completed Empoli's misery with a solo effort in first-half stoppage time.

 

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Serie A Review: Juve restore lead, Ilicic frustrates Milan


26 October 2014

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Juventus took advantage of Roma's slip-up by recording a 2-0 win over Palermo to restore their lead at the top of Serie A to three points.

Massimiliano Allegri's men bounced back from their UEFA Champions League defeat during the week to extend their remarkable winning streak at home in the league with a routine victory over lowly Palermo.

Arturo Vidal struck just after the half hour and the victory was assured thanks to Fernando Llorente's first goal of the season midway through the second half.

Incredibly, the win represents Juve's 23rd consecutive success at home in Serie A and means they move three points clear of Roma, who drew with Sampdoria on Saturday.

Elsewhere, Josip Ilicic struck a superb second-half equaliser as Fiorentina held Milan to a 1-1 draw at San Siro.

Filippo Inzaghi's men looked on course for a third league win on the bounce after Nigel de Jong's close range header set them on their way in the 25th minute.

However, Slovenian substitute Ilicic had the last laugh just after the hour with a 25-yard strike that ensured Fiorentina a share of the spoils.

Udinese took advantage of Milan's slip and moved up to third thanks to a 2-0 win over Atalanta.

The game was effectively wrapped up in the first 36 minutes as Andrea Stramaccioni's men raced into a two-goal lead through veteran Antonio Di Natale's 10th goal of the season in all competitions and a second from Cyril Thereau.

Meanwhile, Inter ended a run of three without a win in the league with a 1-0 win at Cesena to ease the pressure on coach Walter Mazzarri.

The decisive moment came after 30 minutes as Cesena goalkeeper Nicola Leali brought down Rodrigo Palacio and was sent off.

Inter's top scorer Mauro Icardi stepped up to slot home the penalty as Inter moved up to eighth.

Napoli's Gonzalo Hiquain opened his account for the season in spectacular fashion, scoring a hat-trick as Rafael Benitez's side thumped Verona 6-2.

After falling behind in the first minute, Napoli went ahead through a Marek Hamsik brace before being pegged back again.

Higuain restored the lead with 22 minutes to go before Jose Callejon extended it by scoring for the fifth consecutive Serie A game.

The Argentinian striker capped an enthralling game with two goals in the final six minutes, including a penalty as Napoli extended their unbeaten league run to five games.

In Sunday's other Serie A matches, Miroslav Klose's first league goal of the season proved to be the winner as Lazio overcame Torino 2-1 to go fifth, and Ivan Radovanovic was sent off Chievo surrendered a one-goal lead to lose 2-1 at home to Genoa.

 

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No Mazzarri ultimatum, insists Thohir


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By Miles Chambers
Oct 27, 2014 16:53:59

Despite previously suggesting the coach would be judged on results in the next two games, the San Siro chief has insisted that his job is not necessarily on the line

Inter owner Erick Thohir has denied that coach Walter Mazzarri has been handed an ultimatum to save his Serie A job.

The Nerazzurri have started the season in relatively mediocre fashion, winning just three of their opening eight league games to be positioned 10 points adrift of leaders and reigning champions Juventus.

After scraping past Cesena with a 1-0 win on Sunday, Thohir appeared to be suggesting an ultimatum by saying: "We will see in the next two games... We want to give him another chance."

However, the Filipino businessman has attempted to sedate the notion that Mazzarri's days at San Siro are numbered by insisting the trainer has his complete support.

"My words were misinterpreted," Thohir told reporters on Monday. "I firmly believe in the work of the coach, the team and the future of this project.

"Nobody has given an ultimatum to Mazzarri although, of course, the results are important. Evidently, my words were poorly understood.

"I was very happy indeed with the win against Cesena and the character shown by the team."

Despite Thohir's stay of execution, rumours in Italy are swirling that Inter are planning to replace Mazzarri in the coming weeks, with Roberto Mancini the favourite to return to the club where he won numerous Scudetti as coach.

It has been a turbulent week for Inter behind the scenes, with former president Massimo Moratti resigning from his role as honorary president over unspecified disagreements with those now in charge at the San Siro club.


 

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Evra to miss a month for Juventus


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By Matthew Scott
Oct 27, 2014 16:04:42

Having not featured for the Scudetto holders' victory at the weekend, the Frenchman is now set to be sidelined for around 30 days with a muscular problem

Juventus left-back Patrice Evra has been sidelined for a month with a hamstring strain.

The French defender sat out Sunday's 2-0 win over Palermo, having suffered the injury in training ahead of the Serie A clash.

And coach Massimiliano Allegri will now have to do without the experienced player for upcoming crunch matches against Olympiakos in the Champions League and Lazio in Serie A.

"Patrice Evra was absent from the group [training on Monday] following the injury he sustained late last week," a club statement read.

"The Frenchman underwent medical tests earlier today which revealed a strain of the biceps femoris muscle [hamstring] in his left thigh, and he is estimated to return to action in 30 days."

Evra has made six appearances since moving to Turin from Manchester United in the summer.

 

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Serie A Preview: Napoli out to kickstart season, in-form Lazio on the road


27 October 2014

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Rafael Benitez will hope Napoli's positive reaction to last week's European setback was not a one-off when they face Atalanta on Wednesday.

Having looked to be back on track after a stuttering start to their Serie A campaign, Napoli suffered a surprise 2-0 defeat at the hands of Swiss side Young Boys in the UEFA Europa League.

Forced to defend the squad from criticism, Benitez played down fears by stating Napoli remained on the right track.

And his team delivered on Sunday as goals from Gonzalo Higuain, Marek Hamsik and Jose Callejon helped ensure a 6-2 victory over Hellas Verona at the Stadio San Paolo.

Higuain scored a hat-trick - having been referred to as "a hungry lion in a cage" by Benitez following a tough start to the league campaign - and the Spaniard was pleased to see his side showcase their reaction to Thursday's defeat.

"We let Higuain out of the cage tonight so we can put him away again until Wednesday," Benitez joked to Sky Sport Italia.

"The most important thing for me was the reaction and attitude of the team, from start to finish, as we never stopped looking for the goal.

"I still need to point out we have a great squad and all of those elements need to be used in Serie A and the Europa League."

With strugglers Atalanta having only won once at home in the league this term, Napoli will be hopeful of being able to pile the pressure on those above them - with Milan and Lazio both on the road.

Having been frustrated by Josip Ilicic in their 1-1 draw with Fiorentina, Filippo Inzaghi's men travel to Cagliari while Lazio go in search of a fifth straight Serie A win against Hellas Verona on Thursday.

Inter's chaotic week, which saw long-serving honorary president Massimo Moratti resign, ended with victory over Cesena on Sunday and Walter Mazzarri's side have the chance to end Sampdoria's unbeaten start to their top-flight campaign.

Sinisa Mihajlovic's side have been in fine form, holding title-chasing Roma to a goalless draw at the weekend, and Rudi Garcia's seek a response as they host Cesena.

Defeat for Roma would allow Juventus to stretch their lead at the top to six points in their search for a fourth straight Scudetto as the defending champions travel to Genoa.

Torino can inflict a sixth consecutive defeat on bottom side Parma while fellow strugglers Palermo and Chievo meet at the Stadio Renzo Barbera.

Udinese travel to Fiorentina for a repeat of last season's Coppa Italia semi-final after strugglers Sassuolo host Empoli in Tuesday's only game.

 

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Serie A Review: Genoa shock Juve, Roma win again

29 October 2014

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Roma moved level on points with Serie A leaders Juventus after Massimiliano Allegri's men were stunned 1-0 at Genoa on Wednesday.

Juve suffered their first league defeat since March as Gianluigi Buffon's 500th Serie A appearance was soured by Luca Antonini's 94th-minute winner.

Buffon looked set for a 238th top-flight clean sheet on a frustrating night for the three-time defending champions, who saw Fernando Llorente and Angelo Ogbonna denied by the woodwork.

Genoa goalkeeper Mattia Perin then made two good saves to deny Juve substitute Alvaro Morata as the final whistle approached.

While Juve shaded proceedings, they were by no means dominant, with the effects of a fourth game in 12 days there for all to see.

And they were hit with a late blow as Genoa substitute Alessandro Matri - formerly of Juve - drew the attention of two defenders before cutting the ball back to the unmarked Antonini, who unconvincingly prodded home from six yards.

The loss was only Juventus' second in Serie A in 2014 and saw Roma move level on 22 points courtesy of their 2-0 success against struggling Cesena.

Mattia Destro opened the scoring after eight minutes, converting Gervinho's assist.

And Daniele De Rossi wrapped up the three points with an effort nine minutes from time.

Mauro Icardi's 90th-minute penalty earned Inter a 1-0 win over Sampdoria as they eased the pressure on coach Walter Mazzarri.

Under-fire Mazzarri found himself up against one of the reported favourites to replace him should he be sacked, in the shape of Sampdoria coach Sinisa Mihajlovic, but he came out on top against the ex-Inter defender.

The hosts were wasteful in the first half, with Rodrigo Palacio in particular spurning several good chances, but they managed to snatch a dramatic late triumph, with Icardi - who spent two seasons with Sampdoria - slotting home his spot-kick after Alessio Romagnoli had brought down Zdravko Kuzmanovic.

Third-placed Milan dropped points for the second game in succession, but were grateful to Giacomo Bonaventura for rescuing a 1-1 draw at Cagliari.

Victor Ibarbo's deserved first-half opener was cancelled out by Bonaventura's sublime 30-yard lob.

The hosts steadied themselves in the second period and looked the more likely to win the game as Daniele Conti struck the post with a free-kick, but they had to settle for a point.

Napoli missed a chance to go third after a 1-1 draw at lowly Atalanta.

Ex-Napoli man German Denis fired Atalanta in front in the 57th minute but Gonzalo Higuain's 86th-minute effort meant the spoils were shared, despite Atalanta seeing Luca Cigarini sent off for a second bookable offence late on.

Elsewhere, Khouma Babacar's double led Fiorentina to a 3-0 home win over the fifth-placed Udinese, while Palermo and Torino claimed 1-0 wins over Chievo and Parma respectively.


 

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Allegri unhappy with Genoa pitch and late goal

29 October 2014

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Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri slammed the state of Genoa's pitch after his side suffered a last-gasp 1-0 defeat on Wednesday.

The defending champions suffered their first loss of the season - and second in 2014 - as Gianluigi Buffon's 500th Serie A appearance ended on a sour note.

Juve - who saw Fernando Llorente and Angelo Ogbonna denied by the woodwork - conceded in the 94th minute with Luca Antonini prodding home from six yards to end a swift counter-attack.

Allegri told Sky Sport Italia: "We played on a simply awful pitch. You cannot play football on that field.

"I have said before that Scudetti [Serie A titles] are also earned with draws. We fought hard and tried everything to win, but we can't concede right at the death.

"To win the title you don't need 108 points, but just one more than the team in second place.

"Do everything to win, but if you hit the woodwork, see some great saves and are 30 seconds from the end, try not to lose.

"We leave here with regrets, as we were six against two on that counter and conceded a goal. That has to make us think and improve in terms of maturity."

Allegri rebuffed suggestions that he should be concerned about the club's recent away record, though.

Juve have not won in their last four road trips, with Champions League defeats at Atletico Madrid and Olympiacos sandwiched by a 1-1 league draw at Sassuolo.

"I am not worried, despite the statistics," he added.

"Against Sassuolo we did everything possible and a draw can happen, [on Wednesday] we did everything and conceded right at the end.

"Just as it was an important point against Sassuolo, we should've picked up an important point here.

"When Genoa had the ball, we should've focused on defending, not trying to create another chance to go forward.

"I hope this can serve as a lesson for the future, as it's practically impossible to win every game, so every point counts."


 

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Allegri slams Juve for Genoa loss


30 October 2014

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Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri struggled to find positives to his team's shock 1-0 loss at Genoa in Serie A on Wednesday.

Allegri slammed his team, claiming they "should never lose a game like this" after Genoa struck in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time with Alessandro Matri teeing up Luca Antonini to secure victory for the home side.

But in an effort to put a positive stamp on the defeat, Allegri revealed his hope that Juventus would learn from the experience.

"The championship is still long and we have many games left. From this negative aspect of tonight we have got to try to take something positive," he said.

"What I'm thinking of is that tonight we learnt that in this sort of situations we have to avoid taking risks and make sure we don't allow any counter-attacks when we don't have defence."

The 47-year-old coach declared Juve's 3-2 comeback win over title-rivals Roma earlier this month would mean little by the end of the season if the three-time defending champions dropped points against sides like Genoa, who moved up to ninth in the standings.

Roma joined Juventus on 22 points at the top of the table after they defeated Cesena 2-0 on Wednesday.

"With 30 seconds to go we should never lose a game like this. We can't lose such a game because you do not win a championship winning a single game against a championship rival but by gaining points over the whole 38 games we play," Allegri said.

"At the end of the season what counts is to be one point ahead of all the other teams and when it happens like tonight you must at least leave the pitch with a draw. We tried everything to win the game but we have no points to show for it.

"I repeat, with 30 seconds to go it's unacceptable to concede a goal like we did. We had a three point lead at the top of table on Roma, we wasted this advantage."

Allegri also paid tribute to Genoa's goalkeeper Mattia Perin, who made five saves to deny Juve.

"We went very close to scoring, hitting the post and the bar on two occasions," he said.

"We tried to shoot for outside the box a bit too much and Genoa's goalkeeper was brilliant."

 

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Milan could have lost - Inzaghi


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By Mark Doyle
Oct 30, 2014 10:55:11

The former Italy international was relieved to see his side eventually run out winners in Serie A on Wednesday night

Filippo Inzaghi has admitted that AC Milan could easily have lost Wednesday's Serie A encounter with Cagliari, but pointed out that the Rossoneri are still on track to secure a top three finish.

The San Siro outfit eventually left the pitch with a 1-1 draw after Giacomo Bonaventura's goal in the 34th minute cancelled out Victor Ibarbo's opener and Inzaghi was quick to acknowledge Milan were somewhat fortunate.

"Cagliari had the advantage of having played on Saturday, whereas we came off the back of a tough match on Sunday," Inzaghi said at a press conference.

"We could have even lost, but we take home an important point for the league table, we’re in third place.

"There are many sides in Serie A that struggle more than us. We could have done more, but it won’t be easy for anybody to win here.

"As of Sunday we will have the chance to collect important points again."

Milan will be looking to return to winning ways when they take on Palermo at San Siro at the weekend.

 

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Inter must score more, says Mazzarri


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By Mark Doyle
Oct 30, 2014 11:47:04

The 53-year-old has urged his attackers to step up their game and was unaware of criticism from the fans during the victory over Sampdoria

Inter coach Walter Mazzarri says his side must begin to finish off more of their chances in the wake of their 1-0 win over Sampdoria.

The Giuseppe Meazza outfit missed a number of opportunities before Mauro Icardi eventually found the net from 12 yards in the closing stages of the game to help his team to a vital win.

"We’ve beaten a side that had not lost once this season. The only negative is that we couldn’t take more of our chances," the Inter coach said at a press conference.

"At the end of the day, we’ve won, but hopefully we’re saving up the goals for the next match.

"I think my team put in a great performance in terms of the football we played. We’re happy with how the lads are playing. This is a united group made up of good men. This team feels truly mine."

Inter were whistled by some of their fans during half-time, but Mazzarri stressed he did not hear the jeers.

"I didn’t hear them; I went straight into the dressing room so that I could think about how the team was doing and what we should do after the break. That’s why I didn’t hear any whistles.

"Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I prefer to let my team and our points tally do the talking."


 

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Verona 1 Lazio 1: Toni on the spot to earn a point

30 October 2014

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Luca Toni scored a second-half penalty to end Lazio's winning streak in Serie A as Verona claimed a 1-1 draw against their 10-man visitors.

Stefano Pioli's side were on course for a sixth consecutive league triumph after Senad Lulic's first-half strike put them in front.

But Verona, who had seen a Toni effort disallowed for offside before Vangelis Moras' defensive error handed Lazio the initiative, hit back when Luis Cavanda conceded a spot-kick - earning a second yellow card in the process.

Toni kept his cool to convert the leveller and secure only his second top-flight goal of the campaign, but the home side came up short in their search for a winner.

They did, however, end a three-game losing streak in an impressive display at the Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi on Thursday.

Toni was thwarted by an offside flag after emphatically drilling home from inside the box in the 21st minute and his frustration was compounded when Verona fell behind.

Lulic took advantage of Moras' poor attempt at a clearance to prod home from close range just three minutes before the interval.

The hosts were forced into a double change at the break as injured duo Ivan Martic and Bosko Jankovic were replaced by Frederik Sorensen and Juanito.

Sorensen almost headed a spectacular own goal, but was relieved to see goalkeeper Rafael make a smart stop.

Veteran striker Toni, who scored twice in a 4-1 Verona win when the sides met in this fixture last season, looped a header over the bar and that warning shot went unheeded as the hosts levelled in the 69th minute.

Cavanda, having been carded five minutes into the second half, pulled on the hand of Juanito and Toni seized on the opportunity to level from 12 yards.

Lazio survived a late scare when Juanito fired over from a good position, with the spoils shared.

 

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Serie A Preview: Benitez eager for Napoli to seize Roma opportunity

31 October 2014

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Napoli coach Rafael Benitez hopes his side will rise to the occasion when second-placed Roma visit the Stadio San Paolo on Saturday.

The contest is a repeat of last season's Coppa Italia semi-final - which Napoli won 5-3 on aggregate - with Benitez's resurgent charges eager to put a dent in Roma's title challenge and kickstart their own this weekend.

Rudi Garcia's side are behind Serie A champions Juventus on head-to-head record alone, but will move top - albeit possibly for just a few hours - if they avoid defeat.

Juventus make the trip to Empoli later in the day - looking to bounce back from their defeat to Genoa last time out - and Benitez wants Napoli to exhibit the form that saw them beat Roma in their last two meetings.

"[The] game is an opportunity to show our ambitions once again," the Spaniard said.

"We have seen that every team can drop points so we are aware that if we win we can close the gap [to Juventus and Roma].

"With the top teams we have always raised our level and this year it should be the same.

"We have seen both against Atalanta and Chievo that we managed to create many chances and we were controlling the game."

Roma could occupy top spot by the time Juve take to the field at the Stadio Carlo Castellani, although Massimiliano Allegri's side will be heavy favourites to return to winning ways against strugglers Empoli.

Lazio missed the chance to cut the defecit to rivals Roma in midweek as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Verona and they may fall further off the pace before hosting Cagliari on Monday.

Milan, Sampdoria and Udinese - the three other sides on 16 points - are all at home this weekend as they take on Palermo, Fiorentina and Genoa respectively.

Inter's visit to the Stadio Ennio Tardini could prove critical for Parma coach Roberto Donadoni, whose position is reportedly under pressure after a dismal start to the campaign.

A return of three points from nine games this term has led to reports ex-Italy boss Donadoni may be replaced by youth team coach and legendary former striker Hernan Crespo.

Fellow strugglers Chievo and Cesena host Sassuolo and Verona respectively with the league's bottom two having won just twice between them all season in the top flight.

Atalanta - who have taken just four points from their previous possible 15 - take on Torino at the Stadio Olimpico di Torino.


 

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Allegri could bench Tevez for Empoli clash

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Oct 31, 2014 13:42:50

The Bianconeri boss has admitted that he is considering dropping his top scorer for the trip to the Carlo Castellani, pointing out that he has a number of alternatives in attack

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri says Carlos Tevez could start on the bench in Saturday's Serie A match with Empoli.

The 30-year-old striker has been in fine form in Serie A this season, with six goals in eight appearances, and was this week recalled to the Argentina squad for the first time since 2011.

However, Allegri says that with so many options to choose from up front, Tevez's place in the starting XI for the trip to the Carlo Castellani is not guaranteed.

"I'll look to pick the best team possible in order to win," the 47-year-old told reporters.

"Tevez could even start on the bench ... I've got [Kingsley] Coman, [Alvaro] Morata, [Sebastian] Giovinco and [Fernando] Llorente in good shape.

The former AC Milan boss also hinted that he had already decided upon an all-Spanish attack for the game against Empoli.

"There's a good chance Morata will start," he continued. "As far as I'm concerned, Llorente and Morata can play together. It's an option for us."

Allegri also talked about his side's recent poor away form, with the reigning Italian champions having followed up a shock 1-1 draw at Sassuolo with a last-gasp 1-0 defeat to Genoa.

"The last two away games [in Serie A] have not been good," the Bianconeri boss conceded. "In fact, in terms of results, they've been a disaster, because we got a point at Sassuolo and lost to Genoa.

"At Juventus when you lose one game there's talk of a crisis, particularly from outside.

"I don't think it's time to talk about a crisis, rather we should talk about the two or three games where the team has created a lot, converted little, and - on the two or three occasions where we gave our opponents a chance - we've conceded a goal. That’s not an excuse, it's a statement of fact.

"Tomorrow [Saturday] we have to do more to try and - above all - score, because we can't make mistakes in front of goal as well.

"And we have to be especially careful not to allow our opponents even a few chances.

"We're top of Serie A and still in the running for the Champions League. I think we'll go far this season.

"The constructive criticism we received will spur us on to do better."

Juventus' defeat at the Luigi Ferraris on Wednesday night allowed Roma to draw level on points with them at the summit of Serie A courtesy of a 2-0 win over Cesena.



 

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Serie A Review: Juve make Roma pay, Parma end losing streak

1 November 2014

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Juventus regained their three-point cushion at the Serie A summit after seeing off Empoli 2-0 at the Stadio Carlo Castellani on Saturday.

The champions' shock midweek defeat to Genoa, coupled with a Roma victory over Cesena, put Juve and the capital club level at the top going into the weekend's action.

However, their results were reversed this time around, as Juve proved too strong for Empoli following Roma's defeat to Napoli earlier in the day.

Massimiliano Allegri's side did not have things all their own way against Maurizio Sarri's strugglers and were made to wait until after the hour mark before taking the lead.

Andrea Pirlo's sublime free-kick opened the scoring 61 minutes in before Alvaro Morata put the game to bed soon after with a delightful curled finish.

Defender Lorenzo Tonelli was dismissed for the hosts late on but Juve were already ensured of three important points by then, following Roma's 2-0 loss at the Stadio San Paolo.

Gonzalo Higuain got Napoli off to an ideal start when he opened the scoring in acrobatic fashion after just three minutes.

That was the in-form Argentinian's fifth goal in three games, and he then turned provider for Jose Callejon to wrap up Napoli's win five minutes from time.

Rafael Benitez's men are now unbeaten in seven Serie A outings, and sit third in the table ahead of Sunday's games.

Saturday's final fixture saw Parma ease the pressure on coach Roberto Donadoni and simultaneously turn up the heat on Inter boss Walter Mazzarri with a 2-0 home win.

Both coaches' positions have been the subject of much discussion in recent weeks, but Paolo De Ceglie's brace was enough to move Parma off the bottom after a run of six consecutive Serie A defeats.


 

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Serie A Review: Palermo stun Milan, Sampdoria return to winning ways


2 November 2014

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Palermo stunned Milan with a 2-0 win on Sunday to extend the San Siro outfit's winless run to three matches in Serie A.

The hosts suffered an early setback when Alex was forced to leave the field through injury, with Filippo Inzaghi sending on Cristian Zapata in his place.

However, the Colombian had a match to forget, inadvertently putting Palermo in front when he headed beyond goalkeeper Diego Lopez from a 23rd-minute corner.

Things got even worse for Zapata when he was easily brushed aside by Paula Dybala three minutes later as the Argentine stole in to lift the ball over Lopez and double the visitors' advantage.

Misfiring Fernando Torres failed to enhance his stuttering reputation, lacking conviction when opportunities fell his way, while the introduction of Stephan El Shaarawy for the second half failed to have the desired effect.

The defeat is just Milan's second since Inzaghi took charge, while for Palermo the result represented their first away win since promotion to the Italian top flight.

Sampdoria kept touch with leading duo Juventus and Roma by picking up a 3-1 home victory over Fiorentina - their first win in four.

Angelo Palombo netted the first from the spot in the 27th minute after Roberto Soriano had been felled in the box, before Gonzalo Rodriguez missed the chance to level when Fiorentina were awarded a penalty of their own five minutes later.

Luca Rizzo found the net from a tight angle to put Sampdoria two up in the 43rd minute but Stefan Savic reduced the deficit with a header before the interval.

However, Eder made sure of maximum points for the home side in the 78th minute with a determined solo effort.

Genoa stretched their unbeaten run to five matches after coming from behind to triumph 4-2 at Udinese.

Antonio Di Natale scored the quickest goal of the Serie A season to put the home side in front - breaching the Genoa defence to find the bottom-left corner of the net after 22 seconds.

Giovanni Marchese's sublime 20-yard half-volley in the 21st minute pulled Genoa level, before Iago Falque turned on the spot in the six-yard box to put the visitors in front two minutes later.

Silvan Widmer made sure it was level at the break by sending a side-footed effort beyond goalkeeper Mattia Perin after 41 minutes but Alessandro Matri's low drive nine minutes into the second half restored Genoa's lead.

And the result was put beyond doubt three minutes from time, when substitute Juraj Kucka powered home a fourth.

Elsewhere, Atalanta's trip to Torino and Sassuolo's match at Chievo both ended in goalless draws.


 

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Inzaghi: Palermo deserved win


2 November 2014

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Milan coach Filippo Inzaghi says Palermo fully deserved their 2-0 Serie A victory at San Siro on Sunday.

Cristian Zapata inadvertently opened the scoring for the visitors by heading into his own net from a corner after 23 minutes, before Paulo Dybala doubled the advantage three minutes later.

Milan lacked quality in the final third and Inzaghi conceded his side were not at their best.

"This is football," he is quoted as telling Sky Sport Italia. "I said yesterday that Palermo were tough, having done very well at Napoli [in a 3-3 draw].

"We hadn't started that badly with [Andrea] Poli and [Fernando] Torres close, so if those chances had gone in it would've been a different game, but Palermo broke the deadlock and deserved the victory. We tip our hat to them.

"Nights like this can also help you grow. I take responsibility and from tomorrow we must roll our sleeves up.

"We can't wait to get back on the field against Sampdoria [next Saturday] to make up for this performance.”

Zapata had come on in place of the injured Alex after three minutes, but endured a match to forget as he scored the own goal and was found wanting for Dybala's second.

"Alex went off straight away, Zapata had to go on without a warm-up and he immediately felt some pain too," added Inzaghi. "It was just one of those nights.

"I am the coach, I'll try to work out where I went wrong, but this squad must be allowed to grow in good time. It was a heavy blow, but we'll get back up."


 

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Mazzarri frustrated by squad depth


1 November 2014

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Walter Mazzarri bemoaned Inter's lack of squad depth and lengthy injury list after Saturday's 2-0 defeat to lowly Parma.

Paolo De Ceglie's brace was enough to end Parma's miserable run of seven Serie A defeats in a row, lifting them off the bottom of the table for at least a day.

Inter's defeat will no doubt intensify the pressure on Mazzarri, whose position has been the subject of much discussion over recent weeks after the resignation of long-serving honorary president Massimo Moratti was reported to be linked to his views on the coach's performance.

Mazzarri was without the likes of Pablo Daniel Osvaldo, Fredy Guarin, Yann M’Vila, and Danilo D’Ambrosio for the trip to Parma, and the Inter boss revealed after the game that Hernanes may have picked up a knock after coming off the bench.

The former Napoli boss explained a lack of options, as well as long-standing fitness issues over the likes of Rodrigo Palacio, has held back his side this season.

"Clearly 2-0 makes everything look bad. It's true we didn't put in the performance we wanted and conceded a goal at the first cross, which then made us lose confidence and get tense," Mazzarri told Sky Sport Italia.

"We hit the post with [Mateo] Kovacic and had a great chance with Palacio, but lately we've been struggling to score goals. We were also tired, as the same players have to keep going.

"On top of that, Palacio had a serious injury and his ankle is still not in good shape.

"We are in a difficult situation in terms of injuries. Even in the emergency, we played the last three games pretty well but again we failed that extra step.

"It was the same team that beat Sampdoria, but looking at the bench I didn't exactly have many alternatives."



 
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