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September 22nd 2009 17:45
September 17th 2009 03:35
So, the Inter Milan-Barcelona game wasn't as exciting as I anticipated so I won't be posting an individual recap of that game but read on for my thoughts on Day 1. There are several games for which I didn't find any highlights. Video sites are quick to take off links these days, so there's not much I can do about that.
- Group A -
Juventus Girondins de Bordeaux: 1-1
The season has just started and already Juventus are missing big name players in Diego and Alessandro Del Piero. Thankfully, youngster Giovinco is proving to be a worthy replacement after a nice display on Tuesday. In front, Iaquinta and Amauri are becoming a dangerous pair due to their size and abilities. Bordeaux's defense dealt well with the two strikers, limiting them to only one goal. Plasil scored the equalizer for the visitors who definitely deserved the point.
Iaquinta's opener
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Plasil's equalizer
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Maccabi Haifa Bayern Munich: 0-3
German giants Bayern had an easier game than Juventus, taking on Israeli club Maccabi Haifa in Day 1. Once again, Thomas Muller showed that he belongs in the big league by scoring two goals after Van Buyten's opener. With the emergence of Muller, you have to wonder if Luca Toni will ever see a game with Bayern again considering that they also have Olic, Gomez and Klose in front.
- Group B -
VfL Wolfsburg CSKA Moskva: 3-1
It was the Grafite show in Germany as the Brazilian striker scored all of his team's goals including a penalty in a win over CSKA Moskva.
Besiktas Manchester United: 0-1 (Read my recap HERE)
- Group C -
FC Zurich Real Madrid: 2-5
When looking at the final score of that game, you have to think that Madrid really took it to Zurich but the fact of the matter is that after leading 3-0, the Spanish giants' defense was soft enough to have Zurich come back to 3-2. Furthermore, Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice on free-kicks but the keeper could have done better on both kicks so this result wasn't convincing enough for me.
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Olympique de Marseille AC Milan: 1-2
There's been lots of talk about Ronaldinho stepping up after Kaka's departure but it was Clarence Seedorf who provided all the playmaking in Milan's win over Marseille. Both goals were scored by Inzaghi, showing that Milan's old guard still has some legs (though I don't those legs will carry them far).
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- Group D -
Chelsea Porto: 1-0
Like United, Chelsea didn't force themselves too much against Porto. Of course, with Drogba and Bosingwa both suspended, their attack lacked its usual bite. Thankfully, Anelka scored early in the second half and that was enough for the Blues to win it.
Atletico de Madrid APOEL FC: 0-0
If this was any other year, I would be shocked at this result, but this year Atletico seem to be in a crisis that is obviously influencing the results on the field.
- Group E -
Liverpool Debreceni VSC: 1-0
It's probably the most shocking results amongst all the big teams. Yes, Liverpool won but anyone who watched that game can tell you that Debreceni put up quite a fight, making life hard for Benitez's squad.
Olympique Lyonnais Fiorentina: 1-0
- Group F -
Inter Milan Barcelona: 0-0
The biggest game of Day 1 turned out to be its most boring. Barcelona's passing game was beautiful to watch as always but a terrifically organized Inter defense didn't leave too many holes for Ibrahimovic and Messi to sneak into. When the two strikers did find their way in, a shove was often enough to dispossess them of the ball. I was really disappointed in Henry's performance who didn't seem to be fit. His exit for Iniesta came way too late in my opinion.
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Dynamo Kyiv FC Rubin Kazan: 3-1
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- Group G -
VfB Stuttgart Rangers FC: 1-1
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Sevilla Unirea Urziceni: 2-0
Luis Fabiano's opener
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Renato's goal
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- Group H -
Olympiacos FC AZ Alkmaar: 1-0
Standard de Liege Arsenal: 2-3
Arsenal came close to being upset when poor judgement on their defense's part allowed Standard de Liege to go up 2-0. They managed to come back and win it but it was still pretty close.
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September 15th 2009 03:21
After three weeks of competitive play, AC Milan are already showing signs of slowing down with a disappointing 0-0 draw against Livorno. Juventus kept up its winning streak by defeating Lazio 2-0. However, Inter isn't too far behind them after winning their encounter against Parma. The big shock comes in when one looks at the table and sees Genoa (!) sitting atop of the Serie A thanks to their goal differential. The full results follow.
Udinese Catania: 4-2
Siena Roma: 1-2
Palermo Bari: 1-1
Livorno Milan: 0-0
Lazio Juventus: 0-2 (Read my recap HERE)
Inter Parma: 2-0
Genoa Napoli: 4-1
Fiorentina Cagliari: 1-0
Bologna Chievo: 0-2
Atalanta Sampdoria: 0-1
The Calcio's second week was not without any action as the first derby della Madonnina went in favor of Inter Milan who easily (almost too easily) discarded their city rivals to the score of 4-0 (3-0 at halftime). But it was Juventus who stole the show as Diego put on another fantastic display to help his new team defeat Roma 3-1. Full results follow.
Atalanta Genoa: 0-1
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The big surprise of Serie A's opening fixtures was Inter Milan's draw against promoted club Bari. Although Eto'o scored on his debut, the draw was a big blow considering Milan and Juventus' victories. As usual, here are the highlights from all the games (except the one that ended in a 0-0 draw).
Bologna Fiorentina: 1-1
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After Real Madrid's successful bids to get superstars Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo last month, the Nou Camp stayed eerily quiet, proceeding to make only one depth-related move by bringing in Inter's Maxwell to replace Sylvinho. All that changed this past weekend when the blaugrana completed a blockbuster move of their own, swapping striker Samuel Eto'o along with midfielder Aleksandr Hleb for Inter's Zlatan Ibrahimovic and signing the latter to a 5-year, 46 million contract.
Who's the winner of that deal? Inter or Barca?
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It's been a while since I commented on Serie A games. The Milan derby was a perfect opportunity to get back to the Calcio.
The first thing that struck me while watching the game is how porous and focus-less (is that even a word?) the Rossoneri's defense is. Inter knocked a the door early in the game with a free-kick from midfield that somehow found Zlatan Ibrahimovic's header inside the 18-yard box with no one marking the striker. Fortunately for Milan, Ibrahimovic's header went way over the bar, keeping the game scoreless. Milan's back-four was caught again at the 17th minute, but Ambrosini's last-ditch tackle prevented Stankovic from placing a perfect shot against Abbiati
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Summer talk in Italy has been monopolized by the two Milan teams with AC Milan picking up a disgraced Ronaldinho from Barcelona while Inter put ex-Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho under contract. Here's how the teams stack up after ten weeks.
1. AC Milan (10-7-1-2 | 22pts
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Casual observers and fans alike have always criticized Italian football for being dull. There are not enough goals, the action is too slow, it's too defensive, nothing's happening all excuses for their disdain of something they can't quite grasp. Yes, Serie A football isn't as open as the Premiership, neither is it as technically exquisite as Spanish and Portuguese football. Instead of those things, you find a highly tactical environment where the match is turned into a game of chess, each team tinkering and probing to find their opponents' weaknesses. Sometimes, it does look boring. I have to admit, a game tied at 0-0 with most of the action happening in the midfield rather than either end doesn't attract me much. Yet, there are also those games that can stay scoreless and still leave you fully satisfied. The Milan Derby is one of those games. This year's edition ended only 1-0 in favor of the Rossoneri, but it was one of the best games (tactically-wise) that I've seen so far in this season.
Ronaldinho was the star of the game on Sunday. He scored the winning-goal with his head, no less and seems to have found a nice complicity with Kaka. Ancelotti must feel pretty good about that. Indeed, there was never time in pre-season for the two players to hit it off since Ronaldinho was in the Olympics with the Brazilian national team and Kaka's knee was still bothering him. Consequently, the Rossoneri had a rough start to their season, losing their first two games due to subpar performances. Now though, the Brazilians ('Dinho, Kaka, Pato) have found their groove, and this win against Inter could prove to be the springboard needed to get them going
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September 16th 2008 02:54
This week, both Mourinho and Ancelotti were looking for their first win of the campaign. In order to do so, both coaches made some changes to their roster to mixed results.
Inter Milan Catania: 2-1
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