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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
September 14th 2009 03:53
Italian footballers have always been accused as being the biggest divers in the game. Although that reputation certainly has its part of truth, it's hard to blame those players after witnessing a game as physical as Saturday's encounter between Lazio and Juventus.
There's not really much to say about this game since it looked more like all-out war than the usual managerial chess match. The first half was a goaltending duel as both Muslera and Buffon denied opposing forwards with excellent saves. The Lazio goalkeeper had more work than his counterpart but still managed to keep the game scoreless.
While goalkeepers shined at both ends of the pitch, the middle of the pitch was battlefield with tackles flying everywhere despite the numerous warnings by the referee. One of the casualties of this tackle-fest was Juventus midfielder Diego who was unable to finish the first half after picking up a thigh injury. The Brazilian has been Juventus' shining star in previous games and his loss was definitely a blow for the bianconeri.
Still, the Old Lady marched on and it was defender Martin Caceres who opened the score for the home side in the 71st minute. Once they got that precious first goal behind them, Juventus slowly took control of the game until Trezeguet killed the game with his first goal of the season in the 93rd minute.
The win puts Juventus firmly in second place ahead of their main rivals. If they continue to play like that, I don't think that anyone will doubt the return of the Old Lady at the top of the Serie A.
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Juventus line-up: Gianluigi Buffon; Martin Caceres, Nicola Legrottaglie, Giorgio Chiellini, Fabio Grosso; Mauro Camoranesi (Tiago, 68th), Felipe Melo, Diego (Sebastian Giovinco, 44th), Claudio Marchisio; Amauri, David Trezeguet.
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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Much has been said about Real Madrid and Manchester City's spending frenzy and the Ibrahimovic-Eto'o swap between Inter and Barcelona during the summer. One club which has been quietly adding players to its roster is now turning heads in the Serie A. Coming off of a good season where they finished second, Juventus added depth to its line-up by getting Fabio Cannavaro back as well as adding Brazil's Felipe Melo and Werder Bremen's Diego in midfield. After watching him play in the past two games, I think it's safe to say that Diego is one of this year's most underrated acquisitions.
After last week's display where he put his own stamp to the game with an assist and some nifty ball control, the Brazilian midfielder was at it again, scoring two goals in Juve's victory over AS Roma. Both goals came at key moments of the game. After an overly physical opening twenty minutes, the bianconeri struck first on a defensive mistake by Roma. Cassetti failed to properly control the ball inside the centre circle which led to a breathtaking run by Diego from the halfway line all the way to Julio Sergio's box where he skillfully struck the ball with the outside of his boot to beat the goalkeeper at the far post
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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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Juventus is one of those teams who had a disruptive pre-season this summer. New arrivals and various injuries didn't leave much time for new manager Ciro Ferrara to really get the line-ups he wanted, nor for the players to get the appropriate amount of PT. The bianconeri's lack of fitness showed in their opening game of the season where an early goal was enough for them to defeat ChievoVerona.
The one player who stood out in that game was Juventus midfielder Diego. Acquired from Werder Bremen during the summer, the Brazilian is already a fan favorite at the Stadio Olimpico thanks to a dazzling first half performance. Showing great poise and technique, Diego attracted the ball and fouls like a magnet. It was his free-kick that connected with Iaquinta's head in the 11th minute to put the home side ahead. However, his magical touch on the ball was also a negative quality as he often tried to do crowd-pleasing passes and moves instead of keeping it simple
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The Champions League's first knock-out stage is upon us, and there are already several match-ups that can make any fan drool with anticipation. Here's how things look up this year.
On Wednesday, the two must-see games will probably be Chelsea against Juventus and Real Madrid against Liverpool
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Group A
Bordeaux Chelsea: 1-1
What is going with the Blues lately? Not only they are slowing down in the Premiership, their Champions League latest performances are leaving a lot to be desired. After convincingly defeating Bordeaux 4-0 in Matchday 1, they could only get a draw in the return match. Are they simply exhausted or are other teams figuring them out? Thanks to this draw, Bordeaux still have a chance to qualify. They'll have to defeat Roma on Matchday 6 to get through
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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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Group A
A win by both Bordeaux and Roma leave things wide open in Group A where any team can now go through.
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Group A
Chelsea CFR Cluj: 0-0
Cluj are continuing to impress everyone on the European stage. After defeating Roma 2-1 on Day 1, they held Chelsea to a scoreless draw which keeps them in second place. Granted, Chelsea didn't play very well. Without Joe Cole on the wing, they lacked the mobility necessary to stretch Cluj's compact defense. The Blues started with a 4-3-3 formation but suprisingly looked better with a 4-4-2 once Anelka came on in the second half. However, Drogba's injury before the hour-mark erased all the momentum they had at the start of the second period while Cluj gained in confidence as time went on. The Romanian even tested Cech late in the game but everyone could tell that they were equally satisfied with a draw
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September 20th 2008 01:48
Shabbir ul Hassan's Blogs
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