 |
|
Italy: In-form Toni and Iaquinta go head to head as Fiorentina meet Udinese [Fri Sep 16th, 2005]
Milan (Reuters) - Italy's most in-form strikers, Luca Toni and Vincenzo Iaquinta, face each other on Sunday when Fiorentina and Udinese meet in Florence.
Udinese's Iaquinta and Fiorentina's Toni have made outstanding starts to the season, but with competition fierce in the fight to make the Italy squad, they know they need to keep up their scoring form throughout the campaign.
Iaquinta hit a hat-trick in his first UEFA Champions League game as Udinese beat Greece's Panathinaikos 3-0.
Toni also has a recent triple to his credit -- he scored three of Italy's goals in their 4-1 World Cup qualifying win away to Belarus -- and he has also been on target in Fiorentina's two Serie A games this season.
While both tall forwards, in the classic 'number nine' fashion, the pair have different qualities -- Toni is more of a traditional target man, powerful in the air and inside the penalty area, while Iaquinta's height disguises the fact that he is lightning quick and possesses a deft touch.
Along with Livorno's Cristiano Lucarelli and the Milan pair Alberto Gilardino and Christian Vieri, Lippi has a wide selection of physical strikers to lead his line in contrast to recent years, when Italy forwards frequently came in smaller packages.
Gianfranco Zola, Roberto Baggio, Enrico Chiesa, Giuseppe Signori and Alessandro Del Piero were, or are, all forwards who relied on their skill and movement, rather than physical presence but Lippi has been willing in recent games to pair two big men together.
Iaquinta has said he does not consider Toni a rival for the Azzurri slot as they could play alongside each other.
"I don't see any reason why not. Yes, we are both tall but we have different characteristics. Actually I have played in the past behind a main striker and I can operate in that slightly deeper role as well as right up front," he said after his headline-grabbing display.
Sunday's match promises to be a fascinating encounter between two of Serie A's most ambitious clubs.
Udinese have started well with two wins from two, including last week's impressive victory away to AS Roma.
Fiorentina beat Sampdoria on the opening day and then drew 2-2 at Messina last week after taking a two-goal lead.
The Florence side only avoided relegation on the final day of last season, but have made several changes to their squad this term and, under new coach Cesare Prandelli, look a far more competitive outfit.
One of the new faces in the viola shirt is midfielder Stefano Fiore who made his name with Udinese before moving to Lazio and then Spain's Valencia.
Champions Juventus, along with Udinese and Livorno, one of three teams with 100 percent records should extend that run of wins when they face promoted Ascoli at the Delle Alpi stadium.
Challengers AC Milan have a tougher test away to Sampdoria, while Inter Milan will aim to bounce back from last week's defeat to Palermo when they host Lecce at the San Siro on Saturday (1830 GMT).
News headlines from around the world.