 |
|
Italy: Serie A Sunday Wrap [Mon Sep 19th, 2005]
A lot of goals, and some surprises in Serie A's third matchday.
At the Stadio Delle Alpi, captain Alessandro Del Piero, or as the club supporters like to call him, ‘Il Pinturicchio,’ played very well for Juventus of Turin as they won 2-1 at home over Ascoli. He opened the scoring in the 13th minute by converting a spot-kick.
That was answered with a goal by Alfredo Cariello in the 32nd to equalise, but Del Piero responded with the winner just six minutes later.
Elsewhere, at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris in Genoa, AC Milan went down to Sampdoria 2-1 at the latter’s home ground. Summer signing Alberto Gilardino scored his first official goal for Milan in the 17th minute, but Emiliano Bonazzoli leveled the score in the 38th, and Max Tonetto won it for Sampdoria in the 58th.
Milan have now only taken four points from their opening three matches, and even this early, their standing in the Serie A table is looking grim.
Fiorentina and Udinese slugged it out at the Stadio Artemio Franchi in Florence, with Fiorentina winning 4-2. Sulley Ali Muntari grabbed the lead for visiting Udinese in the 28th, but Stefano Fiore, back in Italian football after a poor season in Spain with Valencia, equalised ten minutes later.
The in-form Luca Toni got the lead for Fiorentina in the 42nd minute. Marco Donadel doubled the home side’s lead in the 79th, and Toni added his second in the 89th. Vincenzo Iaquinta, who scored a hat-trick in the midweek UEFA Champions League victory, got a late goal in the 91st minute, but this was merely consolation, as Udinese disappointed in the defeat.
Lazio won at home in Rome’s Stadio Olimpico, 3-1 over Treviso. Tommaso Rocchi scored the first for Lazio after a beautiful right-footed pass by Paolo Di Canio in the 20th minute. Goran Pandev made it two in the 26th with another terrific right-footed pass by Di Canio.
The Brazilian Pinga cut the lead in half with a stunning free kick right before half-time in the 44th. With the match dwindling down toward the finish, Tommaso Rocchi dived in the box with the keeper stretching, and the referee mistakenly sent off the keeper, Samir Handanovic.
With all three substitutions used up, defender Francesco Galeoto was forced to step into the Treviso goal, but could not stop the resulting penalty by Massimo Oddo in the 87th minute.
Reggina were defeated at home, 3-1, by virtue of a brace from Daniele Franceschini for Chievo Verona. Reggina actually had taken the lead in the 11th minute through Francesco Cozza, but Franceschini leveled in the 19th. He got his second in the 64th minute, and Davide Mandelli sealed the victory in the 77th.
Siena also lost at home, 2-1, to Palermo. Christian Terlizzi scored for Palermo in the 19th minute, but Siena immediately responded through Tomas Locatelli’s goal a minute later. Nigerian striker Stephen Ayodele Makinwa scored the match-winner in the 56th minute.
The only draw of the afternoon took place in the match between Cagliari and Messina, 1-1, at the formers Stadio Sant’Elia. Massimo Donati grabbed the lead for Messina in the 30th, but Suazo erased the advantage by leveling ten minutes later.
Joel Whitehead
News headlines from around the world.