Seasons are drawing to a close rather dramatically across Europe. Here is what we’re seeing in each of the top leagues.
* many thanks to Marc Roseblade for the stats.
Posts Tagged ‘Serie A’
INTER NOT SO LONELY AT THE TOP
Thursday, February 25th, 2010By Jake Glavies
Just a few days before its weekend match against Udinese, Inter is trying to juggle roster spots and coaching duties to keep from losing more ground to AC Milan and AS Roma.
A 0-0 draw with Sampdoria Saturday was just the beginning of Inter’s woes. Not only did it allow title challengers AC Milan and AS Roma – who sit just four and five points back respectively – to narrow the gap atop the Serie A table, but the Nerazzurri lost four players and their coach to suspensions this week.
Defenders Walter Samuel and Ivan Cordoba were both shown red cards against the Blucerchiati and automatically ruled out of this weekend’s meeting with Undinese; once the final whistle blew though, the news went from bad to worse as the squad learned that coach Jose Mourhino would be suspended for three matches for a gesture he made toward referees during the contest. Midfielders Esteban Cambiasso and Sulley Muntari were also slapped with bans after the draw.
Even more, defender Cristian Chivu will miss the clash with Undinese with a head injury, while Marco Materazzi and Davide Santon may be rushed back from injury to fill vacancies in the defense. With three regular players missing from the defense, Inter will certainly field a makeshift back line at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Sunday. If all injuries and suspensions hold, the group will consist of Maicon, Lucio, Matterazzi and Santon.
Inter’s rough and ready defense will be pushed to its limits by one of Serie A’s most feared goal scorers, Antonio Di Natale. Currently leading the league with 18 goals – Inter’s Diego Milito is second with 14 – Di Natale has had three multi goal matches this season, with the most recent coming when he accounted for all of Udinese’s scores during a 3-1 win over Napoli Feb. 7.
If Matterazzi and Santon aren’t yet fully recovered from their injuries and Inter is forced to dig deep into its roster for substitutes Sunday, the Nerazzurri might find themselves in a much tighter title race come Monday.
AC MILAN BACK IN CLASSIC FORM
Saturday, February 13th, 2010
Milan was INCREDIBLE against Udinese yesterday.
Beckham, whose game has actually gotten better since arriving in Milan, complemented Ronaldinho at midfield to make for some of the most beautiful plays we’ve seen all year in the Serie A.
The final result was 3-2 in Milan’s favor.
Milan has a chance of catching up with Inter, but I think everyone is more interested to see what happens in the Champions League. Can Milan out-scrap/out-shine/out-play Manchester United? It’s a tough call. Let us know what you think.
LONELY AT THE TOP: Inter Milan and the Serie A
Tuesday, February 9th, 2010By Jake Glavies
Italian football is proving to be a one-horse race this season and it’s Inter Milan out in front galloping down the home stretch. Inter has been unstoppable over the past two months, compiling a 5-0-2 record since it’s last loss Dec. 5 to Juventus; the squad has also recorded 14 goals in the span. The most impressive victory of the stretch came Sunday in a 3-0 win over Cagliari.
Forward Alberto Diego Milito has been at the head of the charge as of late, accounting for six scores over the span. Samuel Eto’o, one of the game’s most feared strikers, has added eight league goals on the year with 12 scores in all competitions.
And the squad is only getting stronger. After a lengthy layoff, Macedonian forward Goran Pandev is beginning to hit his stride. Finding the back of the net in three straight league matches, Pandev gives Inter one of the most scoring minded front lines in all of Serie A. Coach Jose Mourinho will look to the trio to avenge the squad’s first defeat of the season, a 1-0 loss at Sampdoria, when the Nerazzurri travel to the Stadio Luigi Ferraris Feb. 20.
Just two weeks ago, Inter further demonstrated its dominance, trouncing second place AS Roma 2-0 at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza. With an eight point lead over Roma and the season more than half over, it would take a disastrous turn of events for Inter not to claim a fifth straight league title.
As for Roma, a slim 1-0 win over Fiorentina Sunday gave Claudio Ranieri’s club a leg up on third place AC Milan, who has failed to find the win column in its last four matches – most recently drawing 0-0 at Bologna.
Upcoming matches against Napoli, Palermo and Roma, will certainly put Inter to the test. Beyond his front line, Mourinho will look to goalkeeper Julio Cesar to keep a long list of talented scorers from stealing a victory. Facing the likes of Francesco Totti, Edison Cavani and Marek Hamsik, Cesar will be key if Inter is to win a fifth straight league crown.
IT’S THE RONALDINHO SHOW!
Sunday, January 17th, 2010
The handsome devil is back! Serie A haters beware. Gaucho has given italian football a pulse. Thank GOD!!!
photo credit: Getty Images
A HERO’S WELCOME FOR BECKHAM
Thursday, January 7th, 2010
David Beckham played a critical role in Milan’s 5-2 romping over Genoa on Wednesday. The English midfielder started in Pirlo’s place and earned a standing ovation from supporters when he subbed out in the second half.
Conspiracy Theory: Beckham has returned to AC Milan for special treatment in the club’s “LAB” which is rumored to possess the secrets of eternal youth. Well, close enough. Unless you are Ryan Giggs, there is no place like Milan for middle aged footballers.
photo credit: AFP
BALOTELLI PUTS INTER AHEAD
Wednesday, January 6th, 2010Inter gets the year started off in style with a 1-0 win over Chievo. Balotelli, who many expected would leave the club for Arsenal, has no plans of leaving the Serie A.
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE HIGHLIGHTS: BAYERN MUNICH vs JUVENTUS
Tuesday, December 8th, 2009Bayern Munich is back. Today’s 3-1 victory can be attributed to tough defense and chance-creation from midfield. Juventus started strong with a goal from Trezeguet, but ultimately fell to an overpowering Munich offense. The German club made it into the round of 16 without having to rely on an injured Franck Ribery.
Some people criticize Bayern for having lost their “guiding philosophy,” but I say it was alive and well today.
AC MILAN VICTORIOUS OVER SAMPDORIA
Saturday, December 5th, 2009Here’s Pato’s goal from Milan’s 3-0 victory over former chart-toppers Sampdoria.
UNDER-FIRE HUNTELAAR NETS 2 GOALS
Sunday, November 29th, 2009
Klass-Jan Huntelaar, who has been under fire for not finding his form at AC Milan, was brilliant today against Catania scoring the only goals of the game. Huntelaar came in as a substitute in the 84th minute and scored two goals in the last two minutes of injury time to give AC Milan the win and the points to climb to second place in Serie A. These were Huntelaar’s first goals for AC Milan.
Huntelaar, who has been linked for a move to Tottenham, has been under scrutiny ever since leaving Real Madrid. The Dutch national has stated that he wants to stay with AC Milan, even though he is behind Pato, Inzaghi, and Borriello in the striker pecking order. Huntelaar was a highly-touted star while at Ajax, scoring 76 goals in 92 appearances, but failed to shine at Real Madrid leading to his departure to AC Milan, where until this game, has again not lived up to expectations.
Photo Credit: AP Photo
