Tag Archives: Serie A

Lazio 0-2 Roma: two penalties settle tight game

“Two similar systems and little creativity in open play. Top of the table Lazio set up with a 4-3-1-2 formation, a shape they’ve used in roughly half of games so far, the other option being a 4-2-3-1. Tomasso Rocchi started his first game since mid-September upfront alongside Sergio Floccari, whilst Guglielmo Stendardo started in place of the suspended Giuseppe Biava at the back.” (Zonal Marking)

Sevilla 2-0 Valencia: Emery doesn’t change despite red card, both Manzano subs score
“Sevilla eventually broke through after Valencia’s Mehmet Topal was sent off in the first half. For the home side, only Martin Cacares remained from the back four that conceded five goals at the Nou Camp last week. Further forward, it was the same midfield and attack, with Frederic Kanoute pushed up closer to Luis Fabiano.” (Zonal Marking)

Il Derby Della Capitale

“The twice yearly clash between Roma and Lazio is one of world football’s most passionate derbies. On Sunday, the two sides meet with Lazio in fine form. Rocco Camisola looks forward to an exciting clash.” (In Bed With Maradona)

Messina – a true yo-yo club

“Messina is the third largest city in Sicily and thirteenth in Italy; founded in the 8th century BC throughout its history it has endured countless catastrophes. Seized by Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans and Spaniards for its tactical position; it has also been the site of plagues (rumoured to be the port where the Black Death entered mainland Europe), earthquakes and even a tsunami. The most recent earthquake in 1908 brought the city to its knees killing 60,000 people and destroying most of the ancient architecture. A further catastrophe is on the verge of occurring for the fans of the city’s football team.” (The Football Express)

Milan 1-2 Juventus: Allegri’s side dominate early on, but weakness in wide areas costs them again

“Milan had more chances, but Juventus were more clinical and took three points away from the San Siro. Milan kept the same team that beat Napoli 2-1 in the previous Serie A round, in a fairly traditional 4-3-1-2 shape. Robinho started as a trequartista but drifted to the left. Luca Antonini was back at left-back, and got forward well early on.” (Zonal Marking)

Napoli 1-2 Milan: Oddo off the bench to provide overlaps for both Milan goals

“A wet and windy night in Naples produced an entertaining game, and a victory for Milan over ten man Napoli. The home side set out in their usual 3-4-3 system, keeping the same attack and midfield as against Liverpool, only changing the defence where Paolo Cannavaro was suspended, so Gianluca Grava came in and the defence was shuffled.” (Zonal Marking)

Inter 1-1 Sampdoria: Inter’s attackers struggle to break down Sampdoria’s two banks of four

“Inter dominated, Sampdoria took the lead, then Rafael Benitez’s side rallied late on to claim a point. Diego Milito was still out injured, but Esteban Cambiasso returned to the centre of midfield. Elsewhere, the side was as expected, with Jonathan Biabiany on the right and Coutinho on the left.” (Zonal Marking)

Zonal Marking blog: How Spurs can beat Inter

“It doesn’t get much tougher than a trip to the European champions, and in Milan Harry Redknapp has to prove that he is a competent tactician at the very highest level. Here are five key points to consider.” (itv)

Sampdoria 2-1 Fiorentina: Mihajlovic’s woes continue as Fiorentina go bottom of the table

“Fiorentina were ahead for the majority of the game, but two Sampdoria goals within 60 seconds sealed a remarkable turnaround. Sampdoria started with more of a classic 4-4-2 from last season rather than the 4-3-1-2 they’ve often sported this campaign. Fernando Tissone started in the centre of midfield, whilst Franco Semioli and Stefano Guberti were on the wings.” (Zonal Marking)

A Glorious Education In Italian Football

Alessandro Del Piero
“There’s an advert on television at the moment asking what information overload has done to us. If you haven’t seen it already, two women are having lunch together in what appears to be a fashionable restaurant when a question from one of the pair causes her friend to apparently short-circuit and begin spewing random irrelevant facts with alarming speed, drawing the bemused attention of the other restaurant-goers and embarrassing her companion. The advert then poses its key, pertinent question, before somewhat confusingly plugging a new search engine on this here internet.” (Who ate all the Pies)

An Argentine Kaka

“To label Javier Pastore as the Serie A revelation of the season so far would be slightly inappropriate. For those who are familiar with calcio, El Flaco has long been a boy to keep an eye on. Nevertheless, for many in Europe, he was almost unknown before links with Real Madrid and Manchester City were established.” (Italia)

Inter 0-0 Juventus: defences come out in top in a disappointing Derby D’Italia

The Country Concert, Tiziano Vecellio
“An entertaining first half, but a second period where both sides were happy to take a point. Juventus were broadly in Luigi Delneri’s favoured 4-4-2 shape, with Fabio Qugliarella dropping to the left, just off Vincenzo Iaquinta. Milos Krasic played on the right and stayed high up the pitch, whilst Claudio Marchisio was tucked in on the opposite side. Rafael Benitez didn’t consider Diego Milito fit enough to start, so Samuel Eto’o was used upfront with Jonathan Biabiany and Coutinho either side. Ivan Cordoba continued at the back with the captain’s armband.” (Zonal Marking)

Parma 0-1 Milan: Pirlo’s 40-yard strike wins it

“Andrea Pirlo’s wonderul goal gave Milan all three points at the Tardini. Dino Marino used a 4-2-3-1 formation, although it was lopsided, as Jose Marques stayed high up the pitch supporting Hernan Crespo, whilst Angelo (usually a right-back) made his debut on the right of midfield. Massimo Gobbi played as a holding player with license to come forward.” (Zonal Marking)

Roma 1-0 Inter: Roma win it from the bench

“Substitute Mirko Vucinic scored a superb last minute header to record a crucial win for Roma. Claudio Ranieri lined up with a 4-4-2 / 4-2-3-1 formation that saw Francesco Totti playing off Marco Borriello. Simone Perrotta was naturally more defensive on the left than Jeremy Menez was on the right. Rafael Benitez played the usual 4-2-3-1 system. Their side was also slightly lopsided, as Goran Pandev was both deeper and more central than Samuel Eto’o. Dejan Stankovic played as a deep-lying regista.” (Zonal Marking)

Marx, Engels, Mao, Castro, & now…Vucinic
“You saw the well-timed run. You saw the diving header. And you saw the fiery celebration. But what you didn’t see was…. The simmering tensions amid the eternal struggle between proletariat and owner. First, read John Foot’s excellent piece at Goal on the history of the infamous ‘Sindacato Miliardari’, the Serie A players’ union. Up to speed on the current crisis? (futfanatico)

Under-fire Ranieri faces tough Inter test

“After Claudio Ranieri was handed a vote of confidence, Roma could not have asked for a more difficult opponent than Serie A leaders and European champions Inter. Roma dropped into the relegation zone with just two points in four league games after Wednesday’s 2-1 defeat to Brescia, while the Nerazzurri claimed their third straight win with a 4-0 thumping of Bari. The result lifted them to the top of the standings, one point clear of Chievo and Brescia.” (ESPN)

Inter Milan (Internazionale) 4-0 Bari – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – Serie A
(The 90th Minute)

Lazio 1-1 AC Milan – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – Serie A
(The 90th Mniute)

Triestina’s virtual fans anger the regulars

“Jorge Luis Borges composed a short story 43 years ago that took as its subject the final football game ever to be played in a ‘real’ stadium. ‘Football, like all sport, is a kind of drama interpreted by one man alone in a projection room or by actors in front of a cameraman,’ Borges wrote. This was football’s 1984 moment, a dystopia that no one really ever thought possible. Sadly it’s already happening at Serie B side Triestina.” (WSC)

Sampdoria 1-2 Napoli: late turnaround as Hamsik and Cavani snatch the win

“Napoli dominated the game and yet fell behind, before rallying in the final ten minutes to record their first win of the season. Sampdoria lined up with their diamondish formation, with Stefano Guberti as an attacking midfielder, Antonio Cassano off to the left (but narrower than usual) and Franco Semioli on the right.” (Zonal Marking)

Juventus 3-3 Sampdoria: All-out-attack from both sides produces a superb match

“A brilliant, open, end-to-end classic as Miloš Krasić and Antonio Cassano dominated the game. Sampdoria continued with the interesting Roma/Brazil-esque shape they used against Werder Bremen, with Franco Semioli wide on the right, Daniele Dessena tucked in on the other side, and Antonio Cassano drifting in from the left. They were without Giampaolo Pazzini, so Nicola Pozzi came in, whilst Vladimir Koman played an attacking midfield role.” (Zonal Marking)

Serie A 2010/11 – Title Contenders: Can Inter Milan’s domination be stopped?

“One of the world’s finest football leagues, the Italian Serie A is underway and this season all eyes will once again focus on whether reigning league champions Inter Milan can finally be dethroned. The Nerazurri have been collecting the Scudetto for five seasons in a row, albeit the first title from that five year run was pretty much a gift because of the Calciopoli scandal. Still, Inter’s domination has been so powerful that only last season were we finally witness to an interesting finish in the league.” (Just Football)

The Zlatan Ibrahimovic Transfer Analysed

“Last week Barcelona sold their enigmatic Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Milan in a transfer that was astonishing not only because it came just 12 months after “Ibra” had moved to the Camp Nou, but also because the price was considerably lower than the amount the Catalans had paid to Inter for the mercurial forward. Although his performances in the blaugrana shirt had been a bit hit-and-miss, Ibrahimovic was by no means a complete failure, having scored 21 goals in all competitions, averaging a goal every other game in La Liga, where he helped Barcelona retain their title.” (The Swiss Ramble)

Italian fan ID card gets off to a bad start

“This the debut season of Italian football’s Tessera del Tifoso, or fans’ ID card scheme. There have been protests about the card ever since it was first mooted and plenty more have been made in the last few weeks. During the season opener at the Stadio Olimpico, a large group of Roma’s ultras remained outside the stadium, leaving an entire block of the usually chock-full Curva Sud glaringly empty. At the Serie B game between Empoli and Pescara I saw a number of the home side’s ultras choosing not to enter the ground, but instead setting up a Subbuteo table outside.” (WSC)

How will Milan line up this season?

“In what was a predictably mellow summer transfer window, AC Milan bucked the general trend around Europe by making a number of high-profile acquisitions. The arrivals at the San Siro of Robinho and Zlatan Ibrahimovic from Manchester City and Barcelona respectively have provided Milan with what is, at least on paper, one of the finest attacking units on the continent.” (The Equaliser)

Fiorentina 1-1 Napoli: the away side’s lopsided defensive shape works rather well

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“The closest thing to a ‘glamour tie’ in the first round of Serie A finished all square – 1-1 both in terms of goals and red cards. Fiorentina’s only debutant in Sinisa Mihajlovic’s first game in charge was Gaetano D’Agostino, the central playmaker who is effectively taking Stevan Jovetic’s place in Fiorentina’s 4-2-3-1 from last season. Otherwise, it was a distinctly Prandelli-esque team, with no major changes.” (Zonal Marking)

Tactics: Robinho arrival threatens Ronaldinho’s renaissance

“Right-footed, left-sided attackers are currently one of football’s most fashionable commodities (think David Villa and Robinho at the World Cup; Franck Ribéry at Bayern Munich; Nani at Manchester United), and like any self-respecting wealthy Italian man, Silvio Berlusconi has to be up with the latest trends. So he bought two. But while Robinho is hoping his transfer deadline day move to Milan will allow him to re-launch his stuttering club career, his arrival at San Siro may well turn out to be bad news for Ronaldinho.” (Football Further)

Welcome to Purgatory, Van Der Vaart!

“The universe has inverted itself. The malcontent souls go to AC Milan, while the bad souls go to Barcelona. As for those in between – the hapless sailors aboard a ship sailed by a ruthless and sinful captain, the ocean opens up its mighty mouth but refuses to swallow them whole. Rather, they float, and they float, and they float. The currents toss them to and fro, the hypnotizing rhythm of the waves lulls them into exhausted slumber until salt water filled lungs choke them awake. Van Der Vaart is one of these souls.” (futfanatico)

Bologna 0-0 Inter: Benitez starts with bore draw

“A low-key game with few goalscoring opportunities – the result was celebrated by managerless Bologna like a win. The home side included new signings Andrea Esposito, Matteo Rubin, Gyorgy Garics and Albin Ekdal in a 4-1-4-1 system that saw Belgian midfielder Gaby Mudingayi sitting very deep in front of his defence, with Marco di Vaio isolated upfront. Rafael Benitez used the 4-2-3-1 formation that Inter played towards the end of last season, and the system Benitez favoured at Liverpool. Maicon was unavailable so Javier Zanetti started at right-back.” (Zonal Marking)

Aston Villa 1-0 Everton: Villa strike early, then hold on
“A bizarre game that Everton dominated from start to finish, and yet still managed to lose. Stephen Ireland suffered an injury in the warm up, so Nigel Reo-Coker replaced him in the centre of midfield. James Collins returned at the back, and Gabriel Agbonlahor wasn’t fit enough to start, so John Carew continued upfront.” (Zonal Marking)

Late August looks at Bundesliga and Serie A

“As per usual action in Germany’s top-flight commenced on the Friday, and for the second week in succession Bayern Munich got things under way. Unfortunately for Louis van Gaal, they didn’t quite gets things all their own way. Much to the delight of a rapturous home-crowd in Kaiserslautern, the 2009/10 2. Bundesliga champions defeated the illustrious treble-winners by a comfortable two-goal margin.” (Tactics, analysis, opinion, & scouting)

Who can stop Inter?

“Serie A 2010-11 club by club previews. Get ready for the big kick off as we give you a unique lowdown on all 20 Serie A teams. (Football Italia)

Tactical battles await in Serie A
“A valuable lesson was learned by the Italian FA (FIGC) during the World Cup in June: when things go wrong, when the national tem performs lousily and has a worrying lack of young players ready to step up and replace tired veterans, do what all authorities seem to do in a crisis – panic.” (ESPN)

All change in Italy but expect a similar outcome

“‘Everything must change so that everything can stay the same,’ Italian novelist Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa wrote in The Leopard. The famous phrase is often used to describe the way cosmetic change is used to cover a lack of real reform in Italy’s political, economic and social spheres, but it may also be applicable to the country’s top-flight football this season. It’s all change at the big clubs, with three of the big four starting the campaign with new coaches. Nevertheless, the expectation is that we’ll have the same story of the last four seasons since the Calciopoli scandal shook things up, with Inter proving too good for the other contenders.” (WSC)

Serie A 2010-11 season preview

“The gloomy headlines are as familiar to followers of Serie A as the six o’clock alarm to Phil Connors during a stay in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Italian football is not so much trapped in groundhog day as groundhog season, but the editorials are just as repetitive. Season ticket sales are down and marquee names have left. There’s violence in the stands and on the pitch. Debt levels are mounting and Serie A’s clubs are at loggerheads with the national federation.” (Guardian)

The Price Of Inter’s Success

Wesley Sneijder
“There’s no doubt that the 2009/10 season was a triumphant one for FC Internazionale, better known as Inter, as they became the first Italian team to complete the treble by winning the scudetto, the Coppa Italia and the Champions League in a single year. In fact, Inter have been the dominant force in Italian football ever since the Calciopoli scandal in 2006, winning five league titles in a row, the first time this has been done since Juventus achieved the feat in the 30s.” (The Swiss Ramble)

My Favourite Footballer…Alessandro Del Piero

Alessandro Del Piero
“I feel in my thirties I can say this, knowing whole-heartedly that I will feel no greater affection or appreciation for any other player, past or present. I have seen better footballers, such as Maradona, who’s skills were truly breathtaking. I have seen better goalscorers, Marco Van Basten, even the eternally frustrating Fillipo Inzaghi. My appreciation of Del Piero transcends sport. I admire him greatly as a player, believing him to be both more effective and more consistent than many of his peers such as Zidane and Totti.” (The Equaliser)

The IBWM Serie A Preview

“Premier League, Premier League, Premier League….but where did last season’s Champions League winners come from? Italy of course. With the new Serie A season upon us, Rocco Cammisola looks at what we can expect. From afar it would appear that Serie A’s title race has been – and will be – a foregone conclusion this season. Inter have taken the past five Serie A titles, including the title awarded to them following the Calciopoli scandal, under 2 different managers. But last year’s campaign had its fair share of twists and turns to keep us captivated.” (In Bed with Maradona – Part 1), (In Bed with Maradona – Part 2)

UEFA’s regulation uncertainty, economic woes cause few transfers

“As most economists will tell you, the more times are uncertain, the more folks hunker down and count every penny. Judging by transfer activity (or lack thereof) this summer, most clubs feel the same way. As of Thursday, the Premier League’s traditional ‘big four’ of Arsenal, Cheslea, Manchester United and Liverpool had signed just two players for more than 10 million euros ($13 million): Laurent Koscielny, who joined the Gunners, and Ramires, whose move from Benfica to Chelsea is all but wrapped up. Last summer, those same clubs made five signings north of the 10 million range. Serie A’s big three of Juventus, Milan and Inter broke the 10 million mark six times a year ago.” (SI)

Download your printable Serie A fixtures guide

“Another Serie A season is on the horizon. Will Inter maintain their grip on the domestic stage? Can Milan make a serious challenge? Are Juventus a force to be reckoned with once more? Could Roma surprise yet again? Get ready for the new campaign with our special Serie A fixtures PDF.” (Football Italia)

2010/11 – An appointment with the oracle

David Villa
“With a new European season fast approaching, we got in touch with various bloggers, prolific members of the footballing twitterati and friends of The Equaliser to make a few pre-season predictions that will undoubtedly make us all look very silly in ten months’ time. So, here are the results of our collective FIFA-approved crystal ball gazing…” (The Equaliser)

Angel or demon?

Mario Balotelli“If you are wondering what the fuss is all about over Mario Balotelli, you probably have not been paying too much attention to Italian soccer in the past three seasons. Despite being left out – no, make that ignored – by Marcello Lippi for the World Cup, Balotelli is probably Italy’s most exciting young talent at the moment and a certain member of new Azzurri coach Cesare Prandelli’s squads for the upcoming Euro 2012 qualifiers.” (ESPN)

Learning curves

“Giancarlo Rinaldi on how the big four in Serie A – Inter, Milan, Juventus and Roma – are preparing for the new campaign. Every pre-season is always packed with clubs getting used to new Coaches, players and tactics. Between friendly matches and training sessions there is an awful lot to be taken on board. This year, perhaps more than any other, the whole of Serie A seems to be on a crash course just to be ready for when the real hostilities begin.” (Football Italia)

My Roma: Serie A’s First Supporters’ Trust Is Established

“On 27 May, the first ever Supporters’ Trust in Serie A was formally established in Rome, with a ‘Constitutional Assembly’ convened to agree the structures and purpose of the new association whose ultimate objective is fan ownership at AS Roma. After the morning meeting, where 83 supporters symbolically assembled to approve the Statute, the paperwork for the ‘MyRoma’ association was registered with the notary and the organisation was finally operational. Months of hard-work, planning, publicity and dialogue have led up to this point: now it’s time to see how fans will react.” (Pitch Invasion)

The Supporters Trust Movement Reaches Serie A

“Yesterday was an important day in Italian Football Culture, as Serie A’s first Supporters Trust – Azionariato Popolare AS Roma – was formed, as the first attempt to run a football club by the fans in Italy. Azionariato Popolare AS Roma are the second Trust to be formed it Italy, after Società Cooperativa Modena Sport Club was formed in 2008, by fans of Serie B Modena.” (twohundredpercent)

ZM’s end-of-season awards

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“The Champions League final has been and gone, so we are now officially at the end of the 2009/10 season. This would not be an internet football site without an article outlining some reasonably pointless ‘awards’, but since this is a site focussed on tactics, hopefully the tactical angle will – like a newly-signed winger that doesn’t appear to fit into the team – ‘provide something different’.” (Zonal Marking)

The Toughest Call for Serie A

“The most important result in Italian football right now isn’t the upshot of the Serie A title race, which saw Inter Milan secure a fifth consecutive championship on Sunday, or even the outcome of this weekend’s UEFA Champions League final. It’s actually the decision from a Milan appeal court judge scheduled for later this week over the league’s television broadcasting rights deal. Late last week, Claudio Marangoni heard an appeal from Conto TV, a small satellite operator, which contends that an agreement between pay-TV network Sky Italia and the Italian football.” (WSJ)

Serie A Team of the Season

“The third of our end of season awards, in association with Castrol Rankings, is the Serie A Team of the Season. The formation of 4-2-1-3 worked for Jose Mourinho and Inter Milan as they won the title, so let’s stick with that.” (ESPN)

League comparison by points

“An interesting (if ultimately pointless) graph that shows the points tally of equivalent clubs from the Premiership, La Liga and Serie A (all of which play with a 20-team, 38-game season).” (Zonal Marking)

Siena 0-1 Inter Milan (Internazionale) – Video Highlights and Recap – Serie A – 16 May 2010

“Inter Milan were one win away from clinching the Italian Serie A title as they traveled to play Siena in the last weekend of the season. Siena were already relegated to the Serie B for next season but could play the role of spoiler if they were to get an upset. Inter Milan had a two point lead over AS Roma heading into the match.” (The 90th Minute)

Ronaldinho Misses Out on Brazil Selection

“Ronaldinho’s gap-toothed grin will be missing from the Brazilian team photos from South Africa. The most dazzling player of a generation was omitted from Dunga’s preliminary roster Tuesday, signaling perhaps that supreme talent alone is not enough to be part of the Seleção, and that training habits and commitment may also be important.” (NYT)

Inter Milan (Internazionale) 4-3 Chievo Verona – Video Highlights and Recap – Serie A – 9 May 2010

“The Italian Serie A leaders Inter Milan were only two wins away from clinching the title as they hosted Chievo Verona on Sunday, May 9, 2010. They lead AS Roma by two points and are aiming for their fourth straight Serie A title. They already have the Italian Cup and have a chance to win three trophies by the end of the season.” (The 90th Minute)

Inter’s Milito hoping to book a World Cup spot with Argentina
“Diego Milito’s goal against Roma last week gave Internazionale a 1-0 victory and its first title of the season, the Copa Italia, and put the club on track to challenge for the triple that also includes the Italian League and Champions League trophies. But the final destination Milito is really gunning for is actually in South Africa with Argentina.” (SI)

Italy soccer dispute becomes national case

“Italy is the land of divisions: North vs. South; left vs. right; religious vs. secular. In soccer, perhaps no division is as bitter as the one between fans of the two Rome teams, AS Roma and Lazio. Now, a dispute between the two teams over a crucial match Sunday has spilled into politics and become a national case. On Sunday night, Lazio lost 2-0 at home to Inter Milan, the club that is locked in a fight with Roma for the Serie A title.” (Google)

Totti Cuts Loose
“Yesterday afternoon I watched the final of the Coppa Italia, a match between Inter Milan and Roma, Serie A’s two top teams, at an Italian soccer café on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Despite being ’emblazoned in the gold and burgundy hues of Rome’s soccer team’ and offering ‘a restroom emblazoned with oversized trading card pictures of the team players,’ the café attracted only three native Italian speakers for the match, all Inter supporters. The game was shown on some sort of jerry-rigged glorified computer monitor. The sound system blared volume from an English Premier League match being shown on the proper high-definition, flat-screen TV above the Italian game. It seemed only fitting that the Coppa Italia final turned out to be the ugliest match of the 2009-2010 European soccer season.” (Vanity Fair)

Totti Vs. Balotelli: Italy’s Double Standard
“We’ve written a bit about the issues facing Mario Balotelli in Italy. While many have been quick to direct blame squarely on the youngster, Francesco Totti’s actions yesterday went a long way towards showing the double standard that exists in Italian football when it comes to the treatment of its petulant football stars. For those who didn’t see the horrific incident near the end of the Copa Italia final, below is a clip of Totti’s attack on Balotelli.” (Nutmeg Radio)

Inter Milan vs. AS Roma (footytube)

How the 2000s changed tactics #1: The fall and rise of the passing midfielder

“In 2004, Gabriele Marcotti wrote an article for The Times about Barcelona legend Pep Guardiola. It wasn’t a celebratory piece looking back at Guardiola’s fine career, nor remarking on his ability to defy the critics and keep playing at a high standard, like Paolo Maldini. It was about how, in 2004-spec football, Guardiola was useless. That is not to say that he had declined as a player. A physically unremarkable player, his domain was sitting front of his own defence and spraying passes across the pitch for his more illustrious teammates – Michael Laudrup, Hristo Stoichkov and Romario being amongst the biggest names to have benefited from his presence. When Marcotti wrote the article, at 33, Guardiola should have been at his peak.” (Zonal Marking)

Milan 1-0 Fiorentina: Prandelli’s formation frustrates again

“A game which had a distinctly end-of-season feel to it – Milan’s victory assured Champions League football for next season, whilst Fiorentina’s defeat continued their miserable end to the season. Milan welcomed back Marco Borello after his suspension last weekend, and fielded the 4-2-1-3 shape that Leonardo has persisted with for the second half of the season. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar played a narrow right-sided role, whilst Clarence Seedorf was the link between midfield and attack.” (Zonal Marking)

Palermo 3-1 Milan: the home side more comfortable in their formation

Fabrizio Miccoli
“Milan’s Scudetto hopes are officially over, whilst Palermo move up into a Champions League position. The scoreline was a fair reflection of the game, as Palermo’s front three terrorized Milan’s makeshift back four. Palermo lined up in their customary 4-3-1-2 shape, with a traditional Italian front three – a central striker (Abel Hernandez), a seconda punta (Fabrizio Miccoli) and a trequartista (Javier Pastore). Fabio Liverani was the deepest of the three midfielders, with width coming from full-back.” (Zonal Marking)

Palermo 3-1 AC Milan – Recap and Video Highlights – Serie A – Saturday, April 24, 2010
“Palermo hosted AC Milan in the Italian Serie A on Saturday, April 24, 2010 looking to keep their Champions League hopes alive. A win for Palermo would move them into 4th with Sampdoria not playing until Sunday. AC Milan is out of the title race but has a comfortably lead over 4th place and likely to earn a Champions League spot for next season.” (The 90th Minute)

Balotelli Brings More Heat Upon Himself

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“Last Tuesday, but for a small minority who had made the trip from Catalonia (by land, given the volcano ash cloud-related flight restrictions), San Siro stadium celebrated Inter Milan’s 3-1 victory over Barcelona in the first leg of the Champions League semifinal. One man, clad in Inter’s distinctive black and blue colors, however, declined to join in the jubilation.” (WSJ)

Inter Milan (Internazionale) 2-0 Juventus – Recap and Video Highlights – Serie A – Friday, April 16, 2010

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“Inter Milan hosted Juventus in the Italian Serie A with a chance to go top of the table. Juventus are aiming to move into the top four and play in the UEFA Champions League next season. Inter needed a win as they trailed AS Roma by one point heading into the match while Juventus were in 6th place and three points behind 4th place.” (The 90th Minute)

Inter 2-0 Juventus: I Nerazzurri rely on a sending-off and a wonderstrike
“Inter emerge victorious, but it was far from easy. A surprising system from Alberto Zaccheroni flummoxed Inter, and it took a combination of Momo Sissoko’s madness and Maicon’s brilliance to give Inter the crucial three points. No surprises from Inter – they played what is now their usual 4-2-1-3 shape, with Samuel Eto’o and Goran Pandev switching wings.” (Zonal Marking)

Roma ready set to take advantage of Inter’s faltering form

“All of a sudden, we have a contest. For much of this season Internazionale have been the strongest side in Italy with most observers agreeing that they are on course to win a fifth consecutive league title. By the end of January, Inter were cruising along on top of the table, nine points clear of Milan and 11 ahead of Roma. The scudetto looked a mere formality, an annoying but gratifying distraction from the club’s main seasonal objective, namely Champions League glory.” (World Soccer)

Fiorentina 0-1 Inter – Eto’o wins the tie, then Inter go ultra-defensive

“When two teams play each other twice in quick succession, the second game is often boring and predictable – so the fact that there were eleven changes between the sides from the weekend’s line-ups was a welcome surprise. That first game was a league game, where the sides drew 2-2. The first leg of this encounter was, ludicrously, as longago as 3rd February, where a Diego Milito goal gave Inter a 1-0 win. Away goals counted after 90 minutes, so a single Inter goal would leave Fiorentina needing three.” (Zonal Marking)

Fiorentina 2-2 Inter: The same goal three times, and a good result for neither

“An exciting game that finished with a deserved point for either side, but it is a result that isn’t of much help to either at the moment – Fiorentina’s vague Champions League hopes are almost dead, whilst Inter are off the top of the table for the first time in months.” (Zonal Marking)

The Blog Files #1: Just Football interviews Barcelona Football Blog

“Well, as we celebrate the relaunch of Just-Football.com, we decided to catch up with some of the blogosphere’s leading lights writing about Europe’s top clubs to find out what makes them tick, get their perspectives on the teams they hold dear and their opinions on said team’s prospects for the rest of the season.” (The Blog Files – #1: Just Football interviews Barcelona Football Blog), (#2: Just Football interviews The Republik of Mancunia), (#3 – Just Football interviews Oh You Beauty), ( #4: Just Football interviews Real Madrid Talk), (#5: Just Football interviews AC Milan Blog)

CSKA Moscow 0-1 Inter Milan (Internazionale) – Recap and Video Highlights

“Inter Milan took a 1-0 lead from the first leg into the second at Moscow against CSKA on Tuesday, April 6, 2010. The winner would advance to the semifinals where they would play the winner of Arsenal/FC Barcelona. Inter Milan were favored to advance but CSKA Moscow have been a surprise team in the competition.” (The 90th Minute)

Inter Milan (Internazionale) 3-0 Bologna – Recap and Video Highlights – Saturday, April 3, 2010

“Italian Serie A leaders needed a win on Saturday against Bologna as their lead was cut to one point. This was a result of last weekend’s loss against AS Roma which keeps the title race wide open. A win would assure they stay on top of Roma by one point and rivals AC Milan by three points.” (The 90th Minute)

Cagliari 2-3 AC Milan – Recap and Video Highlights – Italian Serie A – Saturday, April 3, 2010
“AC Milan traveled to face Cagliari in the Italian Serie A needing a win to keep pace with leaders Inter Milan. A loss for Milan would probably end their chances of winning the Scudetto. Cagliari are comfortably in the middle of the table but too far back to be in contention for a spot in the Europa League.” (The 90th Minute)

Roma 2-1 Inter: A narrow victory that could turn out to be crucial

“There’s a case for saying that was the first huge game of the season. Title favourites Inter against the side who look most likely to topple them, and Jose Mourinho up against Claudio Ranieri – the man he replaced at Chelsea almost six years ago. It was an incredibly tight game with few goalscoring opportunities, and the goals were hardly well-crafted – Roma went ahead from a goalkeeping error at a set-piece, Inter equalised thanks to a couple of ricochets and an offside flag that never came, whilst Roma’s winner came thanks to a Taddei shot which found its way to Toni, who coolly converted. To add to this, Inter hit the woodwork three times, suggesting that this was a game that down to small details within the box, rather than because of a grand tactical plan.” (Zonal Marking)

AS Roma vs. Inter Milan
(footytube)

Inter prospect breaks new ground

“Amid the hullabaloo surrounding Jose Mourinho’s return to Chelsea on Tuesday, there was one player at Stamford Bridge who also has claims to be a ‘special one’. The moment may have gone unnoticed in London but not in Nairobi where McDonald Mariga’s mum was blowing, yes, a vuvuzela as her son became the first Kenya – and the first East African – to play in the Champions League.” (BBC)