This weekend saw lots of action in the Serie A: a furious downpour which forced the suspension of a game; a feisty, highly-anticipated derby; and some very decisive wins. The result? The Serie A standings have been, to borrow from the late, great Elvis Presley, “all shook up”!
On Saturday, Roma travelled South to Sicily to take on Catania. They were met with a downpour at the Massimino, where the Giallorossi haven’t won since 1970 and Totti has never scored. Nicola Legrottaglie and Daniele De Rossi both capitalised on set pieces within four minutes of each other to send both teams into the interval deadlocked with a goal apiece. The hosts took the lead after Francesco Lodi’s free kick was driven into the far corner of the net by Nicola Legrottaglie’s header. Unfazed, Roma drew level mere minutes later when Francesco Totti’s corner kick was met by Daniele De Rossi’s head to find its way past the goal line. These would be the only two goals of the game, however. Both sides came out to splash around and slip and slide for twenty minutes, but referee Paolo Tagliavento, after consultation with his officials, sent both teams back to the dressing rooms in the 65th minute to wait out the rainfall. He decided ten minutes later, in light of a less-than-promising forecast, to suspend the game. The match has been rescheduled for either February 8 or 15. Mark your calendars!
Elsewhere, Roberto Donadoni began his reign as manager of Parma with a very encouraging 3-1 against Siena. Donadoni took charge this week, inheriting a side languishing in Serie A’s 15th spot after just five wins in 17 matches. Genoa came from behind to win their first game of 2012, defeating Udinese 3-2 in a thriller at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris. Lazio ended a streak of three defeats with a 2-0 win over a 10-man Atalanta. Cesena returned to winning ways with a 3-1 victory over their fellow contenders for relegation, Novara. Lecce lifted themselves from the foot of the Serie A standings with a 1-0 win on the road at Fiorentina. Meanwhile, Palermo’s winless run on the road this season continued as they lost 1-0 to Chievo.
Of course, this weekend’s marquee match was the Derby della Madonnina at the San Siro on Sunday. Diego Milito’s goal in the second half secured a narrow win for Inter, allowing the Nerazzurri to simultaneously deny cross-city rivals Milan the Serie A’s top spot and boost their own title hopes. Juventus, meanwhile, missed the opportunity to put some real pressure on Milan after being held to a 1-1 draw by Cagliari. The unbeaten Bianconeri began the weekend tied at 37 points with Milan at the summit of the Serie A, and looked set to pick up three more points after Mirko Vucinic put them in the lead in the seventh minute. However, Cagliari upset their hosts and equalised just after halftime with a goal from Andrea Cossu, leaving Juventus to settle for their eighth draw in eighteen games this season. The result gives Juventus a one-point lead at the top of the table.
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