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| | Spotlight: 500 times Totti |
Monday 10 March, 2008
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| Football Italia rounds up the winners and the losers from Week 27 of the Serie A season |
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The winners…
Francesco Totti (Roma)
Just days after eliminating Real Madrid from the Champions League, the Roma captain converted the penalty – his bugbear last season – to defeat Napoli and keep Inter in his sights. Add to it all his record-setting 500th official appearance in a Giallorossi jersey and Totti's eyes are smiling.
Julio Cesar (Inter)
If Inter are still top of the table, then a great deal of the credit goes to their goalkeeper. Julio Cesar is fast becoming their best player of the campaign and that says it all about the rest of the team's current form. His saves against Reggina were worth more than a goal.
Massimo Ambrosini (Milan)
He is the workhorse who always seems to bring something out of the bag when time is running out. Ambro popped up with the header just as Milan were floundering at the Castellani and filled in the gaps of their creaking strike force.
The losers…
Giampaolo Pazzini (Fiorentina)
In the last Tuscan derby he had the miss of the season, but Pazzini outdid himself in Siena by firing wide from six yards with the goalkeeper on the floor. It's becoming a nasty habit for the Viola hitman and this time it cost them.
Andrea Gasbarroni (Parma)
He wanted to impress against his former club and has been one of Parma's only consistent performers this term, but he took penalty duties off Cristiano Lucarelli and promptly hit the post. It was the Gialloblu's third miss from six spot-kicks.
Michele Canini (Cagliari)
In the relegation dogfight every incident counts, so imagine how painful it must be to score an own goal against another of the clubs in the bottom three.
The goals…
Zdenek Grygera (Juventus)
The defender has been a disappointment so far this season, but sent a fierce right-foot strike from 25 metres out to get Juve back on track.
Cristian Silvestri (Catania)
An overhead kick from a flicked on corner flashed across the face of goal. Not a bad way for the defender to open his career Serie A account.
Massimo Maccarone (Siena)
A spectacular free-kick won the Tuscan derby, as the ball seemed to be laser guided under the bar with remarkable ferocity.
The numbers…
Century Boys
It was a weekend for treble figures, as Inter celebrated their centenary on March 9, Francesco Totti played his 500th official match in a Roma shirt and Luciano Spalletti reached a 300 milestone in Serie A.
Napoli trap
Before Roma, none of the so-called ‘Seven Sisters’ had picked up a single point at the San Paolo. Inter, Udinese, Juventus and Sampdoria all fell here, while Fiorentina and Milan are yet to visit. The Giallorossi have lost only one of their last 13 meetings with Napoli in 1997.
Derby drop
Fiorentina had won all five Tuscan derbies so far this term, seeing off Empoli and Livorno twice and Siena 3-0 at the Stadio Franchi, but they couldn't stop Robur grabbing a third consecutive victory. Siena had only ever beaten the Viola once before in the top flight with Tore Andre Flo's lone strike on February 20, 2005. Torino broke a bigger taboo with only their second Serie A home win over Atalanta in 29 years.
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| Words: Susy Campanale |
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Past Spotlights
A unique review of each round of the 2007-08 Serie A campaign. More |
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