Sampdoria 2-1 Milan
Apr/101
Sampdoria Defeat Milan In A Rollercoaster Of A Game
Sampdoria’s Giampaolo Pazzini punished 10-man Milan with a 92nd minute goal at the Luigi Ferraris to surely end Milan’s scudetto ambitions and send the Blucerchiati clear in fourth place.
It was joint fourth versus clear third but the Blucerchiati were buoyed by their derby victory over Genoa last week – not to mention the fact that Sampdoria are unbeaten at home all season.
Pre-match Injury News
Samp had Daniele Gastaldello suspended, plus Nicola Pozzi, Accardi and Luca Castellazzi out.
Milan’s Andrea Pirlo’s ban saw him join David Beckham, Alexandre Pato, Alessandro Nesta, Giuseppe Favalli, Kahka Kaladze and Mathieu Flamini.
Match Action 1st Half
Andrea Poli had the first real chance of the game as he tried from just outside the penalty area to neatly place the ball into bottom corner of the Milan goal – but his effort whistled just inches past the post. Antonio Cassano only grazed a dangerous Stefano Lucchini cross with his head, while Marco Borriello – Milan’s most dangerous player did the same from a Amantino Mancini’s assist.
Clarence Seedorf’s fired a daisy-cutter just inches wide of the upright – but not long later Milan broke the deadlock. On 20 minutes former Genoa star Marco Borriello rose relatively undisturbed for a powerful header into the top corner from Mancini’s set play. Milan should have doubled their lead just moments later. Storari came flying out to close down Borriello, but the striker went round him to cross for Mancini who ballooned over from four yards out.
Seedorf only managed a fresh-air shot on Ronaldinho’s assist, while Giampaolo Pazzini had penalty appeals waved away. The much criticised Nelson Dida performed two crucial saves in the space of 30 seconds. The first denied a Cassano volley at the near post, then he was at full stretch to palm Lucchini’s header off the line from the resulting corner. The move continued but Cassano could only manage to nod just over.
The rest of the first half was all Sampdoria, but the Blucerchiati could not find a way through.
Match Action 2nd Half
The second half began with Milan losing Massimo Ambrosini to injury, with Gianluca Zambrotta being his replacement.
On 53 minutes the game turned as Daniele Bonera brought down Cassano from just five yards out – clearly denying a goal scoring opportunity, Bonera was shown a red card. Cassano got back up to convert the spot-kick low to the near post despite Dida getting fingertips to the shot.
Despite playing a man down Milan looked very dangerous on the counter attack and for a while after the Sampdoria goal had the better chances. Borriello drilled wide and Storari had his palms stung by Gennaro Gattuso from nine yards after Ronaldinho’s assist. Ronaldinho set up Borriello who ran between two Samp defenders but the striker miss hit the shot after losing his footing.
Ronaldinho went for goal himself and the curler from the edge of the box skimmed the upright. Dida needed two attempts to grab the ball after Reto Ziegler powered a drive from over 20 yards out.
In the final 10 minutes Milan had wave after wave of Sampdoria attacks to defend against. Zambrotta managed to to get in the way and deflect Fernando Tissone’s powerful shot wide. From the resulting set play, Dida missed the ball, but managed to scramble back just in time to stop the ball before it rolled accross the line.
In the 92nd minute Daniele Mannini whipped in a cross from the right for Pazzini to meet with a powerful header and send the Sampdoria fans into raptures.
Sampdoria now have 57pts and a real chance with only four games left of securing the final champions league place – but Palermo lurk only two points behind with 55pts in fifth.
Sampdoria: Storari; Zauri, Lucchini, Rossi, Ziegler; Semioli, Palombo, Poli (Tissone 79), Guberti (Mannini 67); Cassano, Pazzini
Milan: Dida; Abate, Bonera, Thiago Silva, Antonini; Gattuso, Ambrosini (Zambrotta 47); Seedorf; Mancini (Oddo 60), Borriello, Ronaldinho
Scorers:
Borriello 20 (M), Cassano pen 59 (S), Pazzini 92 (S)
Ref: Rizzoli
Sent off: Bonera 58 (M)
Del Neri to sign two-year deal with Samp
Apr/100
It seems that Sampdoria manager Luigi Del Neri and General Director Giuseppe Marotta have been having a few chats since the derby win and are close to agreeing to a two-year deal. It would be a strong indication that Del Neri is happy at Samp as he is well known for only signing one year at a time. Local Genova press ‘Il Secolo XIX’ reports that the initiative came from the club, showing their support for the coach who this year has guided the team back from 13th to 4th place, and now, one month out from the end of the season, stands a good chance of competing in Europe next year.
The run in over the next fortnight is tough for for the Blucerchiati, as they face the red side of Milan on Sunday in Genova and then travel to Rome the following weekend to take on the table-topping Giallorossi. However, nothing could be a firmer test of their European credentials, so the motivation to take something out of both games will have the team and their supporters sizzling. Unfortunately, due to the violence prior to last weekend’s Derby, Samp supporters will be unable to follow their team to to the capital, meaning the quest to take all three points against Milan this Sunday takes on an added resonance.
In team news, sparkling young mid-fielder Andrea Poli is doubtful after hurting his ankle at training on Wednesday, while Daniele Gastaldello’s 1-match suspension means a competition for a central defender spot between Pietro Accardi and Marco Rossi. The word is it will be Rossi as he is considered to be stronger in the air. Rossi, the attacking pair of Pazzini and Cassano, and winger Marco Padalino are all one card away from suspension, and Cassano, who has recovered well from the cynical treatment he received at the hands of Genoa on Sunday, will want to be especially careful as he hates to miss the matches against his old team.
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Garrone thanks Genoa fan for lucky Beer
Apr/100
His personal record since taking over in 2002 now stands at 5 wins, a draw and 3 losses. Defeats that burned Riccardo Garrone and just as for any other Doria fan, were hard to digest. The football history of the city has pretty much stood in favour of the Blucerchiati, and now Sampdoria and it’s fans feel like normality has returned. The President couldn’t hide his happiness when he stood before the microphones after the match.
“A magnificent victory, really great. It was a tough, hard-fought and difficult match. All our boys put a extraordinary effort in on the pitch and it was a real turnaround in respect of the string of defeats we’d recently suffered.”
“Genoa played very hard – continued the President, turning his attention to the rough treatment meted out by the Rossoblu – yellow cards aside, they must have comminted 25 or 30 fouls. Obviously it would be better if there was more respect. But we have patience on our side. I’m thinking especially of that Genoa fan who, in a really childish and cowardly fashion, threw beer all over me from his car window before the match. I was totally soaked. However, that beer I think brought us lots of luck, because on a couple of occasions I thought the ball was going into our net and instead it missed. So I say thankyou!”
“Are we at full tilt for the Champions League? Yes, yes, I think now we can say it. I’m not going to wash this beer-soaked shirt before the end of the championship and I hope it continues to bring us luck. Now we’re heading into all head-on clashes, Livorno aside. On Sunday against Milan we’re expecting a very hard match, but if we can play like this we should believe in ourselves, we can seriously aim for the Champions League. It’s a shame for Gastaldello that he has to miss the match through suspension, but we have a strong defence and a altogether threatening attack. Antonio came off but he’s OK, against the Rossoneri he’ll be there and in the same form he was in this match I’m sure.”
Doc
Samp still in the mix for Europe
Apr/100
Sampdoria continue to romp home in the second half of the season, with a deserved 2-1 away win in Chievo on the weekend. After only gaining 1 point in their previous two encounters (Bari and Cagliari), the Doriani were keen to get back on the winning sheet and avoid any thoughts of the slide which threatened to obliterate them mid-season.
Away to the club which established current Samp coach Luigi Del Neri’s reputation, any doubts were slashed in the first minute as Samp started with a tap-in goal to Antonio Cassano in the first minute. Chievo tried to react and it took some fine goalkeeping by on-loan ‘keeper Marco Storari to keep Samp in the lead at half-time.
Ten minutes into the second term and Samp doubled their lead through Giampaolo Pazzini on the second try after his first shot was blocked by the Chievo goalkeeper Sorentino. Pazzini collected the rebound from the save and deposited it in the net to take his personal tally for the season to 14 goals.
Whilst Chievo managed a goal to mid-fielder Mantovani ten minutes from the end, their tenacious efforts – even sending the goalkeeper forward for a free kick at the death – were in vain and Sampdoria returned to Genova with all 3 points.
Other results all conspired to put Samp back in the race for precious European spot, Palermo’s loss in Catania, Juventus really breaking down in Udine and Napoli, Genoa and Fiorentina all sharing points with lesser rated teams meant the Blucerchiati head into this Sunday’s crucial Derby della Lanterna in equal 4th spot.
On the horizon there is the definite possibilty of a lead change in Serie A this weekend. Roma will know on Saturday night if they have the change to usurp Inter as Mourinho’s men play away to Fiorentina in the late game, while the result of the Saturday evening match between Napoli and Parma will be closely watched by both Sampdoria and Palermo. On Sunday, Cagliari have the opportunity to inflict further misery on Juventus, and Doria fans will be hoping that Chievo can cause some mischief in Sicily before all attention turns to the Stadio Luigi Ferraris in the evening for what promises to be a truly incendiary encounter.
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Pazzini scores 14th and looks ahead for the Derby
Apr/100
Last year in Verona, Giampaolo Pazzini scored his first goal in Serie A for Sampdoria. A spectacular effort, but later equalised by Rigoni and thus rendered a touch bittersweet. The goal on Sunday was an altogether different taste, for il Pazzo and for il Doria. Firstly because it became his 14th for the season ( his personal record of 12 already eclipsed) and also because it allowed Sampdoria to put 3 valuable, timely and morale boosting points in the pocket ahead of Sunday nights Derby.
“In this style of play we alternate a lot between the attacking flanks and it’s actually sometimes a little difficult to be there in the goal mouth a the right time – revealed Pazzini after the match – but I’m very happy, for the result, for the goal and, obviously, also because I didn’t pick up a yellow card.”
“It’s tricky to play against teams like Chievo who are still in a relegation battle – explained il Pazzo. We began strongly, immediately finding the advantage and putting us on the right track. We wanted to close off the match, something we had failed to do in the last couple of games and luckily I found the goal at the start of the second half. Then perhaps at 2-0 we relaxed a bit and we let in an avoidable goal: so the tension at the end was also avoidable, but all’s well that ends well.”
“This victory allows us to prepare for the Derby in calmer waters – admits the striker. Now we can enjoy this victory, that puts us back into a share of 4th spot. From Tuesday we will begin to prepare for the big game. I’m expecting a really tough and intense Derby, my first as the home team. There’s a strong desire among us to avenge the result in the first one, so I’m sure that the team will have the right frame of mind when we take the pitch: we’ll put in a great effort.”
Doc
Sampdoria 1-1 Cagliari
Mar/100
Samp Held To Draw By Injury Riddled Cagliari
Sampdoria are now sharing fifth place by after Nene’ scored a late equaliser and was bizarrely sent off.
Injury News
Samp had Nicola Pozzi, Rossi and Luca Castellazzi injured.
Cagliari were in crisis after one point from five fixtures and had to do without Andrea Cossu, Jeda, Andrea Lazzari, Pisano, Parola, Agazzi and the suspended Daniele Dessena.
Match Action
Cagliari got off to a good start, after only five minutes when Marco Storari was forced into a desperate save to deny Alessandro Matri from a corner kick.
Franco Semioli nodded a Stefano Guberti cross just wide, as did Michele Canini at the other end with Daniele Ragatzu unable to get the final touch.
Ragatzu was the youth product had a good game and his curler was off target from the edge of the box.
Cassano drilled over, had a free kick deflected and aimed another wide of the target, as he tried to single-handedly inspire Sampdoria.
The Blucerchiati found a way through at the dawn of the second half, just moments after Stefano Guberti had been moved between the lines. Giampaolo Pazzini spun round in the box for a deflected shot that ricocheted into the path of the on-rushing Guberti from 10 yards.
Matri also threatened, though, as he was sent clear by Daniele Conti only to hesitate and Storari held his ground very well in a one-on-one situation.
On the hour mark a long corner found Daniele Gastaldello’s header at the back post, but Federico Marchetti managed a point-blank reaction save to beat it away.
Cagliari equalised with a fantastic header from Nene’, who was allowed far too much space to nod in Conti’s free kick that was chipped over the top of a distracted defence.
Nene’ was sent off in stoppages for a bizarre rugby tackle from behind on Andrea Poli.
This result leaves Samp on 48pts level with Napoli and Juve and three points behind Palermo in the race for the last champions league spot. Cagliari are still in twelfth place.
Sampdoria: Storari; Zauri, Gastaldello, Lucchini (Accardi 66), Ziegler; Semioli (Testardi 85), Palombo, Poli, Guberti (Mannini 75); Cassano, Pazzini
Cagliari: Marchetti; Marzoratti, Astori, Canini, Agostini; Barone, Conti, Biondini; Ragatzu (Verachi 89); Matri (Gallon 67), Larrivey (Nene’ 58)
Guberti 48 (S), Nene’ 81
Sent off: Nene’ 94 (C)
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