Milan 4-1 Lazio

Kaka and Gianluca Zambrotta both scored stunning long-range goals as Milan got off the mark in Serie A with a crushing 4-1 win over Lazio at San Siro.

Team News

Milan came into this game knowing that they simply had to win otherwise they would fall six points or more behind Scudetto rivals Inter and Juventus. The Rossoneri, who were on zero points, were without the injured Alessandro Nesta, Pippo Inzaghi, Tabare Viudez, Andrea Pirlo, and Philippe Senderos. Coach Carlo Ancelotti employed a 4-1-3-2 formation with Kaha supporting front pairing Alexandre Pato and Marco Borriello. Rino Gattuso returned in midfield following his recent injury layoff.

Visitors Lazio had been top-of-the-table, with six points out of six, until they were overtaken by Inter and Juve this afternoon. The Biancocelesti also had a few injuries, with Fabio Firmani, Simone Del Nero, Tommaso Rocchi and Ousmane Dabo sidelined. Coach Delio Rossi made just one change to the team who beat Sampdoria 2-0 with Matuzalem coming in for Mourad Meghni in midfield.

First Half

Lazio had a penalty shout within the first 20 seconds as Stefano Mauri went down under pressure from Gianluca Zambrotta, following a weak back pass by the latter, but the referee waved away the appeals. It was a fiery start and down the other end Massimo Ambrosini failed to get enough onto his header at the back post from Clarence Seedorf's cross.

On five minutes Milan put together a neat team move and Kaka crossed low for Borriello's flick-through-the-legs, but Juan Pablo Carrizo was well placed.

This was a warning of things to come as 90 seconds later Milan were ahead. There was a bit of luck involved as Seedorf tried to play a one-two on the edge of the area, and his pass rebounded off Cristian Ledesma to put him through on goal. The Dutchman's finish was emphatic as he thumped the ball past Carrizo and into the roof of the net.

Lazio tried to hit back and Goran Pandev got away from Kakha Kaladze, but Paolo Maldini made a crucial block on Mauro Zarate's snap-shot inside the area. Mauri then tested Abbiati from 25 yards as Lazio started to work their way into the game.

The capital side were looking more and more threatening, and on 25 minutes they silenced the San Siro with an equaliser. Inevitably it was Zarate who got the goal, as he beat the offside the trap on Pandev's pass and rifled home a clinical left footed finish past Abbiati.

It was an entertaining game and Milan immediately threatened to regain their lead as Pato cut inside his man from the right, and brought out a smart stop from Carrizo. Kaka then floated an inviting ball to the back post, and Borriello was close to getting his head to the ball.

Kaka burst into life on 31 minutes with a superb solo run past a number of defenders, but he couldn't find the finish and sliced the ball wide from the left angle.

A few minutes later Milan were back ahead courtesy of a contender for goal of the season. Zambrotta bombed forward and let fly from way out on the right, at least 35 yards, and the ball arrowed into the far top corner like a ballistic missile. It was a simply incredible strike from the Italy international.

Milan now went looking for the third, and on 40 minutes Kaka exchanged passed with Borriello before thrashing the ball a couple of feet over from the edge of the area.

Lazio had been quiet ever since Zarate's temporary equaliser, with Aleksandar Kolarov's two off-target free kicks the away side's only two remaining efforts as Milan went into the break 2-1 ahead.

Second Half

Into the second half and Lazio started strongly. Mauri was almost through on goal immediately, but he miscontrolled the ball and the danger passed. Zarate then curled a free kick over the bar.

However, it was Milan who extended their lead on 49 minutes. Jankulovski crossed from the left, and Pato darted in front of Rozenhal at the near post to head home.

Lazio refused to get downhearted, and Mauri asked for a penalty after clashing with Zambrotta in the box, but again the referee didn't want to know.

On 56 minutes Milan put together a fantastic move, and Kaka curled a beautiful effort towards the far post, but Carrizo flew across goal to push the ball away.

Moments later Kaka did indeed get his goal, and it was well worth waiting for. The Brazilian picked the ball up 30 yards out and fired an unstoppable shot into the top corner. Milan were now turning on the style!

The home side continued to push forward, and could have grabbed a fifth on 74 minutes as Borriello raced through on goal, but Carrizo pulled off a fine save.

Down the other end Lazio had a great chance to pull a goal back as Pandev held off Ambrosini, but Abbiati produced a smart reaction stop.

Kaka had been electrifying all night long, and he went on another slalom run, only to see his finish deflected off target. Down the other end, Foggia shot weakly at Abbiati from 25 yards, as the game moved into the final few minutes.

In injury time Milan twice went close to a fifth as substitute Ronaldinho rattled the crossbar with a deflected effort, before Borriello headed inches wide.

It had been emphatic win for Milan, who answered their critics in the prefect way, and grabbed their first three points of the Serie A season at the third attempt.

Teams

Milan: Abbiati, Zambrotta, Kaladze, Maldini, Jankulovski, Gattuso (Emerson 78), Seedorf (Flamini 63), Ambrosini, Kaka, Pato (Ronaldinho 70), Borriello

Lazio: Carrizo, Lichtsteiner, Siviglia, Rozenhal, Kolarov, Matuzalem (Meghni 69), Ledesma, Brocchi (De Silvestri 78), Mauri (Foggia 62), Pandev, Zarate

Anthony Sormani

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Racing Santander 0-2 Real Madrid

Two fine strikes in the second half separated a counter-attacking Real Madrid side from a Racing outfit that couldn't quite come close enough to goal...



Despite a slow, defensive start, Real Madrid eventually ended up two goals to the good in the tough arena that is the Sardinero. While the hosts had no shortages of attack themselves - especially down the flank, the capital side in the end deserved their victory.

Racing made seven changes from the side that edges past Honka midweek in the UEFA Cup, the most notable absentees being Ezequiel Garay and Pedro Munitis. The latter, an ex-Madrid man, is out injured for six weeks, while Garay's disappearance presumably has to do with his being property of Real Madrid.

The blancos, meanwhile, surprisingly fielded Raúl, who had rumoured to be set for a benching. Gonzalo Higuaín also earned a start, while Arjen Robben and Rafael van der Vaart sat on the bench.

First Half

It took ten minutes for the first chance to present itself, Higuaín dribbling past left-back Christian before cutting the ball across goal. Raúl was ready and waiting, but Navas was able to hack it clear.

That should have signalled the start of a period of dominance for the blancos, but instead it took a further ten minutes for another decent chance to present itself, Guti cutting a free-kick back to de la Red, who forced a fingertip save from Toño.

Racing had found it hard to carve out chances due to Madrid's double pivot, but by running down the flanks they were able to create a few half-opportunities as the first period wore on. It took 37 minutes for them to really test Casillas, which Jonathan Pereira did with a sweet overhead kick.

Still, the half ended with difficulty for Madrid: Guti went over badly on his ankle and was stretchered off, with Rafael van der Vaart coming on as a replacement.

Overall it had been a largely cautious first period for both sides, and one in which a goalless outcome was probably appropriate.

Second Half

Bernd Schuster sent his team out in patient fashion for the second period, allowing Racing some time to try to come forward, dispossess, and attack.

In the end this was responsible for the opening goal - but it was for Madrid. Seizing the ball from a Racing set piece, Gonzalo Higuaín strode forward on the right, with Raúl and Rubén de la Red in support. The captain drew the approaching defence onto him, allowing Higuaín to slot the ball to de la Red, whose unmarked drive beat Toño for the opener.

Racing immediately tried to fight back, Luccin seeing his low drive deflected agonisingly wide, and Madrid began to look a little bit stretched, especially at the full-back positions.

However, direct chances were few and far between, with some last-gasp defending keeping the blancos safe.

In the end Van Nistelrooy belied his quiet status to chip in with a lovely second goal. Van der Vaart's through ball found the Dutchman in the area, and he toyed with Marcano before effortlessly looping a shot around Toño from twelve yards.

Racing substitute Tchité could have pulled one back seconds later as he headed goalwards from a corner, but Van der Vaart scooped the ball off the line.

Tchité, and corners in general, were causing Madrid no end of trouble, but as the clock ticked down Racing lost both energy and belief. Madrid did enough to win in quite unusual tactical fashion, and 2-0 it ended.

REAL RACING CLUB 0-0 REAL MADRID CF
0-1 De la Red 55'
0-2 Van Nistelrooy 74'

Racing: Toño; Pinillos, César Navas, Marcano, Christian; Valera (Tchité 66), Lacen (Luccin 58), Colsa, Serrano (Gonçalvez 79); Jonathan Pereira, Juanjo.

Real Madrid: Casillas; Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Cannavaro, Heinze; De la Red, Diarrà; Higuaín (Saviola 84), Guti (Van der Vaart 44), Raúl (Robben 69'); Van Nistelrooy.

Yellow Cards: Heinze 22', Higuaín 34', Cannavaro 41', de la Red 80', van der Vaart 88',

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Match Details Date/Time: 21/09/2008 15:00 Match status: Played

3ª Giornata
Cagliari-Juventus Catania-Atalanta Fiorentina-Bologna Lecce-Siena Milan-Lazio Palermo-Genoa Roma-Reggina Sampdoria-Chievo Torino-Inter Udinese-Napoli

Torino 1 Elvis Abbruscato (76')

Starters

N°	Name	Role	Rating	Notes
1	Sereni M.	Goalkeeper	6
19	Diana A.	Defender	6
22	Di Loreto M.	Defender	5.5
50	Pratali F.	Defender	5.5
3	Pisano M.	Defender	5.5
27	Zanetti P.	Midfielder	5
5	Corini E.	Midfielder	5.5
24	Säumel J.	Midfielder	6.5
10	Rosina A.	Midfielder
11	Amoruso N.	Striker	6
90	Bianchi R.	Striker	6

Bench

N°	Name	Role	Rating	Notes
99	Calderoni A.	Goalkeeper
32	Colombo R.	Defender
33	Rubin M.	Defender
6	Ogbonna A.	Defender
8	Barone S.	Midfielder	6
7	Ventola N.	Striker
9	Abbruscato E.	Striker	7
	De Biasi G.	Manager/Coach	6

Inter Milan 3 Marco Pisano (24' aut.) - Maicon (26') - Zlatan Ibrahimovic (51')

Starters

N°	Name	Role	Rating	Notes
12	Julio César	Goalkeeper	6.5
13	Maicon	Defender	7
16	Burdisso N.	Defender	6.5
23	Materazzi M.	Defender	6.5
26	Chivu C.	Defender	6
14	Vieira P.	Midfielder	6.5
19	Cambiasso E.	Midfielder	6
4	Zanetti J.	Midfielder	6.5
33	Mancini	Striker	7
8	Ibrahimovic Z.	Striker	7
10	Adriano	Striker	7.5

Bench

N°	Name	Role	Rating	Notes
1	Toldo F.	Goalkeeper
24	Nelson Rivas	Defender
2	Córdoba I.	Defender
7	Figo	Midfielder
77	Quaresma	Midfielder	5
45	Balotelli M.	Striker	5
9	Cruz J.	Striker
	Mourinho J.	Manager/Coach	7

Match Events

	90'+3	And there it is, full time has been blown. A comprehensive victory for Inter, who despite being on the receiving end of a barrage of strikes in the closing stages, still manage to hold on for a well deserved 3-1 victory. It's Toro's first loss of the campaign, and they certainly should not be disappointed with their performance in any way, as they put the reigning champions to the test throughout the majority of the contest. The forward trident of Mancini, Adriano and Ibrahimovic worked wonders for Mourinho today, and the Portugese tactician will take alot away from their form today. He will have a few questions to answer in regards to his defence, however he will still be pleased with victory nonetheless. Thanks for joining me this afternoon, and I hope that you enjoyed Goal.com's live coverage from the Stadio Olimpico in Torino. Torino 1-3 Inter Milan. Adrian Del Monte..
	90'+2	Inter just teasing the Torino players now, as they play the ball around the field, with everyone getting a touch of the ball. Only seconds remain now..
	90'+1	Inter go forward through Balotelli on the right, however his ball in is poor, and easily cleared by Sereni there..
	90'	We're into the final minute now, and Torino seemed destined for their first league defeat of the season now, despite a glorious closing 10-15 minutes in this match..
	88'	Replays have just indicated that the Amoruso free kick taken a few moments ago, struck the hands of Inter players within the wall, which was positioned in the area. Thus, a huge lett off for the Nerazzurri..
	88'	Substitution	Ibrahimovic Z.	Cruz J.
	87'	Mourinho makes his third and fial change, as Cruz comes on for Ibrahimovic, who workes his way into the contest in the second half..
	85'	OHHHHH!!!!!!! UNBELIEVABLE SCENES IN TORINO!!!!! Abbruscato's header strikes the cross bar, from another glorious ball into the area from Samuel. And then the follow up shot taken by Bianchi, is well dealt with by Julio Cesar, as he puts it out for a corner.
	84'	Clumsy by Quaresma there to foul Di Loreto (the third Torino captain of the fay) in his attacking area. The two exchange a few facial gestures, and play continues..
	84'	Burdisso fouls Bianchi, just metres outside the area, and if this strike was to go in, it would make for a highly entertaining last few minutes to this contest..
	82'	Inter just slowing down the tempo of play here, as they put together several passes at the back, to keep Torino away from the ball. The home side are looking dangerous now, and the Nerazzurri are certainly aware of that..
	80'	Ten minutes remain in Torino, as the fans have come back to life! Samuel has the ball on the left, and he beats one, and directs a low and hard ball in towards Bianchi!!!! Ohhhhh what a tremendous header, and what a save by Julio Cesar to deny the home side..
	79'	Abbruscato makes a tremendous run on the right, but he has three Inter players to contend with. Due to a lack of support, he unfortunately loses possession. Great work..
	78'	Pratali fouls Balotelli, and that is the fourth caution of this match. Free kick to Inter, and it's in a dangerous position too..
	78'	Yellow Card	Pratali F.
	77'	The Nerazzurri seem to just have taken their foot off the pedal ever so slightly here in Torino, as the home side are on the attack once again..
	76'	GOOOAAAAALLLLL!!!!! 1-3 - TORINO PULL ONE BACK THROUGH ABBRUSCATO!!!! Lovely ball in by Samuel, and a sliding Abbruscato at the back post, does the rest!!! Well done Torino!!
	76'	Goal	Abbruscato E.
	74'	Yellow Card	Balotelli M.
	74'	Balotelli receives a yellow card for a clumsy challenge.. That wasn't necessary from the young Italian..
	72'	Torino with some much needed possession in their attacking third, for the first time in a long time now. Some how they manage to break down this Inter wall of defenders, and the ball spills to Abbruscato!! Surely he can pull one back for the home side here. But ohhhh well done by Chivu to get back and clear teh danger, despite the score line. Great desperation shown by the Romanian there..
	70'	Ogbonna lets fly for Torino!! He hits it well, but Julio Cesar was up to the challenge. Good effort nonetheless..
	68'	Balotelli on the ball now, for the first time in this contest, and he wins a free kick immediately, thanks to a foul by Ogbonna.
	67'	Balotelli seems to be warming up on the sidelines, indicating that the games of either Adriano or Ibrahimovic may be coming to an end. And yes, it's Adriano who is taken off in place of the young Italian striker. It was a great performance today from the giant Brazilian, and he will certainly take a lot of confidence from this performance..
	67'	Substitution	Adriano	Balotelli M.
	66'	Substitution	Zanetti P.	Ogbonna A.
	66'	De Biasi makes his third and final substitution, with Ogbonna coming on to replace Paolo Zanetti.
	65'	Quaresma trying to make his presence felt, having just come on, however he fails to win the corner he sort after, and it's a goal kick to Sereni.
	64'	Mourinho makes his first change of the match, as he brings on Quaresma in place of Mancini. Not a bad change to make at all..
	64'	Substitution	Mancini	Quaresma
	63'	Mancini with a few trademark stepovers, and noe he plays it to Adriano, who shoots!!! It's wide though, but a great effort nonetheless..
	62'	Wonderful work by Maicon and Ibrahimovic on the right, Maicon sets up a tremendous one-two movement between the two players. Maicon then makes his way into the area, and tries to cut it back to Mancini, but there were one too many red shirts in the way, and Torino clear..
	60'	We've reached the hour mark here in Torino, and Inter seem desperate to wreak more havoc in this contest. 3 does not seem to be enough for the Nerazzurri, as they are on the attack through Vieira once again.
	59'	Adriano!!!!!! Ohhhh what a build up by the forward trident of Mancini, Ibrahimovic and Adriano. A host of glorious passes end with Adriano, whose chipping attempt from just outisde the area is well saved by Sereni. Had that gone in, it would have been one of the great goals in recent times..
	58'	Great ball by Pisano in to the area, but as has been the case all day, the Inter defence are not letting anything through. Abbruscato is at fault for easily losing the ball this time.
	57'	Well in by Cambiasso to dispossess Di Loreto. Inter have the numbers now, but Cambiasso decides to play the ball back towards Adriano. The Brazlian sees something he likes ahead, and it's Mancini!! But Adriano's lovely chipping ball to Mancini, catches the winger narrowly offside, and that's the end of that for Inter.
	55'	Ten minutes gone in this, the second half, and Inter are in full control of every aspect of this contest now. It's all too easy for the Nerazzurri, with a 3 goal advantage to their name..
	54'	Maicon sends another dangerous ball from the right into the area, but the Torino defence clear through Pisano.
	52'	GOOOALLL GOOAAAALLLL!!! 3-0 TO INTER, AND THAT'S THREE POINTS IN THE BANK TO INTER!!! Mancini chips a glorious ball in the path of Ibrahimovic. He is onside, and through one on one with Sereni, and he so easily slots it past the Torino goal keeper with minimal fuss. 3-0 to Inter..
	51'	What a save by Julio Cesar!!!!!!! Diana sends a dangerous looking ball into the area, which clips the head of Cambiasso. The ball is deastined for the top right corner, by Cesar does exceptionally well to react quickly.
	51'	Goal	Ibrahimovic Z.
	50'	Diana tests his luck from distance, and ohhhh! Is that a penalty?? The Torino players believe it is, as the ball seemed to strike the arm of Chivu. Replays show that it hit the Romanian's chest, and thus no penalty is awarded.
	49'	Sensational work by Adriano, to play the abll wide to Ibrahimovic. The Sweede has so much space to surge forward in, and he does exactly that. He gets himself into the area, and has Mancini and Adriano in the centre. Surely this will be three!! But no, Ibra shoots himself, and forces Sereni into making a save. Wrong option there by Zlatan.
	48'	Vieira trying to set the tone in the second half, however his challenge is a clumsy one on Diana, and that will be a free kick to Torino.
	47'	Toro on the attack immediately in the early stages, and it's through Pisano once again, who has been great today down the left hand side. He slips when crossing the ball in however, resulting in a weak ball, that's eventually cleared easily by the Nerazzurri..
	46'	The home side get play under way in the second half. Barone is brought on for Torino at the break, to add some much needed experience and poise in the midfield. Corini is replaced, in what is a surprise, as he wasn't all that bad in the first half.
	46'	Substitution	Corini E.	Barone S.
	45'+2	The referee blows his whistle to bring the first half to an end. It was an entertaining opening 45 minutes, with the visitors dominating for the large majority of the half. Goals from Mancini and Maicon is what seperates the two sides for now, and with another 45 minutes still to play in this one, expect more goal scoring in the second half. Rosina was forced to withdraw after 30 minutes through injury, making matters worse for Torino, however the facts are that the home side trail by two goals to nil heading into the half time interval. It's Torino 0-2 Inter Milan. Join me at the Olimpico once again, in around 15 minutes time..
	45'+1	There will be one minute of stoppage time in the first half..
	45'	It's been a frustrating first half for the home team, as we approach the final minute. Adriano with the ball, heading forward for Inter now..
	43'	Lovely looking ball forward by Corini, as he goes in search of Bianchi, but as has been the case all match, the quality of the service has not been great, making it tough for the Toro attackers to be dangerous.
	42'	Great challenge by Pratali to dispossess Ibra there. Ibrahimovic has tried hard all match, however he has just failed to get any results thus far.
	40'	5 minutes still to play in the opening forty-five minutes. Can Torino take anything away from this half?
	39'	Great long ball forward by Materazzi towards Mancini. What can the Brazilian winger do from here. Not much actually, as Diana makes the challenge, resulting in a throw in to Inter.
	38'	Clumsy challenge by Ibrahimovic, as he fouls Di Loreto at the back. Looks to be out of frustration, as the attacker is yet to fire tonight.
	37'	Ibrahimovic easily loses the ball, and it's Di Loreto who picks up the ball, and guide a long ball in towards Abbruscato!! Wonderful defending by Materazzi though, to get their first, and clear.
	36'	Good break here by Amoruso, who tries to create something on his way forward. He plays it to Corini, but with number back, the Nerazzurri easily clear the danger..
	35'	Ten minutes remain in the opening half, as Materazzi and Burdisso, the two centre-backs for Inter, play it to each other a few times..
	34'	Corini sends a lovely chipping ball into the area, in towards Bianchi. This looks good for Toro, but Bianchi is rightfully adjudged to be offside.
	33'	Vieira fouls Amoruso some 30 yards from goal, and it's a free kick to Toro in a scoring position. Corini stands over the free kick, and with Torino in need of a boost, he may be the man to provide exactly that.
	32'	What a counter attack by Inter. Adriano plays a super ball towards Mancini, who is taken down in the area by Pisano, but the referee calls for play to continue, despite the Inter claims for a penalty. That was the correct call by the referee.
	30'	Rosina is forced to come from the field through injury. A massive blow for the Granata. Abbruscato comes on in his place..
	29'	A free kick is awarded to Inter, 35 yards from goal. Up steps Adriano to take the free kick, and he strikes!!!! Ohhh it's wlel over the bar, but he can have a laugh, as his side are in a commanding position now..
	29'	Substitution	Rosina A.	Abbruscato E.
	28'	Yellow Card	Pisano M.
	28'	Pisano receives a booking for a clash on Maicon, who is down, and may require some treatment..
	26'	GOOOAAAALLLLLL!!!!! WHAT A GOAL, AND IT'S 2 TO INTER!!!!!! STUNNING STRIKE FROM MAICON!!!!! A great build-up by the Nerazzurri, ends up with Maicon on the right hand side, and what an unbelievable strike at goal that was. It nipped in off the cross bar, and sailed in to the top left corner, giving Sereni no chance whatsoever. It's near impossible for Torino now, as Inter have doubled their advantage. 2-0 to Inter..
	26'	Goal	Maicon
	24'	Own Goal	Pisano M.
	24'	GOOOOAAAALLLLL!!!!! 1-0 TO INTER!!!!! AND WHAT A GOAL BY MANCINI!!!!! Adriano plays a tremendous ball wide to Mancini, who on the most acute of angles, slots the ball past Sereni. Replays show that the ball struck the boot of Pisano, thus the reason he managed to score from such an angle. Nonetheless, it's 1-0 to Inter!
	23'	Ohhhh, that is dreadful defending by Pratali that almost cost his side a goal. Maicon's cross comes in, a ball that is completely miscued by Pratali. The ball spills out the back to a surprised Mancini!!! Surely it's 1-0! But no, he wasn't expecting that.
	21'	Pisano strikes from around 30 yards!!! It's a wicked effort, that sails well wide of the target. Quick thinking by the defender though, who may have caught Julio Cesar napping there.
	20'	Superb by Rosina, as he had three Inter defenders snapping at his heels, but despite this, he manages to win a throw-in in a dangerous position for his side.
	18'	Lovely turn by Adriano, but its another foul that halts an attacking Inter movement. This time it's Paolo Zanetti who is responsible for giving away the free kick, and he receives a yellow card for his troubles.
	18'	Yellow Card	Zanetti P.
	17'	Great work from Vieira to try and make his way past two opposing players. He evenually gets cut down by Amoruso, and wins a free kick as a result..
	15'	Despite heavy pressure from Ibrahimovic, Pisano coolly clears towards Corini. Great start by the centre half, who's working hard at both ends of the field.
	14'	Another Inter attacking play breaks down, and it seems as if communication is lacking in the final third of the Nerazzurri, as that is the thirs or fourth time, whereby a promising attacking play has come to nothing for the visitors..
	12'	Bianchi!!!!! Ohhhhh!!!!! What an opportunity there for the former Manchester City man!!! A wonderful comes in from Pisano on the left, and met by the head of Bianchi, but sent inches wide of the target. 0-0 it remains..
	11'	Adriano has support on the left in the form of Chivu. Chivu sends a curling ball into the area, as he goes in search for the man who played it to him. Adriano fails to win the header, but the defensive clearance spills to Ibrahimovic!!! Ohhhh, if only he had got some more power on that left-footed attempt, Inter may have taken the advantage.
	10'	Materazzi plays it to Chivu, who has just returned from injury. The Nerazzurri continue to knock the ball around their defence, just to halt the momentum of their opponents.
	9'	Ohhhhh, great effort by Rosina!!!!! Decent sixty seconds for Torino here, as Rosina beats Zanetti, and attempts to curl a left-footed strike in to the top left corner. It's a glorious stirke, that just doesn't curl enough. Promising signs for Toro..
	8'	Torino find themselves on a counter attack, as the ball spills to Amoruso. The recent summer signing has time, and he has space, as Vieira is slow to close him down. He strikes from 30 yards!! Ohh that's a poor effort, and he should have done better there.
	7'	Ohh that was careless at the back by Pratali, and that's a wonderful move by Vieira to step in there. His ball though is intercepted, and cleared successfully by the Torino defence.
	6'	The visitors are certainly in control in the opening stages, with the home side failing to string together more than two or three passes so far..
	5'	Cambiasso controlling the midfield as he so often does. Directs play forward, as he chips a neat ball towards Ibrahimovic. Zlatan has a poor first touch though, and loses it easily..
	4'	Diana on the right for Torino, looking for options inside the area. He has two defenders to contend with, but somehow manages to get a ball away. It's poor however, and is easily collected by Julio Cesar.
	3'	Better ball this time by Materazzi to Mancini. The Brazilian winger flicks it wonderfully to his captain, Javier Zanetti, but Torino work hard in attack to regain possession of that ball.
	2'	Maicon for Inter, one of four Brazilians in the starting eleven for the Nerazzurri today. He plays it acorss to Materazzi, as he goes in search of Adriano up front, but that's a poor ball from Matrix there, and it's a goal kick to Torino.
	1	Jose Mourinho's side get play under way at the Olimpico in Torino..
	0	Good afternoon everyone, and welcome to Goal.com’s live coverage of the match between Torino and Inter Milan. This match is brought to you live from Torino, as two undefeated sides square off at the Stadio Olimpico. The home side have made some key signings over the summer, with Bianchi and Amoruso heading the list, and will certainly be looking to build on their positive start today against the reigning champions. Meanwhile, following a shaky start to the season, in which they drew 1-1 with Sampdoria, the Nerazzurri have bounced back well more recently, with victories against Catania last weekend 2-1, and a 2-0 victory against Panathinaikos in the Champions League. There’s less than 5 minutes remaining until kick-off, so stay tuned, and enjoy Goal.com’s live coverage over the next 90 minutes…

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Cagliari 0-1 Juventus

Amauri was the hero for Juventus for the second week running, grabbing the only goal of the game in Sardinia against basement-dwellers Cagliari.

Team News

Juventus were in good form coming into this game, having defeated both Udinese and Zenit St Petersburg in the last seven days. However they were suffering from something of an injury crisis as Cristiano Zanetti, Jonathan Zebina, Mauro Camoranesi, Alessandro Del Piero and David Trezeguet, the latter who requires an operation, were all sidelined.

Hasan Salihamidzic and Olof Mellberg came into the defence for Zdenek Grygera and Nicola Legrottaglie, while Marco Marchionni and Claudio Machisio started in midfield. Up-front Claudio Ranieri had little option but to pair Amauri with Vincenzo Iaquinta.

Cagliari are the undoubted favourites for relegation and were rooted at the bottom of the table with no points to their name. The Sardinians were minus the services of Michele Canini and Daniele Conti. Alessandro Matri and Joaquin Larrivey formed the forward pair.

First Half

Both sides made an aggressive start to the game. Juve had the ball in the back of the net after just two minutes through Amauri, but the goal was disallowed for an infringement by Iaquinta. Meanwhile, Davide Biondini screwed the ball wide for Cagliari from 20 yards.

Juventus had a new free kick taker in the absence of Del Piero, and Iaquinta rifled a daisycutter off target from 30 yards. Down the other end Matri headed over when well placed from a right wing free kick.

On 15 minutes Juve put together their best move of the match so far, finishing with Pavel Nedved's shot deflecting dangerously over. From one of the resulting corners Giorgio Chiellini directed a header over the bar.

Matri was looking bright for Cagliari in the early stages, and midway through the half he volleyed over the bar following a nice piece of skill. Cristian Molinaro then nearly put Juve in trouble with a suicidal ball across his own penalty area.

Juve were struggling to get a rhythm going, although the physical Amauri was winning everything in the air, and he nodded the ball down for Iaquinta, but the former Udinese man scuffed his half volley wide.

On the half-hour mark, the home side were close to taking the lead as Matri turned Salihamidzic inside out and fired in a vicious shot, but Gianluigi Buffon pulled off a superb reaction save.

Molinaro was having one of those regular bad days at left back, and he was caught sleeping on a quick throw-in, allowing Biondini to get in behind him and smash a shot dangerously wide of the far post.

Cagliari were now on top, but they were almost caught out on 37 minutes, as Amauri muscled his way free of his marker on a left wing cross, but he couldn't get enough on his header.

This was just a warning of things to come, as 90 seconds later Juve were ahead. Marchionni's cross was flicked on by Iaquinta, and Amauri reacted fastest to fire a snap-shot past Federico Marchetti.

Second Half

Both teams made changes at the break. Juventus' was enforced as Alex Manninger replaced the injured Buffon in goal for his Juventus debut. Meanwhile, Cagliari took off Larrivey for Italy Under-21 striker Robert Acquafresca.

Juve had an immediate chance less than 60 seconds into the second half, but Nedved failed to make decent contact when well placed on the edge of the area.

Iaquinta also didn't have his shooting boots on as Marchionni chipped a cross into the middle, but the World Cup winner hashed the ball over from 12 yards out. It was a decent opening.

There was a flash point just shy of the hour mark as Michele Fini caught Momo Sissoko in the face while he was on the floor, which led to an angry reaction from the Malian.

Ranieri decided to substitute Sissoko just seconds later, introducing last season's notorious flop Tiago Mendes. Fini was also sacrificed for Cagliari, with the Brazilian Jeda coming on.

Iaquinta executed a couple of bicycle kicks in quick succession, the second of which was absolutely sublime, but both efforts finished wide.

Acquafresca had his first attempt since his introduction, but it was Juve who looked the more likely to score again, and Diego Lopez had to clear from Nedved's dangerous cross shot.

The Czech veteran was having a good second half, and he hung a cross up for Amauri, who rose above his man but saw his header smartly plucked out of the top corner by Marchetti. Marchisio then scuffed the ball wide from the ensuing corner.

Ranieri made his final change of the afternoon on 74 minutes as Paolo De Ceglie came on for Under-21 colleague Marchisio. This pushed Nedved in-field to partner Tiago in the centre of midfield.

De Ceglie made an immediate impact as he thundered past two men, and laid the ball off to Amauri who sliced the ball wide from a promising position.

Amauri then won his umpteenth ball in the air, nodding across goal for Iaquinta, but Paolo Bianco made a crucial block.

Juve looked comfortable but on 83 minutes substitute Jeda unleashed a missile from 30 yards which Manninger did well to beat away.

Marchionni was looking for a second goal, and pushed the ball past his man before being denied by Marchetti in a one-on-one, but he was flagged offside so the action was irrelevant.

The outstanding Nedved then rolled back the years as he surged into space and smashed in a trademark 30-yard piledriver that knocked Marchetti backwards as he parried the ball away. Marchetti had a more comfortable save to make from Amauri seconds later.

In the penultimate minute there was drama, as Matri connected with a stunning volley inside the area, from a right wing cross, which had goal written all over it until Manninger performed a brilliant save to turn the ball around the post.

Juve survived to hold on for their third consecutive 1-0 win in all competitions, and they go top of the table alongside Inter, at least for a few hours until Lazio play Milan.

Teams

Cagliari: Marchetti, Pisano, Bianco, Lopez, Agostini, Biondini, Cossu, Parola (Lazzari 79), Fini (Jeda 61), Marti, Larrivey (Acquafresca 45)

Juventus: Buffon (Manninger 45), Salihamidzic, Chiellini, Mellberg, Molinaro, Marchionni, Sissoko (Tiago 59), Marchisio (De Ceglie 74), Nedved, Iaquinta, Amauri

Goals

Amauri 39 (J)

Anthony Sormani

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Inter Shortlist Five Big Names For 2009

According to Tuttosport, Inter Milan have shortlisted five big possible signings for next summer, and will immediately begin preparing the groundwork for their transfers.

The Nerazzurri this summer pulled off three major acquisitions, snapping up Sulley Muntari, Ricardo Quaresma and Amantino Mancini.

However, the purchases of the former two proved to be rather rushed, as Muntari only arrived after the failure to buy Chelsea’s Frank Lampard, while Quaresma’s deal was only sealed just hours before the closure of the transfer window.

Inter President Massimo Moratti wants to ensure that the transfer work next summer is more decisive, and has already drawn up a five-man shortlist on which the club will begin to work on.

The first of these is Benfica winger Angel Di Maria, who impressed hugely at the recent Olympics, scoring the winner for Argentina in their final win over Nigeria. Indeed, Sportmediaset claimed a few days ago that Inter have already agreed a deal with Benfica sporting director Rui Costa, which will see the talented player swap the Estadio Da Luz for San Siro next summer.

The second player on Inter’s shortlist is another Olympic star, Thiago Neves of Brazil. The midfielder recently joined Hamburg from Fluminense, but Inter are being tipped to go head-to-head with Milan for his signature next summer.

The third on Moratti’s hit-list is Atletico Madrid star Sergio Aguero, who is regarded as one of the world’s best young players. The Argentine has long been linked with the Nerazzurri, and indeed a few months ago the forward’s father-in-law to be Diego Maradona admitted that it was possible Aguero could end up at San Siro in the near future.

Two centre midfielders complete the shortlist. The first is Roma’s Alberto Aquilani, who Inter tentatively tried to sign this summer. The second is Napoli wonderkid Marek Hamsik, who is hugely admired by Inter boss Jose Mourinho, and who is tipped by many to develop into the best centre midfielder in Europe in the coming years.

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Milan and Italy defender Gianluca Zambrotta has taken a swipe at the English game, insisting that they have no right to criticise the Italians after the Three Lions failed to qualify for Euro 2008.

Zambrotta has reignited the fiery slanging match between England and Italy after he was asked what he thought of an article published in The Times, which described Serie A as a “retirement home for old players,” and “a get rich quick scheme.”

The stopper has hit back with some tough words for the English.

“Retirement home? That’s all I need at 31,” joked Zambrotta.

“I have all the experience to be able to motivate myself.

“What makes me laugh is that the English are always the first to talk when they should be the last. Just look at them, they didn’t even qualify for Euro 2008.”

Certainties

The former Barcelona man then spoke about his new life at Milan following his return to Serie A and he insists that the game in Italy is always moving onwards and upwards.

“The impact of Milan is simple: they are a top club and well organised like Juventus,” added Zambro.

“I think the quality of Serie A has improved, but then you always have the same certainties like Maurizio Zamparini firing the coach after the first game.”

The Rossonero is currently on international duty with La Nazionale as he tries to help defend the World Cup trophy they won in 2006.

Italy have travelled to Lanarca to take on Cyprus on Saturday night in group 8 of the World Cup South Africa 2010 qualifying campaign.

Salvatore Landolina

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After a summer-long soap opera, Jose Mourinho finally got his man and signed Porto winger Ricardo Quaresma. Carlo Garganese asks if this is a good or bad move for Inter…

Having watched Inter’s first game of the season at Sampdoria on Saturday night, I have to confess that I was not overly impressed with what I saw from the Nerazzurri.

Granted, Inter had a lot of problems to deal with going into the clash. They were without a host of centre backs, meaning that Esteban Cambiasso had to partner the still not fully-fit Marco Materazzi. The midfield had its spine removed as Patrick Vieira was sidelined too.

It was coach Jose Mourinho’s debut in Serie A, and despite his undoubted qualities, he is still settling in to the new footballing culture, while many of his players are still getting to grips with the new 4-3-3 formation. Finally, Inter were up against a fine Sampdoria team, who only lost twice at home last season, possess Italy internationals such as Antonio Cassano and Angelo Palombo, and are a match for anyone on their day at the Stadio Ferraris.

A draw was a good result for an opening day encounter, especially considering none of the big-five teams won at the weekend. However, the performance was far from inspiring and Inter were very poor as an attacking force, barely testing Samp goalkeeper Antonio Mirante aside from Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s goal, which possibly should have been disallowed for handball.

I left the game on Saturday night pondering whether Inter’s 4-3-3 formation could work with the forward players they have at their disposal. In order to get the best out of such a system you need to be able to counterattack at lightning speed, mainly via the wide players. The likes of Arjen Robben and Damien Duff did this to devastating effect at Chelsea during Mourinho’s time there. However, a 36-year-old Luis Figo will not stretch the play, and many of the other forward options, even Ibrahimovic himself, are hardly renowned for their dynamism.

When Inter came forward against Sampdoria they were slow and predictable, and when they tried to counter-attack they did not have the legs to exhaust their opponents.

The signing of Ricardo Quaresma potentially solves this problem. He has pace, skill, flair and imagination in abundance, and could possibly provide that bit of attacking creativity that Inter were lacking these last two seasons, particularly in the Champions League.

On his day, Quaresma is a world-beater, and I can remember him completely out-shining Cristiano Ronaldo during a friendly against Italy in February, when he scored Portugal’s consolation in a 3-1 defeat. If the 24-year-old can regularly turn out these kinds of performances for Inter, he will be an inspired purchase.

However, consistency is a big problem for Quaresma, and he is just as liable to stink as he is to shine. In this respect, he is something of an unusual signing by Mourinho, who has traditionally preferred efficient team players rather than unpredictable individuals. In Italy Quaresma will have to learn to deal with tactical rigidness and discipline, and some critics doubt whether he is capable, especially for a mental point of view, of adapting.

Quaresma’s big game temperament has also been questioned. He flopped at Barcelona during one season there in 2003/04, although admittedly he was only 20 at the time. He also had no impact at Euro 2008 for Portugal, even if he started just one match, a dead-rubber tie against Switzerland in which he was possibly the worst player on the pitch.

Personally, I believe that Quaresma’s success at Inter is tied to just how well Mourinho’s 4-3-3 formation holds up in Serie A. I am still not convinced that this system is particularly well suited to the slower Italian game where midfields are congested, but who am I to question the innovative Mourinho? If the 4-3-3 is a success, then there is every chance Quaresma will be a success too.

What are your views on this topic? Is Quaresma’s signing a good or bad idea? Will he be a success in Italy? Will he help bring the best out of Mourinho’s 4-3-3 formation?

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Nicola Legrottaglie has told Inter and the rest of Europe to watch out this season because Juventus are “tough cookies”.

The Bianconeri had a promising start to the season on Sunday night when, despite conceding a late equaliser at Fiorentina to draw 1-1, the signs were positive.

Legrottaglie himself had a fine game at centre back, and he has again been rewarded with a call-up to the Italy national team.

Speaking from the training base in Coverciano, the 31-year-old warned bitter rivals Inter, and the rest of Europe, that his club side will surprise many people this campaign.

“Juventus will never suffer against anyone, in fact the other teams will suffer when they face us because we'll be hard to beat,” he stated.

“We're tough cookies and Inter Milan will soon realize it!

“Juventus will surprise people in the Champions League too, especially if we go through the first group and we get to the knock-out stage"

The Old Lady were drawn in what many people are calling the ‘Group of Death’ in the first stage of Europe’s premier club competition. Spanish champions Real Madrid, UEFA Cup holders Zenit St Petersburg, and minnows BATE will all fight it out for qualification from Group H.

Gianni Wilson

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