Posts Tagged ‘Lecce’

Serie A Matchday 29 Preview: Roma and Juventus Set for Stadio Olimpico Showdown

Saturday, March 21st, 2009

Serie A Matchday 29 Preview: Roma and Juventus Set for Stadio Olimpico Showdown

It is getting close to crunch time for a few Serie A sides and if anyone wants to catch Inter Milan they’re going to have to get a run together now. Inter won’t be dropping any points this weekend unless something drastic happens though, they face bottom club Reggina at the Giuseppe Meazza and I don’t think anyone would predict anything other than a victory for the Nerazzurri. I’ve had a run through some of the key fixtures to see if I can offer any betting tips and advice along the way.

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Lecce 0-3 Inter: Zlatan Sounding the Charge (Serie A Matchday 23)

Saturday, February 7th, 2009

It’s funny how whenever Inter are playing away from home, they make everything look much easier than if they were playing at San Siro. I’m not imagining this, stats speak for themselves (the goals scored/conceded ratio for Nerazzurri home games is 16/7 whereas the numbers increase to 24/9 for away games): Mourinho has been struggling to unleash his team’s goalscoring power in front of their fans this season. By contrast, Inter’s away games to Catania last week and to Lecce today have been a breeze. Go figure.

In any case, the players won’t be complaining. Thanks to the goals by Ibrahimovic, Figo, and Stankovic today, the Nerazzurri have increased their lead over rivals AC Milan to +8. Lecce meanwhile, have to face the dire reality of their relegation battle: they have not won at Stadio Via del Mare for over five months now. Speaking of poor home form huh?

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Lecce 1-2 Juventus: Thanking Amauri and Super-Seba (Serie A Matchday 15)

Sunday, December 7th, 2008

Inter score three, Juve win it at the death. In the end it’s all the same: three points in the bag, and the Serie A standings unaltered.

And so, because points are more important than goals or scoring chances, several facts go unnoticed at the end of Sunday’s match. Two of them are that despite their win, Juventus played one their worst games of the season, and that Lecce, despite their evident technical inferiority, fought hard to come from behind and would have at least deserved a tie at the end of the night.

Instead, what people will remember out of Lecce-Juventus are mainly two things.

The first, is that Sebastian Giovinco scored his first Juve goal. In the absence of Alessandro Del Piero La Formica Atomica finally got his chance to shine and, emulating his idol captain, did not pass it up. His beautiful free-kick provided the Bianconeri’s first goal; his moves, his touches, and his accelerations gave Juve supporters a glimpse of what may very well be the Black & White future of the next decade. This is how champions are born people.

The second thing people will remember, exemplied by Amauri’s goal in the 90th minute, is more of a reminder of sorts. It embodies a team spirit that, in months of uncertainty, courtroom frustration, and Serie B agony, has still remained intact: La Juve non molla mai.

Go and ask your Italian friends what it means…

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Lecce 1-1 Milan: Ronaldinho Gives Hope, Set Pieces Shatter It (Serie A Matchday 11)

Monday, November 10th, 2008

AC Milan‘s stay on top of Serie A standings lasted merely a week, as the Rossoneri drew 1-1 away to Lecce, the home side making use of the one thing that still continues to be the bane of Carlo Ancelotti’s team: defending set pieces.

The 93rd minute goal scored by the Giallorossi, after Milan had dominated proceedings in their best away display so far this season, looks like a slap in the face for Ronaldinho & friends, especially since Borriello and Kaká had contrived to miss a flurry of chances for the visitors. The positive news for Galliani & Berlusconi, while they still wait for Shevchenko, is that their bet on Ronaldinho seems to be really paying off, the ex-Barcelona forward scoring the Rossoneri’s only goal from an assist by Pato (just on in place of Mathieu Flamini).

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Lazio 1-1 Lecce: Biancocelesti Panting Their Way to a Draw (Serie A Matchday 6)

Sunday, October 5th, 2008

Well… this was certainly unexpected. Who would have thought, that almost five years since his last goal from open play, Simone Inzaghi would return to provide such a vital goal to the Biancocelesti? But more importantly who would have thought this Lazio team, who marvelled Serie A enthusiasts since the season started, could have had so much trouble against a modest team like Lecce?

Lecce which today were anything but modest, cynically prepared by their coach Mario Beretta.

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