With a new year upon us, the January transfer window will be opening up soon. While normally we don’t see super-stars switch allegiances in this period, but 2011 could be different. The names of Klose, Toni, Gilardino, and Kaka have been circulating, but can we really expect these players to move in January?

Starting at the top of the table, AC Milan seem omnipotent with the team they already have. Ronaldinho will probably be leaving for Gremio (the club where he started his professional career)  in Brazil. While the Brazilian would be glad to return home, AC Milan are trying to squeeze anything out of Gremio, and Galliani has put an 8 million Euro price tag on Ronaldinho.

AC Milan fans shouldn’t worry that one of their Brazilians will be leaving, the replacement is already training with the team in Dubai. Antonio Cassano seems to be the perfect replacement when Ronaldinho leaves, and he is probably and even better partner for Zlatan Ibrahimovic up front. But AC Milan are looking to sign another creative Italian, Andrea Lazzari, to help out the already overpowered attacking sector of the team. Massimiliano Allegri shouldn’t have too much trouble bringing the 26 year-old to the San Siro considering that he coached him last season.

The rossoneri will also try to do some work regarding Kevin-Prince Boateng who belongs to Genoa but is on loan at AC Milan. It is very possible that Milan will try to give half of Alberto Paloschi for half of Boateng, but we will have to see what Genoa want from Milan for the Ghanaian midfielder. It should be a fairly quiet transfer market for AC Milan, but you never know with Berlusconi.

Lazio are looking to buy this transfer market, and there are multiple names circulating as to who they want as their new center-forward. While Bayern Munich‘s Klose would be the dream, it is more likely that Manchester City reject Santa Cruz could join. Sadly there have been problems regarding that deal as well, and it seems like Santa Cruz isn’t interested in a loan or transfer to Lazio. So now the name which has been mentioned is Federico Macheda‘s. The young Italian currently at Manchester United could return to Italy for a loan (or permanent transfer) deal.

Inter Milan are searching for a few players to buy, and while the names of Kaka and Fernando Torres have been mentioned, it is doubtful that Moratti will be splashing the grotesque amount of cash needed for those players. Instead Inter are chasing Zaccardo to strengthen the defence, and the wild idea of Patrice Evra of Manchester United has been floating around. Ilicic of Palermo is unlikely to be bought in January and so is Udinese‘sSanchez, both might be additions made this upcoming summer. For now Inter have got Ranocchia from Genoa, but there could be few other signings until the summer of 2011.

Juventus are looking at some possible deals, but nothing has materialized yet. While the big rumours have been around a possible swap Gilardino-Amauri, it is more likely that the Fiorentina forward arrives for a hefty transfer fee, without a swap. What is needed for Gilardino’s arrival is some cash, and Juventus might find it in the form of selling Sissoko. The Malian has been observed by Wolfsburg, and a deal worth around 10 million Euros could be struck sometime soon. The money from selling the midfielder could be used to get a proper forward to finish off all of Krasic’s delightful crosses, Edin Dzeko maybe?

Roma has sold Julio Baptista to Malaga for around 2 million Euros and it seems like the giallorossi have managed to agree a deal with Behrami of West Ham. Another unhappy Brazilian at Roma had apparently decided to leave, but it now seems that Adriano will be staying with Roma. Unless it is a successful season for him, expect him to leave for Brazil this upcoming summer.

Which possible tranfser are you looking forward to most? Share your comments below!

While in the Champions League all Italian sides made it through to the knockout stages, there was a fear that in the Europa League there would be no Serie A teams. Luckily, Napoli managed to qualify with a 1-0 win over Steaua Bucharest, thanks to a very late goal by Cavani. And there was more good news for Italian sides around the world, Inter Milan were victorious in their semi-final of the World Club Cup, and they’ll be playing African champions TP Mazembe in the final of the tournament.

Napoli desperately needed a win at the Stadio San Paolo, or else they would not qualify for the knockout stages of the Europa League. But Steaua Bucharest came to defend with grit, staying turtled up in their own half, soaking up Napoli’s pressure, and then striking on the counter-attack. Napoli did their best, pushing well on the flanks and through the middle, eventually creating a great opportunity which Cavani put over the bar. Steaua had opportunities to score as well, and going into halftime, the two teams were fairly even.

The second half continued like the first, with Napoli slowly chipping away at the resolute Romanian side. Walter Mazzari’s team created more and more chances, with Cavani even hitting the post. The ending became more and more tense, with insults being thrown to and fro from players on the field to the ones on the benches. Both Steaua and Napoli were getting frustrated, creating goalscoring chances which weren’t finished properly or were saved by a pair of outstanding goalkeepers. Yet Napoli believed until the very end, and in the 92nd minute of the match Edinson Cavani scored what he calls, “a miracle goal”. The young Uruguayan managed to flick a corner from the near post with his head, sending Napoli through to the knockout rounds of the Europa League. Yet the tension was still high, and Paolo Cannavaro got sent off before the final whistle after receiving a second yellow card.

The other Italian sides did surprisingly well considering their previous poor form in the Europa League. Palermo defeated Lusanne Sports 1-0 away from home thanks to a late goal from Munoz, and Juventus got a good 1-1 draw against Manchester City, with some youngsters on display for the crowd at the Stadio Olimpico. Sampdoria though weren’t able to win or draw away against Debrecen, and lost 2-0. It’s nice that Napoli have managed to qualify for the round of 16, and hopefully they’ll receive a good draw and go deep in the tournament.

Inter Milan were in Abu Dhabi, where they defeated Asian champions Seongnam Ilhwa 3-0. This victory was an important one for Rafa Benitez, because the team is slowly recovering from injuries positively, especially Diego Milito who scored and assisted the other two goals. However there was a slight setback for Inter in this match; in the first minutes Wesley Sneijder received a tough tackle and had to be replaced. He won’t be able to make the final, which will be played against TP Mazembe, the first African side ever to reach the FIFA World Club Cup final.

The final is being played this Saturday, and while some don’t really consider this tournament as very important, if Rafa Benitez could manage to win it, it could be a turning point for his team. There have been many doubts over whether Benitez would stay much longer at Inter, and it seems like Massimo Moratti has calmed the voices by prasing the Spaniard regarding the team’s performance. But no matter how much praise Moratti heaps on Benitez, the president wants the coach to win this tournament, and transfer the momentum to the Serie A and Champions League campaigns.

What are your thoughts regarding Napoli’s qualification and Inter Milan’s solid win? Share your thoughts below!

The Serie A is getting more and more exciting, especially after these recent results, and the matches which will be played this Sunday. Napoli got an important 1-0 win away against Genoa, Palermo came back to beat Parma 3-1 at the Renzo Barbera, and Udinese also completed a comeback win at home, 2-1 over Fiorentina. While we had three important matches today, there’s plenty more action to come tomorrow when AC Milan travel to Bologna and then Juventus host Lazio.

Napoli defeated Genoa 1-0 at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris, and what separated the two sides was a bullet header by Marek Hamsik. It was Gargano’s free kick on the 25th minute, swung in with great pace, which Hamsik flicked wonderfully past Eduardo. Genoa created opportunities, but they weren’t able to capitalize on key chances. This win puts Walter Mazzari’s side in second place, equal on points with Lazio who will be facing fourth placed Juventus tomorrow. The bianconeri are three points behind Lazio and Napoli, so if Juve can manage to win, there will be three teams equal on points in second place.

Palermo hosted Parma at the Renzo Barbera stadium, and Parma coach Pasquale Marino was unable to see his side take the lead due to his mother’s death. It was a header by Lucarelli which hit the back of the net after a well placed corner. The first half lacked the usual inspiration which Javier Pastore provided for Palermo, and Delio Rossi eventually decided to take the Argentinean off at halftime. Instead it was the Chilean Pinilla who took his place, scoring the equalizer just five minutes into the second half, and then assisting Miccoli for Palermo’s second goal. Kasami secured the result when his header bounced off of Zaccardo’s head, and into the back of the Parma net for an own goal.

And in the third match today, Udinese came back against Fiorentina to win 2-1, and it was a match filled with wonderful goals. Santana struck first, a low, long-range effort which Handanovic had fallen asleep on allowed the visitors to take the lead. But in the second half Guidolin’s side reacted, first with Pablo Armero’s thunderbolt strike from far out, and then Di Natale’s goal which was preceded by some beautiful one-touch build-up play. An important win for Guidolin’s side which is making up for their bad start to the season, and right now Udinese are 8th in the table.

What are your thoughts regarding these matches? Plenty of exciting play, moments, and goals, and hopefully more will come tomorrow when Juventus and Lazio face off. Share your comments below!

While it was a great Champions League group stage for the Italian sides, the Europa League group stages are proving to be more difficult for the Italian sides in the Europa League. In fact, all of the Italian sides have been eliminated except for Napoli, who might be able to pull off a good result and qualify for the knockout stages of the tournament. This truly doesn’t help the UEFA co-efficient in which the Serie A is doing worse and worse, and hopefully Napoli will manage to scrape through when they play their next (and last) Europa League match on Wednesday, the 15th of December.

Sampdoria were beaten at home 2-1 by PSV Eindhoven, and although the match was about to finish as a 1-1 draw, it was a late winner by Toivonen which secured three points for PSV. Pazzini had put Sampdoria ahead in the 45th minute, and it seemed like it could’ve been Sampdoria’s lucky night to fight back and have a chance to qualify for the next round, but it wasn’t. Toivonen scored in the 51st minute, and then scored the late winner which crushed any of Sampdoria’s hopes of qualifying to the knockout stages of the Europa League.

Juventus also failed to qualify after drawing 1-1 away against Lech Poznan. The home side took the lead after just fifteen minutes with Rudnevs, and by the time Iaquinta scored the equalizer in the 83rd minute, the field was engulfed in snow. Players were slipping, they had to switch to a high visibility ball, and the match probably should’ve been suspended. But it doesn’t change the result for Juventus, and they have failed to go through to the knockout stages.

Palermo also drew in their Europa League match, the final result was 2-2, and the Renzo Barbera stadium saw their team take the lead with Rigoni with a long range effort in the 23rd minute. But in the second half Sparta Praha equalized after being awarded a penalty when Goian brushed by Kweuke, and Goian was sent off because it was his second yellow card. With just ten men on the field, Palermo earned a proper penalty which was scored by Pinilla to give Palermo a temporary lead. But just a couple of minutes later Praha equalized with Kucka, and to add even more bitterness, Pastore was sent off in the 90th minute after receiving his second yellow card. And so, a third Italian side manages not to qualify for the knockout stages of the Europa League.

Napoli drew 3-3 away against Utrecht, and it was Cavani who scored a fantastic hat-trick to make sure that Napoli stay in the competition for their next group stage match against Steaua Bucarest which will be key in deciding which team will qualify for the knockout stages. Napoli scored first with Cavani, but then conceded three goals, and right before halftime Cavani pulled one back to make the score 3-2 for Utrecht. Then in the second half Cavani scored a penalty to give Napoli an important draw, and a chance to be the only Italian side left in the Europa League.

I think that it’s a shame that the Serie A sides did so badly in this competition, and I can only hope that Napoli manage to go deep in the competition and uphold some respect for Italian sides in Europe. What are your thoughts regarding the poor display from the Italian sides in the Europa League? Can Napoli progress through to the knockout round, and maybe go deeper? Comment below!

This weekend in the Serie A, among the results there were plenty of 1-1 draws, a goalless draw, a couple of 3-1 wins, and then a 5-2! Yes, a 5-2 win took place in the Serie A this weekend, and it was Inter Milan which defeated Parma in the seven goal thriller. This weekend there was also a match which didn’t take place, Bologna – Chievo was postponed because of heavy snowfall which was too much to play on. But there were nine other exciting matches which took place over the weekend, and here’s five things to note about them.

Juventus and AC Milan halted

Both AC Milan and Juventus were looking relatively ominous and powerful, especially the rosseneri, yet both of them were unable to get wins this weekend, drawing 1-1. Juventus faced Fiorentina at home, and they were a goal down in the first five minutes, with Motta heading a powerful cross/shot by Vargas into the back of his own net. But Delneri’s team fought through the entire match, and they eventually found an equalizer in the 82nd minute with Simone Pepe curling in a free kick. AC Milan on the other hand travelled to face Sampdoria, and they went up before halftime with a cool volley by Robinho, assisted by the ever-present Ibrahimovic. But in the second half Sampdoria clawed back to earn a point with Pazzini scoring yet another goal, the forward was in the right place at the right time, finishing off Gastaldello’s header from a corner.

With these two draws, the question arises: Will AC Milan and Juventus be able to reuturn to their winning ways? Share your comments below!

Inter Milan slowly returning to form

I mentioned above that Inter Milan won 5-2 at the San Siro against Parma, and this result was unpredictable considering that Benitez’s side has had difficulty scoring one goal per match, let alone five. But it was Parma which scored first, with the eternal Hernan Crespo expertly finishing a good chance past Castellazzi to score against his former team. Inter Milan responded with Dejan Stankovic scoring twice in a minute, both goals deflected shots of the Serbian. After the two goal flurry Cambiasso scored as well, seemingly earning Rafa Benitez three secure points. But Parma fought back and scored again, and it was Crespo yet again, leaving the nerazzuri insecure about their three points going into the second half. In the second half, Inter finished off the match for good, with Thiago Motta scoring on his return, and then Stankovic finishing off his hat-trick.

So have the nerazzurri finally returned to their winning ways? Rafa Benitez has certainly got his team to play much better than in previous weeks, the question is whether they can rise from fifth to first, making up seven points between them and AC Milan. Share your comments below!

Palermo defeat Roma 3-1 to go sixth in the table

This weekend Palermo hosted Roma, and the giallorossi were going into the match having won six in their last seven matches in the Serie A. Palermo had quite a tough game on their hands, and Roma started off with plenty of chances until Palermo found the back of the net with Miccoli. From there Ilicic and Nocerino tapped in simple goals to make sure that the home side won. Roma created many chances, and they eventually scored in the 90th minute with Totti slamming a powerful shot through Sirigu’s hands.

With this win, Palermo jump over Roma in the table, leaving the giallorossi in seventh place as Palermo are even on points with Inter Milan. I think that Palermo can claim a Champions League place this season, but that means that another team doesn’t get to enter Europe’s top competition. Will that team be Roma? Comment below!

Di Natale bags another hat trick

Antonio Di Natale has been fantastic for Udinese for many many seasons, and this one is no exception. Di Natale is now at eight goals this season after scoring yet another hat trick over the weekend. It was a sensational hat trick, the first goal was a penalty, the second a spectacular top-corner long range effort, and the third was directly curled in from a corner. It had been a long time since I’d seen a corner scored directly, and Di Natale did it very well to make sure his side won the match against Napoli. Hamsik got a consolation goal with a stunning long range rocket, and Napoli had the chance to make the score 3-2, but Handanovic saved a penalty taken by Hamsik.

A fantastic match with Di Natale asserting his talent as one of the best Italian forwards playing right now, the question is how far he can drag this Udinese side up the table. Right now Guidolin’s side is 9th, but can Udinese rise up the table and maybe get into a European competition? Comment below!

The most exciting team in the Serie A is Palermo

The reason that Palermo are the most exciting team in the Serie A is based upon statistics and my own personal opinion of the side. Right now Palermo have scored 25 goals in the Serie A (second only to Juventus which has scored 26), and the side has conceded 19 goals so far this season. Their average amount of goals per game is 3.14, better than any other team in the Serie A and any team in the French Ligue 1! Regarding their style of play, the team is a joy to watch. With the Argentinean playmaker Pastore illuminating the field with his talent, supported by the energetic Ilicic who always takes a shot when he can, their midfield is fantastic, and with Miccoli up front along with the young Abel Hernandez, scoring goals isn’t difficult at all.

Although they’re the most exciting, it doesn’t mean that they’ll win the Serie A this season, especially with the amount of goals they’re conceding. While I think it would be fantastic for all of Italy if the side manages to get into the Champions League and prove the stereotype of “boring Italian football” wrong. Please share your thoughts by commenting below!

This will be a very interesting weekend, mainly because of all that has happened to mount up to these couple of days. While you had Inter Milan losing 3-1 away to Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League, we also saw Roma win 3-2 away in Switzerland against FC Basel. AC Milan did their best against Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid, and probably could’ve won if it wasn’t for a last minute goal by Pedro Leon in the 94th minute of the match to make it 2-2. The Europa League was a pretty big disappointment for Italian sides as well, Sampdoria could only draw 0-0 at home with Metalist with Juventus getting the same result against Salzburg. Palermo lost 3-1 away to CSKA Moscow, and Napoli lost by the same scoreline away at Anfield against Liverpool.

So there are quite a few sides which will be trying to get a good result this weekend, and build on it for a good Serie A run. While that’s easy to say, we’ll see how many teams manage to win comfortably, and how many are still crippled from their midweek efforts in Europe’s “top competitions”. And if the sides competing in Europe do manage to get a good run going in the Serie A, maybe there’ll be a few more positive results the next time the Champions and Europa League come around.

If there’s one match which stands out when looking at the fixtures for this weekend, it has to be the Rome derby. Lazio are at home in the Stadio Olimpico facing Roma in one of Sunday’s earlier kick-offs. Right away what comes to mind is the fact that this Rome derby is very important for both sides, and maybe all of the Serie A, and I can’t remember (I have terrible memory as well) a Rome derby with so much significance.

Lazio are on a fantastic streak right now, and they’re top of the table four points ahead of second-placed Inter Milan. Meanwhile Roma aren’t achieving as much, but they’re still in a respectable ninth place, with a ten point difference between them and their city rivals. But Lazio only managed to squeeze a 1-0 win last weekend away at Palermo, and it was the home side which was playing much better than Lazio. Roma on the other hand defeated Lecce 2-0, creating about five opportunities in which they should’ve scored, but they didn’t.

So can Roma topple the surprise table-leaders Lazio? Well, even if Lazio lost to Roma this weekend, they’d still remain top of the table thanks to the four point cushion they have over Inter Milan, but a first loss of the season could demoralize Edy Reja’s side.

My prediction is a tight 2-1 win for Roma with Vucinic getting on the scoresheet. But this game can go countless different ways, so please share what you think the result will be below by commenting.

As for other matches, Palermo will be facing Genoa at home. While both sides haven’t had some great results recently, they both play wonderful attacking football, and to spice things up, both sides are tied in the table with 11 points. I expect this one to be a great match, with the likes of Javier Pastore going up against Miguel Veloso in the midfield, this is another match that can go either way.

While you can give Palermo a bit of home advantage, I think this match will end in a 2-2 draw. Genoa are a side which force their way to the goal with quick and attacking play, and Luca Toni looked very good against Inter Milan last weekend. But make sure to share your prediction by commenting below!

There aren’t many other “big” clashes in this weekend’s Serie A fixtures, and while AC Milan will have to travel to Bari, I think that Allegri’s side can find a way to win. Inter Milan also seem to have a pretty straightforward match at home against Brescia, but you never know, especially after that 3-1 loss to Tottenham. Will Benitez continue to be defensive? Milito will be returning this match, can he get on the scoresheet? So many questions, make sure to comment if you have any answers, or questions yourself!

The Serie A is really heating up, and this weekend is providing us with plenty of big matches between the top sides. Lazio are currently top of the table with AC Milan two points away from the leaders. Then comes Inter Milan which is two points away from AC Milan, but the nerazzurri have Chievo right behind them in fourth place, just two points away. So here’s a preview of the upcoming action which will probably switch around teams’s positions in the table.

It all starts on Friday Oct. 29th when Inter Milan travel to Genoa. This is a huge match, and since both sides haven’t been doing very well recently, they’ll be looking to get a win in this game to start a winning streak. Genoa spent big over the summer, and Giampiero Gasperini will have to get them Champions League football for next season after all the spending that his president Enrico Preziosi did over the summer.

But Inter’s coach Rafa Benitez has big shoes to fill as well, there have been rumors circulating that if he doesn’t manage to win the scudetto and the Champions League this season, then he’ll be replaced with Pep Guardiola. Guardiola’s contract with Barcelona is running out, and it ends at the end of this season. If Inter manage to bring the Spaniard over to coach them, then who knows, we might even see Lionel Messi come to Moratti’s side.

The other big clash this weekend is AC Milan vs. Juventus. This is a massive match, and while AC Milan have been getting some good results lately, Delneri’s side has been scoring plenty of goals this season. But there’s an important absence which needs to be mentioned, and that’s Juve’s Serbian winger Milos Krasic. After his dive against Bologna which earned the bianconeri a penalty, he was banned for two matches once the match had been reviewed.

So what will Juventus do? It’s probable that they’ll start with Pepe and Martinez on the wings and stick with the rigid 4-4-2 system. The forwards will be Del Piero and Quagliarella, because Amauri isn’t back to full fitness, and Iaquinta has a problem with his right knee. So can Juventus give this super-powered AC Milan side a challenge? We’ll have to wait until Saturday to find out.

Another interesting match which will be taking place is Palermo against Lazio. Palermo have been playing some fantastic football recently, but Lazio have also been flying high with spectacular results. There’s a big midfield clash, we’ll be seeing players like Javier Pastore and Ilicic for Palermo, while Lazio has their captain Mauri who’s been in great form, accompanied by the brilliant Hernanes. This is certainly a match to watch, and I expect a big result with plenty of attacking play.

My predictions for the matches are a 2-1 win for Inter Milan over Genoa, a 1-1 draw between Juventus and AC Milan, and a 3-2 win for Palermo against Lazio. But what are your predictions on this weekend’s action? Please share your thoughts by commenting below!

Niccolo brings up an interesting debate in his weekend review post that I wanted to put to a vote.  This weekend we saw two incredible goals in Serie A, and I will throw it out to the readership to vote on which one was the best.

Contender #1 – Ilicic’s Opening Goal Against Fiorentina

Josip Ilicic’s goal was the first of the match and one of two scored in Palermo’s 2-1 defeat of Fiorentina this weekend.  The angle and arch of the shot is what makes this so beautiful – as it leaves his feet you know there is no chance Frey will save it.  Extra points for this video showing the shirtless fans celebrating like it’s Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

Contender #2 – Pirlo’s Game Winner Against Parma

Pirlo’s return to action saw him score the first Milan goal from anyone besides Ibrahimovic in the last three matches.  What makes this an amazing goal is the distance from where he launches it, and you don’t actually think it could work until the ball lands in the back of the net.  It proved to be the only offense on the day and allowed Milan to remain within two points of the top of the table.

To say the truth, this weekend’s Serie A fixtures weren’t that exciting. There was no match this weekend with more than three goals scored in it, and there were two goalless matches. This weekend there were few memorable results, but there were five things to note, regarding the Serie A.

1. Pirlo saves AC Milan with a wondergoal

AC Milan only managed to defeat Parma 1-0 this weekend, and while you might think Ibrahimovic scored the goal, instead it was the veteran Pirlo. Pirlo’s goal was fantastic, an amazing shot far from the goal which dipped right after clearing Mirante’s gloves, flying in right through the top right-hand corner. While this effort was amazing, it wasn’t followed up by a second or a third by the rossoneri. And with the world-class players that they have in their attack, you’d expect a little more than their slightly passive performance against Parma. But let’s look at the positives for AC Milan, they managed to win. And while many other teams weren’t able to find a goal, AC Milan was able to, and they won three important points.

2. Lazio continue to fly

Lazio find themselves at the top of the table, with only one loss and one draw, the Roman side have won four times so far in the Serie A. While there are plenty of reasons why Lazio is doing so well, in my opinion the main one is Edy Reja. One of my favorite coaches who sets up sides to play an attacking style while still having a solid defence. Lazio defeated Brescia this weekend with Mauri scoring thanks to a sublime through pass from Hernanes. But we’ll have to see if they can continue their good form, and push for a Champions League spot, or whether they’ll die down into the midtable.

3. Roma suffer with continued inconsistency

While last week was the perfect chance to kickstart their season, Roma have stumbled yet again this weekend. The giallorossi suffered a 2-0 loss to Napoli giving Walter Mazzarri’s side plenty of chances to score. Right now, Roma find themselves 19th in the table, having won only one game. While I didn’t think that Roma could be a title contender this season, I certainly expected a little more from them. If Ranieri’s side can’t begin to string some wins together, then it could be a very glum season for any Roma fans.

4. Ilicic scores a “Goal of the season” contender

While Pirlo’s goal was majestic, I certainly preferred Ilicic’s against Fiorentina. Palermo defeated Fiorentina 2-1 at the Artemio Franchi, and it was the opening goal which left me stunned. A superb left foot strike from the slovenian which flew into the top left hand corner, impossible for Frey to keep out. It’s probably one of the best goals I’ve seen in a long time, and I truly appreciated it when I saw it from the camera which was behind the player. From this viewpoint I saw the ball swerve and move around until it finally slotted in beautifully into the back of the net. If you haven’t seen this goal, be sure to check it out.

5. Juventus show signs of recovery

This weekend’s big game was Inter Milan against Juventus, and both sides played a good match creating plenty of chances. And while Inter Milan were slightly handicapped thanks to their large amount of injuries, Juventus played a fantastic match against the European champions. Krasic was a constant threat on the right wing, and he even created a goal for Iaquinta which was disallowed for offside. Quagliarella missed a great chance in front of Julio Cesar who was particularly inspired on the night, and Del Piero was subbed on for the final ten minutes of the match, providing an attacking incentive. A great result for a stuttering Juventus side, and from here the bianconeri will look to grab three relatively easy points at home against Lecce coming up.

What were your thoughts on this weekend’s action? Was Pirlo’s goal or Ilicic’s goal better? Comment below!

The Champions League and the Europa League are now priorities, now that the Bundesliga has surpassed the Serie A, Italian teams need to pull their weight in European competition. The first matchday of the group stages of the Champions League and the Europa League didn’t play out too well for the Italian clubs involved. Out of the seven teams which played in European competition this midweek, there was only one win. Other than that there were two losses, and four draws. A record which needs to improve if the Serie A wants to return to having four Champions League places.

AC Milan were the team which managed to win, it was Ibrahimovic who sealed a 2-0 win against Auxerre, as the big Swede netted both the goals. While in the first half AC Milan didn’t look too brilliant, they began to spice up in the second, creating chances and eventually winning the match.

But even this win was given a dark tone, in a post match interview, Zlatan Ibrahimovic began to insult Arrigo Sacchi on TV. The former Italian great had made a witty remark that if Zlatan’s foot wasn’t as big as it is, he wouldn’t have reched the ball to score the first goal. Ibrahimovic took this very personally and  responded with some heavy criticism of the Milan legend which can be read below:

“Sacchi should learn to shut up. He also seems jealous because he is speaking too much. He must speak less on TV and in the newspapers. If he wants something, he must come and see me. If you don’t like how I play, don’t watch me.”

This is the main gist of what Ibrahimovic was saying, the studio was in shock, and as Sacchi tried to explain to Ibrahimovic that he didn’t mean it as an offence, the Swede continued to interrupt him. The interview finished with Sacchi telling Zlatan that he might want to learn some manners, and Zlatan abruptly ending the interview. This is not good news for AC Milan fans, especially since Ibrahimovic has also been practicing his karate against his teammates in training.

But on to more depressing things, Roma lost to Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena 2-0. The giallorossi were defending valiantly until Thomas Muller opened the scoring with a stunning volley. The young German used the outside of his right foot, perfectly curling the ball around Julio Sergio, and into the back of Roma’s goal. Klose scored the second for Bayern, he slipped in front of his marker during a free kick, and easily put the ball past Julio Sergio.

Palermo also lost away from home, their defence was mostly to blame, as they lost 3-2 against Sparta Praha. Maccarone and Hernandez scored for Palermo, and the team will have to recover quickly from this loss considering that they’ll have to play against Inter Milan this upcoming weekend.

Juventus drew 3-3 at home against Lech Poznan, a disappointing result which almost ended in a 3-2 win for the bianconeri, but Rudnevs scored a late equalizer. Juve went 2-0 down, but fought back with two goals from Chiellini, and one from Del Piero, but the team will just need to work on their defence, to not concede late goals like the one which spoiled the party today.

Sampdoria and Napoli both drew, the blucerchiati were winning 1-0 against PSV Eindhoven in the Philips Stadion, but it was a late goal by Dzsudzsak which drew the match. Napoli on the other hand played out a 0-0 draw at home against Utrecht, a disappointing result to say the least, maybe Bari shook them up more than I thought.

In the Champions League, Inter Milan could only manage a 2-2 draw against Twente. The nerazzurri went a goal up away from home thanks to a tap in by Sneijder, but then Twente pulled two back. One of the goals for Twente was an unfortunate own goal by Diego Milito, the Argentine headed into his own net from a corner. At 2-1 down, it was Eto’o who patched things up for the current holders of the trophy, he slipped a ball into the back of the net which ended the match at 2-2.

Some disappointing results to say the least, what are your thoughts on how the Italian teams did in European competition? Share your comments below!