Serie A' MD29: Fiorentona - Napoli [19-03-08]

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Serie A Week 29 - 19/3/08 (19.30 UK)
Napoli - Fiorentina

Stadio San Paolo

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While Napoli are merely looking to consolidate their mid-table position, Fiorentina will be travelling to the San Paolo desperate for a win to keep them clear of Milan in the battle for a top-four finish.

The Viola are currently on course to secure a place in next season’s Champions League, with a four-point advantage over Milan in fifth. However, Coach Cesare Prandelli knows it only takes one slip and the pressure will be right back on his team again. While their home form has been excellent recently, they haven’t been quite as impressive on their travels. Despite the win at Juventus, the defeats to Siena in Serie A and Everton in the UEFA Cup shows they are vulnerable away from the Stadio Artemio Franchi. That will make it a real challenge of their maturity in the notoriously difficult San Paolo atmosphere.

However, Fiorentina are counting the cost of their 3-1 win over Genoa on Sunday. The yellow card received by Massimo Gobbi means he will miss this match through suspension, while centre-back Alessandro Gamberini and winger Martin Jorgensen picked up injuries that will reduce them to spectators in Naples. Prandelli is also expected to rest several players during their hectic schedule. Marco Donadel, Franco Semioli and Christian Vieri should take the place of Zdravko Kuzmanovic, Mario Santana and Giampaolo Pazzini.

The only certain absentee from the Napoli ranks is striker Marcelo Zalayeta, whose knee injury has required surgery and he’ll be out of action for the remainder of the Azzurri’s campaign. Emanuele Calaio should continue in his place alongside Ezequiel Lavezzi in attack, although veteran Roberto Sosa is also a candidate. Goalkeeper Gennaro Iezzo and defender Andrea Cupi are back in training after their injuries, but are unlikely to return to the starting XI so soon. In midfield, both Manuele Blasi and Daniele Mannini should return to the line-up after serving their suspensions.

Partenopei boss Edy Reja will be hoping his players can quickly get over their disappointment from the weekend. They conceded a 88th minute goal to lose 1-0 to Juventus on Sunday evening as their nightmare run of fixtures continued. This match is the last of a run that will leave them having faced the entire top four in less than three weeks. Their win over Inter means they already have more from those games than they may have expected, but after drawing a blank in their last two games against Roma and Juventus, the Napoli strikers will hoping to keep the fans happy with at least one Azzurro name on the score sheet at the San Paolo.

Keep an eye on: Emanuele Calaio (Napoli) – After waiting all season from the bench, fate has finally handed Calaio a chance to impress with an extended run in the starting line-up. The Sicilian striker will be eager to earn his place with goals.

Last season: Not played

Form guide: Napoli (W L W L L) Fiorentina (L W W L W)


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Napoli (probable): Gianello; Santacroce, Cannavaro, Domizzi; Mannini, Blasi, Gargano, Hamsik, Savini; Calaio, Lavezzi

Fiorentina (probable): Frey; Ujfalusi, Dainelli, Kroldrup, Pasqual; Donadel, Liverani, Montolivo; Semioli, Vieri, Mutu

Ref: To follow...

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[dukeofdavinci]

Serie A Week 29 - 19/3/08 (19.30 UK)
Napoli 2 - 0 Fiorentina
Lavezzi 23, 31 (N)
Stadio San Paolo

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Ezequiel Lavezzi's double saw Fiorentina become the latest big club to fall at the San Paolo.

The Viola were heading for Champions League football, but faced a Napoli side that had already beaten Inter and Juventus here. Massimo Gobbi was suspended, joining Alessandro Gamberini, Martin Jorgensen and Franco Semioli on the sidelines. Marcelo Zalayeta is out for the season with a knee injury, but Manuele Blasi and Daniele Mannini returned from bans.

Over the past few years both these clubs have been bankrupt and demoted to Serie C, but are right back in the thick of Serie A's top sides. Adrian Mutu had the first chance, but Fabiano Santacroce cut him off with a splendid challenge.

Sebastien Frey took the sting out of a Walter Gargano free kick, but he was beaten on 23 minutes by Ezequiel Lavezzi. Mannini took Manuel Pasqual by surprise on the right channel and rolled across for Lavezzi's sliding finish.

Fiorentina fought straight back as Mutu tested Matteo Gianello from the edge of the area and from the resulting corner Tomas Ujfalusi's flick on found the Romanian, but it was disallowed for the defender's foul.

Lavezzi doubled his tally and Napoli's lead thanks to a howler from Frey. The French goalkeeper got down late when a corner came out to Lavezzi and could only get a touch that bounced over his head.

Napoli should have been 3-0 up, but when Frey parried a Marek Hamsik missile, the same player failed to turn in the follow-up. Fiorentina also threatened, as Gianello turned Mutu's drive round the post with one strong hand.

Straight after the restart Mutu's looping header thumped the crossbar.

Napoli also went close after Roberto Sosa came on, as Per Kroldrup intercepted a Hamsik pass to the unmarked Argentine.

Fiorentina shot themselves in the foot when Ndyaie Papa Waigo's cross found Mutu and Daniele Cacia both go for the ball and clatter into each other.


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Napoli: Gianello; Santacroce, Cannavaro, Domizzi, Mannini, Blasi, Gargano, Hamsik (Pazienza 80), Savini, Lavezzi (Bogliacino 89), Calaiò (Sosa 68)

Fiorentina: Frey; Ujfalusi, Kroldrup, Dainell (Potenza 64)i, Pasqual, Kuzmanovic, Donadel, Liverani (Papa Waigo 46), Montolivo, Osvaldo (Cacia 55), Mutu

Ref: Rosetti

channel4.com - Football Italia

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Liverani laments lapses Friday 21 March, 2008

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Fiorentina midfielder Fabio Liverani has blamed a lack of concentration, rather than tiredness, for Wednesday’s defeat against Napoli.

The Viola’s Champions League qualification chances took a blow with a 2-0 loss at the Stadio San Paolo.

Cesare Prandelli’s side are trying to juggle a UEFA Cup campaign and a push for fourth place, but ex-Lazio man Liverani is reluctant to blame fixture pile-up for their midweek result.

“It was disappointing to lose 2-0 because these kind of defeats are never positive,” he admitted.

“We lacked concentration. I wasn’t tired physically and I don’t think I did badly, but obviously it is tough to play every three days.

“Playing so often can lead to off days, but we let in two goals that were avoidable.

“In the first half we played the ball around a lot and had chances for Adrian Mutu and Pablo Daniel Osvaldo.

“But Napoli were able to take advantage of their chances and we weren’t. It was as simple as that.”

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