Serie A: Cagliari - Inter [16-12-07]

[D-Kin]

Serie A Week 16 - 16/12/07 (19.30 UK)
Cagliari - Inter

Stadio Sant'Elia

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A desperate Cagliari will have to try and stop leaders Inter as they meet at the Stadio Sant’Elia in Week 16. The Nerazzurri have been outstanding recently, showing that they have no intention of abdicating their Italian throne. Cagliari have had one of their poorest campaigns ever and are still struggling to recover from their poor start.

Rossoblu Coach Nedo Sonetti, who replaced Marco Giampaolo, has been in charge at Cagliari for four weeks now but the results have been far from satisfactory. One point in four games and the Isolani are still bottom of the table. Meanwhile, the Nerazzurri have been flying towards their third straight Scudetto.

Last week Cagliari were hammered 4-1 by relegation rivals Empoli. Inter confidently defeated Torino 4-0 and also increased the gap between themselves and Roma, who were held by Livorno.

The Nerazzurri are still unbeaten and they have both Serie A’s best attack and defence. On the other hand, Cagliari haven’t won in nine games and have one of the weakest defences in the League.

Although the final result seems already written, there may be some surprises for the Nerazzurri in their trip to Sardinia. After all, the locals managed to grab a 1-1 draw the last time they met here.

Inter boss Roberto Mancini will have to deal with several absences. Marco Materazzi is not ready to play the full 90 minutes yet so Ivan Cordoba and Walter Samuel should be the central defenders. Patrick Vieira, Luis Jimenez, Dejan Stankovic and Olivier Dacourt are all out injured so Mancini will have to reinvent the midfield.

Romanian defender Cristian Chivu may be asked to play centrally with Santiago Solari and Javier Zanetti on the wings. Star man Zlatan Ibrahimovic is suspended. The Swedish ace will be replaced by Hernan Crespo.

Sonetti is well aware that this could be his last chance on the Rossoblu bench. During the week President Massimo Cellino contacted former Coach Giampaolo, who rejected the call.

There won’t be many differences to the Rossoblu side which faced Empoli last week. However, Robert Acquafresca and Davide Biondini will be out injured. Their places should be taken by Joaquin Larrivey and Alessandro Budel.

Keep an eye on: Julio Cruz (Inter) – ‘El Jardinero’ has scored eight goals so far this season. He has shown himself to be a world class striker and that’s why he has now become a regular at Inter.

Last season: Cagliari 1-1 Inter

Form guide: Cagliari (L L D L L) Inter (D W W W W)

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Cagliari (probable): Marruocco; Pisano, Lopez, Bianco, Agostini; Parola, Conti, Budel; Foggia; Matri, Larrivey

Inter (probable): J Cesar; Maicon, Samuel, Cordoba, Maxwell; J.Zanetti, Cambiasso, Chivu, Solari; Crespo, Cruz

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[Jager]

Good game today. Good road game that is. Not sure on the 4-3-3, but what can you say.

This Inter team works and works, and is very patient.

Great effort by Cruz on his goal.

[Jager]

Serie A Week 16 - 16/12/07 (19.30 UK)
Cagliari 0 - 2 Inter
Cruz 57 (I), Suazo 79 (I)
Stadio Sant'Elia


It was far from a vintage performance, but Inter surge seven points clear after Julio Cruz and David Suazo sank Cagliari 2-0.

The Nerazzurri had to do without the suspended Zlatan Ibrahimovic, while Patrick Vieira, Dejan Stankovic, Olivier Dacourt, Luis Jimenez and Luis Figo remained sidelined with injury. Cagliari surprisingly dropped Italian international Pasquale Foggia in the wake of the scandal involving an attack on teammate Davide Marchini and needed something spectacular to avoid defeat after picking up one point from four games under Nedo Sonetti.

Last season this tie ended 1-1 and David Suazo was playing for the Sardinians, but returned to face them as an opponent for the first time after 94 goals in 254 games between Serie A and B over eight years. Inter were undefeated here since a 1-0 result in September 1993.

It was the home side that had the first chance, Esteban Cambiasso clearing to the edge of the box where Daniele Conti's strike skimmed the frame of the goal. Robert Acquafresca couldn't get enough power to his sliding finish and Conti's free kick was over, as Inter got off to a very sluggish start.

The Nerazzurri finally had a shot on goal after 28 minutes, Suazo holding up the ball for Hernan Crespo to sidefoot just wide from the edge of the box. A ricochet did not fall kindly for Julio Cruz following good work from Douglas Maicon.

However, a moment of magic almost broke the deadlock, as Cristian Chivu attempted an audacious strike from 30 metres that dipped to crack against the crossbar.

In the second half Crespo couldn't make the most of an acrobatic Cambiasso assist and Marruocco comfortably controlled another Chivu shot from distance.

Inter missed an open goal on 54 minutes. Again Chivu unleashed a fierce strike and Marruocco parried it only as far as Suazo, but the Honduran incredibly side-footed wide from nine yards!

The Nerazzurri finally opened the scoring with a wonderful moment of individual skill from Cruz. He ran on to Suazo's assist on the edge of the box and, while everyone expected a pass to Crespo at the far post, Il Jardinero placed a snooker-shot into the near bottom corner of the net.

Marruocco had his palms stung by Suazo and did well to block Cruz's follow-up with an outstretched foot, although the Argentine was by this point in an offside position.

Joaquin Larrivey came on for a very attack-minded Cagliari line-up, but they rarely threatened. Instead Cruz got in front of Marruocco for a header that Ferri had to clear off the line. From the resulting corner kick, Marruocco parried Ivan Cordoba's header and Suazo tapped in from a yard. He refused to celebrate as a gesture of affection for his former club.

Cagliari goalkeeper Marruocco kept the scoreline down at full stretch on Cesar Aparecido's angled drive.


Cagliari: Marruocco; Pisano (Larrivey 70), Lopez, Bianco, Agostini; Ferri, Conti, Parola, Fini (Budel 75); Acquafresca, Matri (Mancosu 85)

Inter: Julio Cesar; Maicon, Cordoba, Samuel, Maxwell (Pele' 81); Zanetti, Chivu, Cambiasso; Cruz, Crespo (Cesar 58), Suazo (Balotelli 91)

Ref: De Marco

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[Jager]

TalkSoccer Media Player

Highlights.

[Jager]

....one more thing, David Sauzo is a classy guy, he scores but doesn't celebrate against the club that helped his career so much. Class act at the announcer said.

[D-Kin]

Sonetti fears the worst Monday 17 December, 2007

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Cagliari boss Nedo Sonetti admits that he is a worried man after last night’s defeat by Inter.

The Sardinians are propping up the table after an almost inevitable 2-0 reverse against the leaders and there is an air of unrest at the club.

There have been rumours that President Massimo Cellino could even call Marco Giampaolo back once again to replace Sonetti, who took over from him in mid-November.

“Everything worries me,” Sonetti grimaced. “The harsh League position, the state the team is in, everything.

“Against the big sides we are so far behind, even though we stood up to Inter until the 50th minute.”

The mood in the Rossoblu camp has also darkened due to a feud between midfielders Pasquale Foggia and Davide Marchini that has caused the talented Foggia to be left out of the side.

“The atmosphere at the club is extremely difficult,” Sonetti lamented.

“Foggia has been sent home for so many reasons and the club needs to resolve the situation. He is an important player as he is the only one who beats his man.

“We hope that it can all be sorted out in the best way for Cagliari and that we can get back on the road to survival.

“There are positives in the side, but at the moment everything is difficult and the lads have to dig deep.”

Cagliari’s final chance to pull themselves off the bottom of the table before Christmas is a daunting test away to Fiorentina.

channel4.com - Football Italia

[ParmaKing]

I tend to agree that the 4-3-3 is not desirable, but Mancio is trying to get Crespo back into it.

I see our strikers as Zlatan and the "unit".

With our midfield crisis, I can see why he is doing it.

[Super Pibe #7]

Great goal by Cruz, thought he should've passed it, because of the angle, but he really buried it.

[D-Kin]