A.S. LIVORNO CALCIO

[Forza_Roma]

Serie A Week 32 - 15/4/07 (14.00 UK)

Livorno - Reggina
Stadio Picchi While Livorno look to have secured a mid-table finish, Reggina are fighting for their Serie A status as they arrive at the Stadio Armando Picchi.

Having become accustomed to overachievement, Livorno have endured a disappointing campaign. The Labronici may have distanced themselves from the relegation dogfight, but their inconsistency has left the fans frustrated and finally led to the dismissal of Daniele Arrigoni.

New boss Fernando Orsi’s 4-1 debut victory over Catania was followed by an agonising last-gasp defeat against Parma last weekend and his task now is merely to keep things ticking over. He will have some confidence in his men to get a result here as the Tuscans have only conceded nine times at home this term.

Reggina’s epic battle against the drop is reaching a nail-biting conclusion. The Calabrians have fought valiantly against the summer’s 11-point Calciopoli penalty, but as Coach Walter Mazzarri points out they are still precariously poised in 17th and have eight crunch games ahead.

Last weekend’s heroic stalemate with champions elect Inter will have given Mazzarri’s men a lift but this will be a very different challenge and all three points are needed. It promises to be an emotional day for the Reggina tactician who hails from the outskirts of Livorno and led them up from Serie B in 2003-04.

Week 13’s meeting between the two Amaranti resulted in a thrilling 2-2 draw. Reggina came back from two goals down at half-time to secure a point. The experienced Dario Passoni was dismissed for Livorno late on.

Orsi has a strong squad having been boosted by the news that defenders Fabio Galante and Giovanni Pasquale have shaken off knocks. Goalkeeper Marco Amelia is set to return between the posts after a recent knee injury. The only absentees are Brazilian midfielder Aparecido Cesar who has a one-match ban and David Balleri who picked up a rib injury in the Catania game a fortnight ago.

Reggina travel north without Pasquale Foggia who remains suspended and defender Antonio Giosa who has flu, but Mazzarri has no other problems. Ex-Livorno man Alessandro Lucarelli is back from a ban and entrusted with the unenviable task of stopping his older brother Cristiano. Young stopper Palmiro Di Dio may have to settle for a seat on the bench despite impressing against Inter.

Man on fire: Andrea Campagnolo (Reggina) – The ex-Cagliari ‘keeper has been an asset lately in the struggle for survival. Having saved a penalty in Week 30’s defeat against Siena, his confident performance against Inter ensured the Amaranto snatched a shock point.

Last season: Livorno 1-0 Reggina

Form guide: Livorno (L D L W L) Reggina (D L W L D)
Livorno (probable): Amelia; Grandoni, Pavan, Galante, Pasquale; Pfertzel, Morrone, Passoni, A Filippini; Lucarelli, Fiore
Reggina (probable): Campagnolo; Mesto, Lucarelli, Lanzaro; Vigiani, Amerini, Tognozzi, Tedesco, Modesto; Amoruso, Bianchi
Ref: To follow...

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[Forza_Roma]

1-0 Livorno. Goal by Lucarelli. Cross comes in , Lucarelli does very well to get to it and score!

[Forza_Roma]

1-1 Goal by Bianchi. Shot to the back of the net from close range!

[Forza_Roma]

HT 1-1

[Forza_Roma]

FT 1-1

[Forza_Roma]

Lucarelli continues to score..good for him!

Serie A Week 32 - 15/4/07 (14.00 UK)

Livorno 1 - 1 Reggina
C Lucarelli 28 (L), Bianchi 31 (R)
Stadio Picchi

Cristiano Lucarelli may have won the battle of the brothers, but the points were shared at the Stadio Picchi.

Reggina boss Walter Mazzarri took Livorno to their historic promotion from Serie B in 2004, but left that same summer to revive the Calabrians' fortunes. They are now battling against relegation, although they would be well clear were it not for the 11-point Calciopoli penalty. As for the Tuscans, new boss Nando Orsi was hoping to continue his positive start to Serie A management. Cesar Aparecido and Pasquale Foggia sat out bans, but it was a family affair at the Stadio Picchi, as brothers Cristiano and Alessandro Lucarelli faced off.

It was Cristiano who fired over early on and the his lob was off target on the counter-attack.

Cristiano Lucarelli had been the most lively and opened the scoring with a sliding volley on Paulinho's chipped cross after some good work down the left from the Brazilian.

It lasted just three minutes ahead of Reggina's equaliser. Under-21 international Rolando Bianchi went on a slalom and placed his angled finish past the returning Marco Amelia.

Dario Passoni's whipped in free kick caused some difficulties and Nicola Amoruso's angled drive shaved the upright.

Amoruso was unlucky after the restart, as he suffered an injury during an attacking move and fell just as he was about to shoot.

Livorno: Amelia; Grandoni, Pavano, Galante, Pasquale; Pfertzel (Bergvold 57), Passoni (Morrone 63), Filippini, Coppola (Fiore 77); Paulinho, C Lucarelli

Reggina: Campagnolo; Lanzaro, A Lucarelli, Aronica, Mesto (Gazzi 74); Amerini, Vigiani; Tedesco, Modesto (Nardini 57); Amoruso (Missiroli 61), Bianchi

Ref: Saccani

channel4.com - Football Italia

[Forza_Roma]

We will see how Livorno come out this game after their leader Lucarelli spoke out about his desire to leave Livorno at seasons end!

[Forza_Roma]

Lucarelli scored here...Livorno won i believe. He has 17 goals on the season...hope he doesn't catch Totti...but glad he scored!

[Forza_Roma]

Serie A Week 22 - 18/4/07 (16.30 UK)

Livorno 2 - 1 Cagliari
Lucarelli 5 (L), Suazo pen 61 (C), Knezevic 67 (L)
Stadio Picchi

Cristiano Lucarelli answered his critics and Dario Knezevic got his first ever Serie A goal in Livorno's victory.

The Amaranto clashed with Cagliari with both teams in a comfortable mid-table position. Cristiano Lucarelli was expecting a reaction from the crowd after slamming the fans for their lack of support and insisting this would be his last season with Livorno.

Even if he is determined to walk out, Lucarelli gave Livorno the lead in the opening five minutes. Cesar Aparecido's pass was rolled in to the edge of the area, where Lucarelli swept in with the inside of his left foot.

Lucarelli turned an Antonio Filippini cross over the bar and scissor-kicked Stefano Fiore's assist off target.

Antonio Chimenti returned to the starting XI after a shoulder injury and performed a tough save on Fiore's volley.

Simone Pepe wasted a good chance for Cagliari by firing on to the side-netting. On the stroke of half-time, Pepe again went close from a Daniele Conti free kick, but Marco Amelia was ready.

Former Palermo striker Pepe was a constant threat, but his backheel from a Del Grosso assist was too ambitious.

On the hour mark Simone Pavan hauled down David Suazo in the area and the referee pointed to the spot. The Honduran got back up to convert the penalty and draw Cagliari level.

Substitute Dario Knezevic went close with a header and moments later got his first Serie A goal. The Croatian defender rose above the crowd for a powerful finish from Stefano Fiore's free kick.

Cagliari failed to muster a real fightback and the game petered out at the Stadio Picchi.

Livorno: Amelia; Grandoni, Pavan, Galante (Knezevic 60), Pasquale; Passoni, Morrone, Cesar (Pfertzel 62), A Filippini; Fiore (Coppola 83); Lucarelli

Cagliari: Chimenti; Ferri, Lopez, Bianco, Del Grosso; Biondini (Budel 46), Conti, Agostini (Marchini 46), D'Agostino (Capone 79); Suazo, Pepe

Ref: Gava

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[D-Kin]

Serie A Week 34 - 29/4/07 (14.00 UK)

Livorno-Palermo
Stadio Picchi

Renzo Gobbo’s debut on the Palermo bench comes at a Livorno side shorn of their star striker, Cristiano Lucarelli. The Amaranto ace has been a revelation since the arrival of Nando Orsi in Week 30 as Coach. The No 99 has rifled in six goals in five games and has been instrumental in a run that ended their streak of five games without a win.

However, Lucarelli is now suspended for this fixture – news that will be a God-send to Gobbo as he attempts to pull the Rosanero out of the mire that has seen them go 11 games without a victory. That streak has seen the Sicilians fall from the Champions League spots down into the UEFA Cup scrap and a further deterioration cannot be allowed if they are serious about earning a second season of European football.

Lucarelli netted a hat-trick in this fixture last season, but with his threat annulled it will perhaps detract from the Tuscan side’s attacking threat – six out of eight of their last goals have come from the hometown hero. The lack of a prolific scorer has been Palermo’s problem since their last win, with no player having hit more than two goals in that 11 game victory drought.

Back in December at the Renzo Barbera the Rosanero had no problems finding the net. Fabio Simplicio’s brace and a strike from Amauri – whose injury has played a big role in Palermo’s slide – secured a 3-0 win, back when Francesco Guidolin’s side were the surprise package in Serie A. Palermo have not won at Livorno since their return to the top flight. Their best return from their visits to the Armando Picchi was a 2-2 draw in 2005.

Livorno bring Emanuele Manitta into goal in place of Marco Amelia, whose knee injury may have finished his career with the minnows if the rumours of his impending transfer are true. Rehman Rezaei is out injured, to be replaced by Fabio Galante, and the suspended Carmine Coppola out for Stefano Morrone. Paulinho is tasked with filling Lucarelli’s boots. For Palermo, Andrea Pisano’s sending off against Parma means he is replaced by Giuseppe Biava for the away side.

Man on fire: Cristian Zaccardo (Palermo) – The World Cup winning defender has scored in both of Palermo’s last two games and will be full of confidence ahead of this encounter.

Form guide: Livorno (W L D W L) Palermo (D D L D L)

Last season: Livorno 3-1 Palermo

Livorno (probable): Manitta; Grandoni, Pavan, Galante, Pasquale; Filippini, Morrone, Passoni, Cesar; Fiore; Paulinho

Palermo (probable): Fontana; Cassani, Zaccardo, Barzagli, Pisano; Bresciano, Simplicio, Guana, Cavani, Caracciolo

channel4.com - Football Italia

[Forza_Roma]

I'm going to predict a Palermo win...yup, a Palermo win. No Lucarelli, no Amelia. This is what Livorno will look like next season as they sit in last place.

[D-Kin]

I think Palermo will find it tough away from home.

[Forza_Roma]

I just have to know think of the right score to put on the predictor thread...i think low scoring game?

[D-Kin]

I'm thinking a draw here.