A.C. SIENA

[Jager]

Well so much about all this crap about Oddo, he is playing and I believe he is the captain.

[Jager]

Lazio is pressing, but no dice finding the back of the net. Siena have very limited chances, but have had a few.

Lazio have had two fantastic chances to score, only to have the chance finished off with a horrific shot...straight into the keeper.
0-0

[Jager]

Lazio break the stale mate, by a superb cross by "you know who", and a Rocchi header that rebounded off a Siena defender into the net.

The finish was not that great, but the delivery was superb.

[Jager]

Well, after falling behind by one goal, Siena have basically woken up and are controlling the game, believe it or not.

Just wasted a glorious opportunity. 20 minutes left.

[Jager]

Man oh man, after about ten minutes of relentless pressure, Siena pound it in, after a scramble in front of the net.

And it was Oddo who gave away the ball so Siena could cross it in again the box.

[D-Kin]

It finished 1-1, that's a good result for Siena.

[D-Kin]

I'm surprised Behrami didn't play though, I thought he'd come on off the bench.

[D-Kin]

Serie A Week 19 - 14/1/07 (19.30 UK)
Lazio 1 - 1 Siena
Rocchi 60 (L), Cozza 87 (S)
Stadio Olimpico

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Ciccio Cozza marked his comeback from injury with a late equaliser as Siena held Lazio at the Olimpico.

The Biancocelesti were within reach of the Champions League places going into this game and hoped to take advantage of Siena's poor form, as the Tuscans were without a win since October 29. Sebastiano Siviglia was suspended, but Massimo Oddo started despite confirming he wants a January move to Milan.

Alex Manninger rushed out to pluck Goran Pandev's pass off the feet of Tommaso Rocchi after just 20 seconds of play, then plucked an acrobatic Stefano Mauri overhead kick out of the air.

Rocchi was Lazio's most dangerous player and he sprinted through the centre of the Siena defence only to fire straight at Manninger from point-blank range. Rocchi sprung the offside trap and Leandro Rinaudo rushed back for a decisive block, the only thing left between the ball and goalkeeper.

Guillermo Stendardo was replacing the suspended Siviglia, but he too picked up a knock during an early collision with Tomas Locatelli and limped on until just before half-time, when he had to give up and make way for Bonetto.

Luca Antonini hit the back of the net, but it was correctly disallowed for Locatelli's offside position in the build-up.

Massimo Oddo's cross nearly sent Rocchi clear after the break, but Siena went closer with a fine chance. Simone Vergassola's mis-hit shot turned into an assist for Locatelli, but his effort was also wayward and took a deflection off a teammate on its way past the post.

Cristian Ledesma unleashed a rocket, similar to the wonder strike he scored in the Rome derby earlier this season, that whistled just wide of the far post.

Lazio were short on ideas and threw on Stephen Makinwa for Pandev and the deadlock was finally broken on the hour mark. One of Oddo's trademark free kicks reached Rocchi's glancing header that took a deflection off Valerio Bertotto to loop beyond Manninger's reach.

Mario Frick saw Angelo Peruzzi off his line, but the lob wasn't accurate enough to equalise.

Makinwa sprung the offside trap on Cribari's long pass and Manninger rushed out to clear with his feet.

A series of deflections caused chaos in the Biancocelesti area on Vergassola's cross, but Peruzzi bravely closed down Frick from a couple of yards.

Siena had a great chance on 74 minutes when substitute Ciccio Cozza floated a ball to the back post where Cribari was left stranded and Rinaudo nodded over from close range.

Ex-Lazio stars Paolo Negro and Enrico Chiesa came on for the final push, but the Biancocelesti nearly put the game beyond doubt with their own substitutes. Makinwa gathered on the halfway line and charged forward to roll across the face of goal, where Christian Manfredini came sliding in, inches away from getting the decisive touch.

Yet Siena equalised in chaotic fashion three minutes from time. An acrobatic Luciano Zauri goalline clearance denied Frick's towering header, but the move continued and Cozza managed to get the final tap-in, landing on Peruzzi's foot on the way.

Cozza recovered from that knock and nearly bagged a second, his shot charged down off Zauri's back. On the resulting corner, Frick thumped the upright from six yards with a simple tap-in set up by Negro.

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Lazio: Peruzzi; Oddo, Cribari, Stendardo (Bonetto 44), Zauri; Mudingayi, Ledesma, Mutarelli; Mauri (Manfredini 76); Rocchi, Pandev (Makinwa 55)

Siena: Manninger; Bertotto, Rinaudo, Portanova, Molinaro; Locatelli (Cozza 64), Codrea, Vergassola, Antonini; Corvia (Chiesa 75), Frick

Ref: Gava

channel4.com - Football Italia

[Jager]

Originally Posted by Joel

It finished 1-1, that's a good result for Siena.

I can't stress this enough. Lazio collapsed, and gave away this game, then Siena hit the post, and should of won!

Tale of two parts of this game.

[D-Kin]

Lazio are just too inconsistent these days and that's why I don't think they'll finish 4th. They went on a great run before the winter break and then they get a result like this.

[D-Kin]

Serie A Week 20 - 21/1/07 (14.00 UK)
Siena - Chievo

Stadio Franchi

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The second round of League fixtures begins this weekend and both Siena and their opponents are perilously close to the wrong end of the table. They know that one slip, especially in these head-on clashes, could be fatal. The Artemio Franchi welcomes Chievo Verona on Sunday for what promises to be another tight game for both sides.

Siena’s last Serie A win came against Ascoli at the end of October, since then it has been nothing but draws and defeats for the Bianconeri. It is a slump that has seen them drop from Champions League territory to 13th in the League. Last week’s draw against Lazio ranks among their better results of recent times. They battled hard and got a point in Rome thanks to Francesco Cozza’s late goal.

The Coach, Mario Beretta, will know, however, that it is time to remind the fans what it feels like to win three points and he will certainly not want to fall any lower into the danger zone. The side is likely to be left relatively unchanged with the defensive four getting the thumbs up from Beretta. Tomas Locatelli could move into midfield in place of Daniele Corvia. This would allow the hero of the last game, Cozza, to be given a rare start behind lone striker Mario Frick.

The away side lie only two places behind their opponents in the table and salvation suddenly seems somewhat more than a pipe-dream for the Flying Donkeys. Despite going 1-0 down to in- form Catania last time out, Chievo showed real character in the second half and came away from the game with three very important points. The match saw seven bookings, but most important of all, it saw a side that is not going down without a fight.

Coach Luigi Del Neri will want to keep the positive streak going and will surely see this game as a chance to put some real light between his side and the nether regions of the League table. It looks as though, just like his opposite number, the away side’s boss will only make one change from the 11 that won last time out. Victor Obinna will probably be welcomed back into attack alongside Erjon Bogdani, with Sergio Pellissier losing out. Luciano is unavailable after his three-match ban.

Man on fire: Franco Semioli (Chievo) – He looks to be getting back to the form that earned him an international cap. He scored the equaliser last week and is proving a real handful for any left-back in the League at the moment.

Last season: Siena 0-1 Chievo

Form guide: Siena (D D L D D) Chievo (L D W L W)

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Siena (probable): Manninger; Bertotto, Portanova, Rinaudo, Molinaro; D'Aversa, Codrea, Vergassola, Locatelli, Cozza; Frick

Chievo (probable): Sicignano; Malagò, Mandelli, D'Anna, Marchese; Sammarco, Italiano, Brighi, Semioli; Bogdani, Obinna

channel4.com - Football Italia

[D-Kin]

Siena: Manninger, Bertotto, Molinaro, Portanova, Rinaudo, Locatelli, Vergassola, Codrea, Antonini, Frick, Corvia
Subs: Benussi, Negro, Candela, Cozza, Brevi, D'aversa, Chiesa

Chievo: Sicignano, D'Anna, Malago, Mandelli, Marchese, Brighi, Italiano, Sammarco, Semioli, Bogdani, Pellissier
Subs: Squizzi, Lanna, Moro, Marcolini, Kosowski, Cossato, Obinna

[D-Kin]

Siena 0-1 Chievo

25' Brighi

[D-Kin]

HT 1-0 to Chievo.

[D-Kin]

Siena 1-1 Chievo

62' Antonini